The Complete Pacific Joe Pass Quartet Sessions
(Out-of-print)
By: Alan Goodman
The flowing lines and harmonic complexities of bebop are daunting on any instrument, but they particularly challenge guitar players. Not so Joe Pass, who went the beboppers one better; by finger picking where he figured out how to fill and add bass notes as well as solo.
But Joe Pass’ skill wasn’t just in his ability to move dexterously around the fingerboard. The truly best aspect of his playing was how musical it all sounded. Joe Pass’ improvised solos were often crafted well enough to have been melodies in and of themselves creating a unique jazz sound captures in this box set collection.
For Django, with 3 unissued tracks by his quartet with fellow guitarist John Pisano, is considered a must-have in any jazz library. This box set collection also includes Catch Me! with Clare Fischer, Ralph Pena and Larry Bunker with an additional 8 unissued tunes , Les McCann’s On Time and Soul Hits, 12-String Guitar Movie Themes and his live Joy Spring album with 4 more tracks and some newly discovered Pass sessions.
The original three-track masters for 15 of the 18 sessions on this set survived and were remixed and transferred to digital at 24-bit resolution by Malcolm Addey for a clean, pure sound which highlights the beautiful tone of this great instrumentalist. Thoroughly researching the original session tapes is a path not only to far greater fidelity but also to discovering unissued material, like the 33 previously unissued tunes in this limited edition box set!
Always clean, articulate, and effective, Pass had unstoppable swing and an ability to create memorable, beautifully-constructed jazz solos. The Mosaic box set collection of his Pacific quartet sessions lays out the full range of what this gentle, self-effacing musician could do.
The Complete Pacific Joe Pass Quartet Sessions
Discography
For the purposes of this discography, only first U.S. issue of each track is given.
(A) Joe Pass (g, ac g-1), Clare Fischer (p, org-2), Ralph Pena (b), Larry Bunker (d).
(Pacific Jazz Studios) LA, January 30 ,1963
Catch me (Forward Pass) PJ single
Days of Wine and Roses-1, 2-
You Stepped Out of a DreamPJ ST-73
But Beautiful-1-
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(B) same as (A):
(Pacific Jazz Studios) LA, February 4,1963
Mood Indigo PJ ST-73
It’s All Right With Me, previously unissued
Deep Purple-1 –
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(C) probably same as (A):
(Pacific Jazz Studios) LA, probably February, 1963
Tangerine-1 previously unissued
There Will Never Be Another You-1-
Bags’ Groove –
There Is No Greater Love-
The Night Has A Thousand Eyes-
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(D) Joe Pass (g), Clare Fischer (p, org-1), Albert Stinson (b), Colin Bailey (d).
(Pacific Jazz Studios) LA, July 18, 1963
No cover no minimumPJ ST-73
Just Friends-1-
Walking up-
Peri’s Scope previously unissued
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(E) same as (D):
(Pacific Jazz Studios) LA, July 19, 1963
Catch Me-1 PJ ST-73
Summertime-
Falling In Love With Love -1-
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(F) LES McCANN Joe Pass (g), Les McCann (p), Leroy Vinnegar (b), Ron Jefferson (d). (Pacific Jazz Studios) LA, July-August, 1962
On Time PJ ST-56
Yours Is My Heart Alone –
This For Doug –
Fondue –
Bernie’s Tune –
Maichen –
It Could Happen To You –
You’re Driving Me Crazy –
So What –
The Other Way previously unissued
Free At Pass…Thank God Almighty…Free At Pass
NOTE – The piano introduction on “”This for Doug”” was not used on the original album.
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(G) Joe Pass (g), Les McCann (p), Herbie Lewis (b), Paul Humphrey (d).
(Pacific Jazz Studios) LA, March 28, 1963
These Foolish Things previously unissued
Joe’s Tune (Samba) –
Stragler –
Simon Potter –
Catch Up (Forward Pass) –
NOTE: A version of “”Why Don’t You Do Right?”” may have been recorded at this session, but no tape has survived.
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(H) LES McCANN Joe Pass (g), Les McCann (p), Paul Chambers (b), Paul Humphrey (d). (Pacific Jazz Studios) LA, October 29, 1963
Back At The Chicken Shack PJ ST-78
Sack O’ Woe –
Groove Yard –
Groove Yard (alt tk) previously unissued
Sonnymoon For Two PJ ST-78
Shiny Stockings –
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(I) same as (H) . LA, October 30, 1963
Sermonette PJ ST-78
Bags’ Groove –
Sister Sadie –
Li’l Darlin’ –
Work Song-
Blue ‘n Boogie previously unissued
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(J) Joe Pass (12-string g), John Pisano (rhythm g), Charlie Haden (b), Larry Bunker (d)
(Pacific Jazz Studios) LA, March 12, 1964
Charade WP ST-1822
Call Me Irresponsible –
How The West Was Won –
Wives And Lovers –
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(K) same as (J): LA, March 19, 1964
Sunday In New York WP ST-1822
Love With The Proper Stranger –
Love Theme Of Tom Jones –
Manha De Carnaval –
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(L) same as (J): LA, March 20, 1964
Lawrence Of Arabia WP ST-1822
Fall Of Love –
It Had Better Be Tonight-
More –
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(M) Bill Perkins (ts-1, bari-2, fl-3), Joe Pass (g), John Pisano (rhythm g), Frank Strazzeri (p), Jim Hughart (b).
