Customer Reviews

Tudo Bem

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Have you ever had the experience of initially not liking an album, then coming back to it later and discovering what a gem it is? That's what happend to me with Tudo Bem. I first encountered this wonderful album on vinyl not long after it came out. I was just getting into jazz and was still in a sort of never-never land between "real" jazz and fusion. For example, I thought Russ Freeman's Nocturnal Playground was the greatest thing going. (I have to confess I still have a soft spot for it because it helped get me into creative improvised music.) And I had just purchased Pass's great, but more fusion-tinged, album, Whitestone (which I'll probably review soon), was blown away, and was expecting more of the same.

Tudo Bem is actually quite straight-ahead for a self-consciously Brazilian date; that's probably what threw me. And, my ears were not yet conditioned to hear and appreciate authentic jazz. After having listened to the latter for the last 20 years or so, I came back to Tudo Bem with a totally different set of criteria about what makes music great. I can now appreciate the beauty of Pass's single-note runs, the sparkling creativity of his solos as he plays over the changes, the subtle conversation between the musicians.

Pass is best known for his virtuosity as a solo performer. But if you have any intrest at all in Brazilian-tinged acoustic music, you'll want to pick up this great outing by a jazz guitar master.

It does not get better. The gold standard which anyone trying to solo on guitar over bossa nova should aspire to. Virtuosity with soul.

Absolutely brilliant playing by Joe Pass and his fellow players.
Brazilian moods and some laid back jazz funk.
Excellent cd and should be in every jazz guitar fan's library.
I bought the original lp back then , in the "good old days" and I still have it. It is one of my all time favorites.
Anyway, get the cd and you'll love it !!!

The standouts on this, for me, are Corcovado, Wave, and Que Que Ha?. Pass is brilliant, as are da Costa, Grusin, and the rest of the band. I'm not sure why it took me a few listens to get into this, and to be frank I still prefer the faster numbers to the slower ones, although they're also lovely. I have played this over and over and am still discovering more on each listen. This is my first Joe Pass album; it won't be my last.