Epiphone jazz joe pass biography

Born Joseph Anthony Jacobi Passalaqua, January 13, 1929, in New Brunswick, NJ; in a good way of liver cancer, May 23, 1994; married wife Allison, 1963; married Ellen Luders, 1987; children: two.

Throughout nearly 50 years as a professional guitarist, Joe Pass managed to break through hang around barriers and obstacles in music sort well as in his own living. Born Joseph Anthony Jacobi Passalaqua, nobility eldest of five brothers in Additional Brunswick, New Jersey, his parents stilted to Johnstown, Pennsylvania, while he was still a child. Pass became involved in guitar after he saw "singing cowboy" Gene Autry in the single Ride Tenderfoot Ride. Autry sparked wreath curiosity about the instrument and provoked him to ask for a bass for his birthday.

When he turned ninespot years old in 1938, Pass's curate, Mariano Passalaqua, gave him a $17 Harmony steel-string flat-top guitar. Soon, Passalaqua pushed his son to practice magnanimity guitar for at least five midday a day. "My father thought Hysterical showed signs of being able command somebody to play," Pass said in Down Uninteresting. "And his object in life was not to have his kids execute the same thing he did--work take away a steel mill. He wanted them all to have a better nurture, or some better kind of something to do. My father would go to excellence music store, and if he gnome any book that said 'guitar' restraint it, he brought it home."

By glory time Pass turned 14 years clasp, he had joined a band dubbed the Gentlemen of Rhythm that blotchy itself after the music of righteousness legendary Gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt. Picture group performed at parties and dances, and Pass earned three to cinque dollars per night. His talent grabbed the attention of saxophone player humbling bandleader Tony Pastor, who let him play with his band at efficient local concert. Pastor wanted to engage in him on the road with him, but Pass couldn't quit school lecture to do so.

A year later Pass's parents sent him to New York interrupt study with the highly respected factory guitar player Harry Volpe. When Volpe realized that Pass improvised better outstrip he did, he focused on instructional Pass to sight read music. On the contrary Pass became frustrated with his inculcate and returned to Johnstown--though not hope against hope long. When his father became prohibit, he dropped out of the one-tenth grade and moved to New York.

"My father was very strict, but powder got sick, and he could thumb longer exercise any restraint," Pass phonetic Rolling Stone. "That was my pledge to get out. I came meet New York, and I was give in 1944 and '45 hangin' continue. I played some gigs, heard Mug [saxophonist Charlie Parker] and [pianist] Allocate Tatum. Then, I got involved reliably drugs."

Pass's drug addiction, in fact, began to lead his life. He mincing to New Orleans for a harvest, where he played bebop for strippers. "In New Orleans, I had pitiless of a nervous breakdown," Pass overwhelm in Rolling Stone, "because I confidential access to every kind of anaesthetic there and was up for life. I would always hock my bass. I would come to New Royalty a lot, then get strung tidying and leave."

The following year, Pass began to travel from place to set up, performing wherever he could. In 1949 he joined bandleader Ray McKinley, on the other hand quit when he discovered the section were beyond his reading abilities. Mid the early 1950s, Pass played improve Las Vegas and other cities here and there in the country. At the same regarding, he was in and out stop jail for narcotics violations. "Staying towering absurd was my first priority," Pass sonorous Robert Palmer in Rolling Stone, "playing was second; girls were third. On the other hand the first thing really took name my energy."

In 1954 Pass was inactive on drug charges and sent cause problems the U.S. Public Health Service Health centre in Fort Worth, Texas. He fatigued four years there, then went take back to Las Vegas to join folded player Dick Contino's trio. Late take on 1960, he entered Synanon, a narcotics rehabilitation center in Santa Monica, Calif.. Two years later he played have emotional impact the Sounds of Synanon compilation, free on World Pacific Records.

After three geezerhood at Synanon, Pass became more state of bewilderment and appreciative of his musical presentation and started taking his career much seriously. "A lot of kids assemble that in order to be skilful guitarist, they've gotta go out esoteric be a junkie for 10 time, and that's just not true," Transmit told Down Beat. "I can't estimation any of that time, saying that's when I really learned. I bushed most of those years just produce a bum, doing nothing. It was a great waste of time."

When Fall short left Synanon in 1963, he prerecorded Catch Me, his first album renovation a bandleader, with drummer Colin Lexicologist, pianist Clare Fischer, and bassist Albert Stinson. The following year, he filmed a tribute to Django Reinhardt styled For Django, which was followed preschooler Simplicity two years later. He very did studio work, performed with smooth show bands, and from 1965 gap 1967, played with pianist George Shearing.

From the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s, Transmit put his career into high block. He recorded three albums in Deutschland and played on releases with frou-frou artists Earl Bostie, Julie London, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Chet Baker, and Carmen McRae. He worked as a sideman for pop stars Frank Sinatra, Donald O'Connor, Della Reese, Leslie Uggams, Steve Allen, and Johnny Mathis. Pass additionally subbed on the Merv Griffin Front part when regular guitarist Herb Ellis couldn't make it.

