Customer Reviews

Unforgettable

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4 star:		(1)
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Joe Pass needs no introduction to guitar players. IMO he was the most innovative guitarist of the past 40 years. Other musicians and people who have never played the guitar probably do not realize how monumentally difficult it is to play a convincing, "piano-like" solo on the instrument. I'm not talking about single-note solos -- though Joe certainly had chops to burn in playing single lines. His groundbreaking achievement was devising a way to play a complete piece, rhythm, melody, harmony, improvisation, with incredible swinging rhythmic feel. Classical guitarists can, and do play complete solos, but in 30 years I've come across only a handful who could improvise (Baden Powell, Roland Dyens), and none can "swing" the way Joe Pass did. A few other jazz guitarists -- Gene Bertoncini, George VanEps, Charlie Byrd-- can play in this style, but, for me, there is still no substitute for the real Joe. I want to make it clear that this recording, along with "Songs for Ellen", shows a different, "deeper" side of Joe from his earlier "Virtuoso" stuff. Hard-boppers, horn players, and people who love sheer speed and technique may prefer "Virtuoso", but these later recordings with Joe on nylon-string guitar are unsurpassed for sheer beauty. Don't worry, he still has chops to burn on these discs, but the phenomenal technique is used with more restraint. He had nothing to prove by this time. The results are stunning. I never met Joe, but I miss him every day.

Famed jazz guitarist Joe Pass, who played with George Shearing, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Oscar Peterson, and Dizzy Gillespie, in addition to making several CDs with Ella Fitzgerald, plays solo jazz here in this astonishing recording from 1992. Often regarded as the greatest jazz guitarist of all time, Pass manages to make a single acoustic guitar sound like several guitars played in concert, playing the melody and its variations, the bass accompaniment, and the harmony and treble accompaniment all at the same time. The result is a quiet, relaxing CD, full of romance and soft, moody impressions.

Seventeen tracks, ranging from 2:29 to 4:13 in length, showcase Pass's guitar technique as he plays his own versions of jazz and pop standards, from the romantic "Autumn Leaves, and the beautifully adapted "Unforgettable," to "The Very Thought of You," with the melody in the bass, jazz riffs in the treble, and a surprising change from a soft, slow pace to a jazzier, stronger beat near the end.

Of special note here is "Stardust," which, unlike several other songs here, truly benefits from the solo guitar treatment, associated as it is with Hoagy Carmichael on solo piano, rather than with big bands and big orchestral treatments. As Pass runs his variations up and down the scale, keeping his melody at the forefront, he gives an interpretation worthy of Carmichael's original.

Guitar students will marvel at Pass's talent, his originality, and his ability to make one instrument sound like a whole band, while those whose interest is less technical and more geared to the overall mood of the music will appreciate the quiet and interesting variations to traditional melodies. Pass's ability to be original without being loud and intrusive makes this a wonderfully relaxing CD to play in the background all day long. n Mary Whipple

I've got many Joe Pass recordings, but the cuts on this CD are some of his best work as a solo player. The nylon string classical guitar (not sure which brand?) he's using sounds better for this type of work then other steel string guitars he's used for solo work. Overall, the playing, sound and recording quality give this CD a warm character like almost being there. On some cuts you can even hear him tapping his foot!

This is the solo guitar recording you always believed somebody could do. The truth is only Joe Pass could do it this well. He just simply plays the acoustic guitar better than anyone I can think of, and I mean anyone. Everything about this recording is perfect, from the song selection to Joe's arrangements. The recording and production values and the playing are stunning. On other recordings Joe occassionally gets a little too far outside for the average ear, but on this album every single note is brilliantly necessary to whole of each tune. Amazing.

This is the only jazz album I own. I love it. A woman turned me on to Joe Pass and I have only good things to say about him. The songs are wonderfully executed, with warmth and care. The rendition of "Unforgettable" is interesting and soothing. I love this album!

This really is the best jazz solo guitar album of all time, in my opinion. Pick it up, you won't regret it. I can listen to this album hundreds of times and not get tired of it.

I am a jazz fan and this is my first Joe Pass CD, and I just loved it.
I would recommend it to anyone and everyone :-)

Joe Pass' Unforgettable is one of those classics you listen to over and over again. It is fantastic. A must have.

SERVICE WAS AVERAGE . CD WAS IN PERFECT CONDITION . THIS CD WOULD BE GREAT MOOD MUSIC FOR THAT SPECIAL ONE .

This is not the best of Joe Pass. However, this is not his worst, either. His awesome guitar technique flares up somewhere in these recordings, but the choice of material qualifies this CD as excellent "background music".