Joe Pass – The Complete Pacific Jazz Joe Pass Sessions (2001

Joe Pass – The Complete Pacific Jazz Joe Pass Sessions (2001) Box Set

Review by Steven Loewy

Guitarist Joe Pass was known for his forthright, straight-ahead style, gorgeous tone, and melodic concepts. This magnificent five-CD set collects his entire output in 1963 and 1964 as a leader, with additional sessions in which Pass plays in a trio led by Les McCann. Most of the tracks feature a quartet (the five exceptions adding the saxophone or flute of Bill Perkins), with the guitarist virtually always a key voice. Pass recorded three records for Pacific after 1964 with limited jazz content, and they are not included in this collection for that reason. While many of the dozens of selections included here do not measure up to Pass’ exemplary work recorded later on Pablo Records (a prime example being his classic Virtuoso LP), there are fine tracks to be found in the instant set that no admirer of either Pass or of the jazz guitar will want to be without. This is particularly true of the Django LP sessions with guitarist John Pisano, originally issued on Pacific, as well as the final CD in the instant collection that was initially issued on the Blue Note label, and on which the individual tracks are noticeably lengthier and more substantial. Elsewhere, some of the repertoire is checkered, mixing movie themes, country & western, soul, and jazz standards. But who can really complain about hearing the great guitarist playing Hank Williams’ “Hey, Good Lookin’” or “Cold, Cold Heart”? As with all the Mosaic boxed sets, this one comes in a strictly limited edition with a comprehensive, oversized booklet containing a detailed discography and liner notes, extreme attention to detail, and excellent sound quality.

Track list

Disc One:

1. Catch Me (Forward Pass) 3:11(Joe Pass)
2. Days Of Wine And Roses 2:49 (H. Mancini-J. Mercer)
3. You Stepped Out Of A Dream 3:03(G. Kahn-N.H. Brown)
4. But Beautiful 2:37 (J. Burke-J. Van Heusen)
5. Mood Indigo 5:06 (D. Ellington-B. Bigard)
6. It’s All Right With Me 2:57 (Cole Porter)
7. Deep Purple 5:04 (P. DeRose-M. Parish)
8. Tangerine 3:08 (V. Schertzinger-J. Mercer)
9. There Will Never Be Another You 4:59 (H. Warren-M. Gordon)
10. Bags’ Groove 3:52 (Milt Jackson)
11. There Is No Greater Love 3:53 (I. Jones-M. Symes)
12. The Night Has A Thousand Eyes 3:30 (B. Bernier-J. Brainin)
13. No Cover No Minimum 5:38 (Bill Evans)
14. Just Friends 3:35 (J. Klenner-S. Lewis)
15. Walking Up 3:15 (Bill Evans)
16. Peri’s Scope 2:43 (Bill Evans)
17. Catch Me 3:07 (Joe Pass)
18. Summertime 6:20 (G. Gershwin-D. Heyward)
19. Falling In Love With Love 5:46 (R. Rodgers-L. Hart)

Disc Two:

1. On Time 4:16 (Les McCann)
2. Yours Is My Heart Alone 4:45 (Lehar-Herzer-Smith-Loehner)
3. This For Doug 5:54 (Ron Jefferson)
4. Fondue 5:12 (Les McCann)
5. Bernie’s Tune 3:02 (Bernie Miller)
6. Maichen 4:34 (Leroy Vinnegar)
7. It Could Happen To You 5:00 (J. Burke-J. Van Heusen)
8. You’re Driving Me Crazy 4:56 (Walter Donaldson)
9. So What 3:01 (Miles Davis)
10. The Other Way 4:47 (Les McCann)
11. Free At Pass…Thank God Almighty…Free At Pass 4:59 (Les McCann)
12. These Foolish Things 5:18 (Link-Strachey-Marvell)
13. Joe’s Tune (Samba) 2:23 (Joe Pass)
14. Stragler 4:01 (Les McCann)
15. Simon Potter 5:17 (Les McCann)
16. Catch Up (Forward Pass) 2:52 (Joe Pass)

