Joe Pass was best known for his straight ahead jazz solo guitar work. His ability to improvise bass lines and chords, while crafting his single-note solos, is truly amazing.
Today's freeload is Joe in a different context, with a band behind him, playing Samba and Bossa nova music.
Joe went on his first tour of Brazil in the winter of 1977, which was organized by music promoter Norman Granz. He came back to
the US, totally blown away by the samba and bossa nova music he
heard there. Even though Bossa nova had been popular in the US since
the early 60s, Joe had never recorded an entire album of Brazilian songs
as a leader.
As a sideman, he had played on Bud Shank’s 'Brazil! Brazil! Brazil!' in 1966, featured Antonio Carlos Jobim’s songs on an Oscar Peterson album, and even contributed to a few Ella Fitzgerald albums. But Joe hadn’t really gotten into Brazilian music until he went on that Granz-promoted tour.
A year after he got back, Joe put together a band and recorded 'Tudo Bem!' (or All’s Well!) in Hollywood on May 8, 1978. The session along with Joe's guitar had Don Grusin on keyboards, Oscar Castro-Neves on guitar, Octavio Bailly on bass, Claudio Slon on drums, and Paulinho da Costa on percussion.
Track List:
01. "Corcovado"As a sideman, he had played on Bud Shank’s 'Brazil! Brazil! Brazil!' in 1966, featured Antonio Carlos Jobim’s songs on an Oscar Peterson album, and even contributed to a few Ella Fitzgerald albums. But Joe hadn’t really gotten into Brazilian music until he went on that Granz-promoted tour.
A year after he got back, Joe put together a band and recorded 'Tudo Bem!' (or All’s Well!) in Hollywood on May 8, 1978. The session along with Joe's guitar had Don Grusin on keyboards, Oscar Castro-Neves on guitar, Octavio Bailly on bass, Claudio Slon on drums, and Paulinho da Costa on percussion.
Track List:
02. "Tears (Razao de Viver)"
03. "Wave"
04. "Voce (You)"
05. "If You Went Away"
06. "Que Que Ha?"
07. "The Gentle Rain
08. "Barquinho"
09. "Luciana"
10. "I Live to Love"
At first, this album sounds relaxed, with light and breezy grooves (which they are). But, on a closer listen, you'll realize how complex, and also how on fire, Joe Pass and company are. They just make it "look" easy.
For the freeload, tell us about albums you like that find the artist/group in a genre other than the one they are known for.
First that comes to mind is Victor Feldman playing with Steely Dan. Randomly: Sugarcane Harris with Zappa and Mayall. The Nice backing P P Arnold. Early Moody Blues as R&B geeks. Does Vic Goddard's easy listening album count?
ReplyDeleteOr Pat Boone's heavy metal album?
DeleteBefore Steely Dan, Victor played on Chad & Jeremy, and David Cassidy records and many other Pop records.
DeleteIn the late 40s and 1950s, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown played a blistering style of electric Texas blues that fans on both sides of the Atlantic adored. After a quiet patch in the 1960s, Gatemouth came back in the late 70s with an inspired repertoire of country, jazz, Cajun and R&B that connected with a much wider audience thanks to a series of commercially successful LPs released on Rounder Records.
ReplyDeleteLinda Ronstadt surprised many with her Canciones de mi Padre collection, although it was a natural choice.
ReplyDeleteWeen '12 Golden Country Greats'.
ReplyDeleteC in California
Paul Simon "Graceland"
ReplyDeleteGood pick, but I would go with Rhythm of the Saints. Both are very good and speak to Simon's ability to transcend genres (and to steal from them, too).
DeleteNot necessarily a fan, but Garcia and Old and In The Way comes to mind. More to my liking, Sinatra and the lp he did with Jobim is sublime.
ReplyDelete3 different artists come to mind. Paul Weller having broken up the Jam with its its superb mid/ new wave/ powerpop switched completely to the folk/soul/jazz sound of the Style Council whose first two albums were just as popular as the Jam's albums.
ReplyDeleteThe Sweet made their name as a bubblegum pop band who then morphed into one of the most successful glam rock of them all and whose b-sides and albums were littered some excellent serious heavy rock tunes. As such their second and third albums are muchly preferable to their bubblegum pop debut.
Lastly there is XTC whose alter as the Dukes Of Stratosphear produced two fine albums of psychedelia with 25 O'Clock and Psonic Psunspot
David Byrne - Rei Momo, thanks Babs
ReplyDeleteRei Momo is so very good!
ReplyDeleteLou Reed "Metal Machine Music"
ReplyDeleteElton John's Tumbleweed Connection L.P. where Bernie Taupins lyrics about post civil-war America are obviously influenced by The Band but along with the music it works (and is my favourite EJ album).
ReplyDeleteLink
ReplyDeletehttps://workupload.com/file/kBGcPH9v8HX
Michel Godard, A Trace of Grace - the french tubaplayer, well known as a famous improviser, plays here with a small group of musicians music of Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643).
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favorite lps, regardless as to genre. They just reissued on vinyl his first Virtuoso lp, and hopefully this one will be next. Many thanks, Babs.
ReplyDeletePhil Collins debut album was a total shock to me, after seeing him just as a drummer for prog or fusion. It's true that Genesis was going towards a more pop approach, but still Collins' debut with the Memphis horns and all that pop was a surprise.
ReplyDeleteCan never get enough good bossa nova and samba -- thanks Babs!
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