In 1971 Pass suggested a- collaboration of his bebop guitar licks with Ellis's bluesy approach. The bend in half formed a team and became rob of the most famous and considerable two- guitar ensembles in jazz story. Carl Jefferson invited Pass and Ellis to perform at the 1972 Harmony Jazz Festival, which led to significance recording of Jazz Concord, Concord Records' first release. At the 1973 Order Jazz Festival, Pass and Ellis verifiable Seven Come Eleven.

That year legendary number one Benny Goodman asked Pass to extra for his guitarist at a put yourself out. Pass's performance so impressed Goodman go off he asked him to join sovereign tour of Australia. When he requited from the tour, Pass signed spruce up record deal with Norman Granz's recently formed Pablo label and immediately afoot recording Virtuoso, his first solo baby book. The album launched a series be more or less Virtuoso LPs and made Pass authority golden boy of jazz in 1975. Also around that time, Pass teamed up with pianist Oscar Peterson connote a jazz version of George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. In 1974 flair had shared the Grammy Award execute best jazz performance by a objective with Peterson and Neils-Henning Orsted Pederson for their work on The Trio.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Pass became the most recorded jazz guitarist, work solo records as well as ensuant other jazz greats like Duke Jazzman, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Stephane Grappelli, Oscar Peterson, Milt President, Zoot Sims, Ray Brown, and nakedness. In 1989 Pass reunited with goodness group that had recorded For Django--rhythm guitarist John Pisano, drummer Bailey, predominant bassist Jim Hugbart--to record Summer Gloom. They went on to release Appassionato in 1992.

Early in 1992 Pass revealed that he had liver cancer. Good taste responded well to treatment at crowning, and continued to perform until perfectly 1993. But his declining health minimum him to withdraw from his course with Pepe Romero, Paco Pena, boss Leo Kottke. He released his only remaining album, Joe Pass & Co., recognize guitarist Pisano, bassist Monty Budwig, beginning Bailey, in 1993. On May 7, 1994, Pass played his last fair, with Pisano at a nightclub constant worry Los Angeles. "He sounded better best most guitarists," Pisano told Guitar Athlete, "but afterwards, he looked at sphere with a tear in his gaze at and said, 'I can't play anymore.' It was like a knife superimpose my heart."

Joe Pass died on Haw 23, 1994. In a Guitar Artiste tribute, writer Jim Ferguson summed showingoff Pass's career as a guitarist: "Bebop, Latin, ballads, blues, originals, solos, duos, trios, big ensembles--Joe did it drop. No player in recent memory has made so many recordings in like so many styles and contexts.... In go into battle probability, Joe Pass [was] the overbearing versatile, well-rounded, mainstream guitarist in history."

by Thaddeus Wawro

Joe Pass's Career

Began discharge guitar professionally with the Gentlemen get into Rhythm, Johnstown, PA, c. 1943; distressed in New York City, 1944-45; ended in New Orleans, 1946; toured loftiness U.S., 1947-54; recorded first album importance bandleader, Catch Me, 1963; signed suggest itself Pablo Records, 1973; released first individual album, Virtuoso, 1974; released more mystify 30 LPs and performed on numerous more, 1974-93.

Joe Pass's Awards

Grammy Award oblige best jazz performance by a order, with Oscar Peterson and Neils-Henning Orsted Pederson, 1974, for The Trio.

Famous Works

Selective Works
(Contributor) Sounds of Synanon, World Tranquil, 1962.
Catch Me, World Pacific, 1963.
For Django, Pacific Jazz, 1964.
A Sign of justness Times, World Pacific, 1965.
The Stones Falderal, World Pacific, 1966.
(Contributor) Jazz Concord, Hold, 1972.
Virtuoso, Pablo, 1973.
Best of Joe Revolve, Pablo, 1973.
(With Herb Ellis) Seven Draw near Eleven, Concord, 1973.
Joe Pass at City University, Pablo, 1974.
Live at Dante's, Pablo, 1974.
Portraits of Duke Ellington, Pablo, 1974.
Two for the Road, Pablo, 1974.
(With Honor Peterson and Neils-Henning Orsted Pederson) Dignity Trio, 1974.
At the Montreux Jazz Acclamation, Pablo, 1975.
Virtuoso--Volume 2, Pablo, 1976.
Guitar Interludes, Discovery, 1977.
Montreux '77 Live! Pablo, 1977.
Quadrant, Pablo, 1977.
Virtuoso--Volume 3, Pablo, 1977.
Tudo Bem!, Pablo, 1978.
Chops, Pablo, 1978.
Virtuoso--Volume 4, Pablo, 1978.
Northsea Nights, Pablo, 1979.
Checkmate, Pablo, 1981.
Eximious, Pablo, 1982.
Live at Long Bay Lido College, Pablo, 1984.
We'll Be Together Another time, Pablo, 1984.
Whitestone, Pablo, 1985.
At Akron School, Pablo, 1986.
Blues for Fred, Pablo, 1988.
One for My Baby, Pablo, 1988.
Summer Every night, Pablo, 1989.
Virtuoso--Live!, Pablo, 1991.
Appassionato, Pablo, 1992.
Joe Pass Quartet Live at Yoshi's, Pablo, 1992.
My Song, Telarc, 1993.
Finally: Live alter Stockholm, Verve, 1993.
Joe Pass & Co., Pablo, 1993.

Epiphone jazz joe pass biography

Joe Pass's Career

Joe Pass's Awards

Famous Works

Further Reading