DESCRIPTION:
"Virtuoso" is an album by jazz guitarist Joe Pass, released in 1973. Despite having only one original composition ("Blues for Alican"), it is widely considered to be his best album, as well as one of the best jazz guitar albums.

Contemporaneous reviews were positive. For example, The Guardian commented on Pass' "staggering dexterity, [...] matched by his fluency of ideas and the originality of his voicing", and The Irish Times stated that, "Apart from a certain fallibility with regard to time, Pass is without significant fault, a fact borne out by the quite incredible performances here". Looking back from 2005, All About Jazz described the album as "the recording to announce that Joe Pass had arrived", and said that he had "accomplished, using standard guitar performance techniques, to play lead melody lines, chords, and bass rhythm simultaneously and at tempo, giving the listener the impression that multiple guitars were being played".
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The back story of Joe Pass is compelling and fascinating. Virtuoso was released in 1974, but it was by no means Pass' first album. Pass lingered in relative obscurity for many years prior to then, due in part no doubt to drug addiction. But those demons were overcome and Norman Granz, the ubiquitous producer of many great jazz albums, in an act of inspiration put Mr. Pass in front of a mike, alone, and let his talent speak for the ages. The results, "Virtuoso", sky rocketed Pass to adulation, attention and the top of Down Beat lists of the best guitarist thereafter.
The songs are generally of tried and true standards (Stella By Starlight and 'Round Midnight for example) and one Pass composition, Blues for Alican.
This is the quintessential solo jazz album; inspired, technically great and innovative. You can clearly hear the influence of Django Reinhardt, but Pass definitely has his own voice. This is the Pass album to have, no doubt about it.
As a side note, this album has been remastered under the "Original Jazz Classics" series. Thus the sound quality is crisp and fresh. I would recommend any in this series, but some, such as this Pass album, certainly are more note worthy...(By MDC;Aug.19 2010;Amazon)
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Tracklist:
01.Night and Day (Cole Porter)...(00:00)
02.Stella by Starlight (N.Washington/V.Young)...(03:42)
03.Here's That Rainy Day (J.Burke/J.Van Heusen)...(08:59)
04.My Old Flame (S.Coslow/A.Johnston)...(12:40)
05.How High the Moon (N.Hamilton/M.Lewis)...(18:03)
06.Cherokee (Ray Noble)...(23:09)
07.Sweet Lorraine (C.R.Burwell/M.Parish)...(26:50)
08.Have You Met Miss Jones? (L.Hart/R.Rodgers)...(31:05)
09.'Round Midnight (B.Hanighen/T.Monk/C.Williams)...(35:53)
10.All the Things You Are (O.Hammerstein II/J.Kern)....(39:35)
11.Blues for Alican (Joe Pass)...(43:40)
12.The Song Is You (O.Hammerstein II/J.Kern)...(49:13).
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Personnel:
1.Joe Pass – guitar.
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Genre:Jazz
Recorded:at MGM Recording Studios,L.A;August 28, 1973.
Label: Pablo Records – 2310 708
Engineer – Dennis Sands
Liner Notes – Benny Green
Photography By – Phil Stern
Producer – Norman Granz.