Disc Three:

1. Back At The Chicken Shack 4:15 (Jimmy Smith)
2. Sack O’ Woe 3:04 (Julian Adderley)
3. Groove Yard ) 3:17 (Carl Perkins)
4. Groove Yard (alt tk) 4:07 (Carl Perkins)
5. Sonnymoon For Two 2:41 (Sonny Rollins)
6. Shiny Stockings 3:55 (Frank Foster)
7. Sermonette 2:30 (Nat Adderley)
8. Bags’ Groove 3:06 (Milt Jackson)
9. Sister Sadie 4:13 (Horace Silver)
10. Li’l Darlin’ 3:39 (Neal Hefti)
11. Work Song 4:11 (Nat Adderley)
12. Blue “n Boogie 3:10 (D. Gillespie-F. Paparelli)
13. Charade 2:25 (H. Mancini-J. Mercer)
14. Call Me Irresponsible 2:27 (S. Cahn-J. Van Heusen)
15. How The West Was Won 3:00 (K. Darby-A. Newman)
16. Wives And Lovers 3:03 (B. Bacharach-H. David)
17. Sunday In New York 2:52 (P. Nero-C. Coates)
18. Love With The Proper Stranger 1:52 (E. Bernstein-J. Mercer)
19. Love Theme of Tom Jones 2:55 (John Addison)
20. Manha De Carnaval 3:27 (L. Bonfa-A. Maria)
21. Lawrence Of Arabia 3:00 (Maurice Jarre)
22. Fall Of Love 3:08 (D. Tiompkin-N. Washington)
23. It Had Better Be Tonight 2:33 (Mancini-Mercer-Migliacci)
24. More 2:59 (Olivieri-Ortolani-Newall-Olivieri)

Disc Four:

1. I Believe In You 3:12 (Frank Loesser)
2. It’s A Wonderful World 4:33 (Saveit-Adamson-Watson)
3. Hello Dolly 3:12 (Jerry Herman)
4. Summer Night 5:11 (H. Warren-A. Dubin)
5. The Sweetest Sounds 2:51 (Richard Rodgers)
6. Jambalaya 2:35 (Hank Williams)
7. Cold Cold Heart 3:16 (Hank Williams)
8. You Win Again 2:33 (Hank Williams)
9. Hey Good Lookin’ 2:26 (Hank Williams)
10. Django 3:20 (John Lewis)
11. Rosetta 3:06 (Earl Hines)
12. Nuages 2:33 (Django Reinhardt)
13. For Django 2:58 (Joe Pass)
14. Night And Day 3:45 (Cole Porter)
15. Fleur D’Ennui 2:56 (Django Reinhardt)
16. Insensiblement 3:12 (Paul Misraki)
17. Cavalerie 4:25 (Django Reinhardt)
18. Django’s Castle (Manoir De Mes Reves) 3:48 (Django Reinhardt)
19. Limehouse Blues 2:13 (P. Braham-D. Furber)
20. Georgia On My Mind 3:20 (H. Carmichael-S. Gorrell)
21. Rosetta (alt) 3:13 (Earl Hines)
22. Limehouse Blues (alt) 1:40 (P. Braham-D. Furber)

Disc Five:

1. Joy Spring 8:44 (Clifford Brown)
2. Some Time Ago 6:41 (Sergio Mihanovich)
3. The Night Has A Thousand Eyes 7:14 (B. Bernier-J. Brainin)
4. Relaxin’ At Camarillo 10:34 (Charlie Parker)
5. There Is No Greater Love 9:11 (I. Jones-M. Symes)
6. Bags’ Groove 8:59 (Milt Jackson)
7. Some Time Ago (alt) 5:35 (Sergio Mihanovich)
8. The Night Has A Thousand Eyes (alt) 6:00 (B. Bernier-J. Brainin)
9. There Is No Greater Love (alt) 6:33 (I. Jones-M. Symes)

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