(Pacific Jazz Studios) LA, June 1, 1964
tk.5 I Believe In You-1 previously unissued
tk.4 It’s A Wonderful World-2-
Hello Dolly-1 –
Summer Night-3-
tk.7 The Sweetest Sound-1 –
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(N) Joe Pass (g), John Pisano (rhythm g), Jim Hughart (b), Colin Bailey (d).
(Pacific Jazz Studios) LA, August 13,1964
Jambalaya previously unissued
Cold Cold Heart –
You Win Again-
Hey Good Lookin’-
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(O) Joe Pass (g), John Pisano (rhythm g), Jim Hughart (b), Colin Bailey (d).
(Pacific Jazz Studios) LA, September 2,1964
Django PJ ST-85
Rosetta (alt tk) previously unissued
Rosetta PJ ST-85
Nuages –
For Django –
Night And Day –
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(P) same personnel and location:
(Pacific Jazz Studios) LA, probably September 18,1964
Fleur d’Ennui PJ ST-85
Insensiblement –
Cavalerie –
Django’s Castle (Manoir De Mes Reves) –
Limehouse Blues (alt tk) previously unissued
Limehouse Blues PJ ST-85
from session O or P:
Georgia On My Mindpreviously unissued
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(Q) Joe Pass (g), Mike Wofford (p), Jim Hughart (b), Colin Bailey (d).
(Encore Theatre) LA, February 6, 1964
Joy SpringBN LT-1103
Some Time Ago-
The Night Has A Thousand Eyes-
Relaxin’ At Camarillo-
There Is No Greater Love-
Bags’ Groove previously unissued
Some Time Ago (alt tk)-
The Night Has A Thousand Eyes (alt tk)-
There Is No Greater Love (alt tk) –
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Album index
Pacific Jazz ST-56 Les McCann – On Time
Pacific Jazz ST-73 Joe Pass – Catch Me
Pacific Jazz ST-78 Les McCann – Soul Hits
World Pacific WP-1822 Joe Pass – 12-String Guitar Movie Themes
Pacific Jazz ST-85 Joe Pass – For Django
Blue Note LT-1103 Joe Pass – Joy Spring
Original sessions produced by Richard Bock
Produced for release by Michael Cuscuna
Recording engineers: Richard Bock and Dino Lappas
Tape transfers by Malcolm Addey and Jay Ranellucci
Sessions A, B, the first two tunes of C, the second and eighth tunes of F and session Q were transferred from the original stereo masters.
All other sessions remixed from the original three-track masters by Malcolm Addey
Mastered using 24-bit analog-to-digital resolution by Malcolm Addey.
Special Thanks to Les McCann, Clare Fischer, John Pisano, Russ Wapensky and the Institute of Jazz Studies.
Masters appear courtesy of Blue Note Records, a division of Capitol Records, Inc.
This compilation (p) 2001 EMI-Capitol Music Special Markets. Product of EMI-Capitol Music Special Markets, 1750 N. Vine Street, Hollywood, CA 90028. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws. Printed in the U.S.A.
© 2001 Mosaic Records, L.L.C., 35 Melrose Place, Stamford, CT 06902. All rights reserved.
Phone: 203-327-7111/Fax 203-323-3526/ Web site: www.mosaicrecords.com.
Producer’s note:
This set contains all of Joe Pass’s sessions as a leader during 1963 and ’64. Because his unissued March 28, 1963 session (G) finds Pass supported by Les McCann’s trio, we’ve expanded the scope to include the guitarist’s other two recorded encounters with that trio, both of which were done under Les’s leadership and heavily feature Pass.
We taken liberties with the chronology of the sessions in two places so that the “”Catch Me!”” sessions and the live session can each be contained on a single CD.
Joe Pass’s post-1964 albums for the label (“”A Sign Of The Times””, “”The Stones Jazz”” and “”Simplicity””) are commercial ventures in larger musical settings. Their jazz content is minimal and therefore, they are not included here.
As with many Pacific Jazz tapes, there are odd edits here and there which were executed on the original master tapes and occasional dropouts.”
