Joe Pass Loves Gershwin: Ira George & Joe

Joe Pass | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 2, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Ojc
• ASIN: B000000Z0L
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #375,681 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars With Gershwin Tunes, Joe Pass Has Never Sounded Better!, November 21, 2004

By 

Rebecca*rhapsodyinblue* (CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Joe Pass Loves Gershwin: Ira George & Joe (Audio CD)

Joe Pass, one of my favorite jazz guitarists of all-time, renders eleven of the very best melodies composed by Gershwin. These are the same tunes that were performed and recorded countless times by various jazz musicians, same tunes that were used over and over again in numerous films and shows, same tunes that we are most familiar with, and same tunes that we appreciate and enjoy the most. Backing up Mr. Pass on his performances are John Pisano on rhythm guitar, Shelly Manne on drums and Jim Hughart on bass.

The material on this CD is absolutely impressive and complements Mr. Pass' exceptional skills on guitar with the support of his talented back-up musicians. The standouts for me are "How Long Has This Been Going On," "Nice Work If You Can Get It," "Love Is Here To Stay," "Embraceable You" and "A Foggy Day."

For Gershwin and Pass fans, this is one CD you don't want to miss out. This is one that you can keep for a lifetime and enjoy each time you listen to it. This is guitar playing at its very best.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jazz Heaven, October 1, 2009

By 

Sasha "lampic" (at sea...sailing somewhere) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Joe Pass Loves Gershwin: Ira George & Joe (Audio CD)

Recorded in 1981. this album finds virtuoso Joe Pass paying hommage to Gershwin brothers - he does wonders with what is basically classic american songobook,recorded hundreds of times and the way he turns melodies inside out but never straying too far from original is nothing but pure brilliance.
What makes Pass so different from other musicians who make mistake by brutalizing well-known melodies in attempt to put their own stamp on them is simple fact that he loves this music and gently toys with it,nudging it here and there like a puppy with a toy,talks to it and cries with it - and you can still recognise,yes,this is "Nice Work If You Can Get It" in a splendid new dress.

Another interesting thing about this album is that is recorded very simple - today's companies would probably surround Pass with strings,harps and bells tinkling (see Diana Krall) because everything has to be squeaky clean,commercial,polished and appealing to mass audience - instead of useless cellophane,here we have only Joe Pass with small trio (John Pisano,Jim Hughart,Shelly Manne)sound is clear and crisp,music divine.

Title says "George,Ira and Joe" but I would add Django Reinhardt as well,since his ghost is present here as well. I can see four of them sharing a table somewhere in a white beyond,where Ella is still scatting and Louis mopping that sweat from the forehead,grinning like it's Christmas.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Joe Pass and John Pisano, January 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Joe Pass Loves Gershwin: Ira George & Joe (Audio CD)

Listening to this album was,is and will always be a real pleasure for me.Joe Pass, who is for me one of the greatest guitar player of all the times with the french guitarist Django Reinhart, plays here his favorite tunes of certainly the best 20th century music composers, the Gershwin brothers. My favorite tune in this album is "A foggy day" where Joe and John (Pisano) show us what a duet must be.