Joe Pass sighting

[Parabar]

So this afternoon I played an outdoor gig in a community garden-park, and as my band was packing up, a jazz quartet started setting up to perform next --- minimalist drum kit, stand-up bass, tenor sax and guitar. The guitarist had a blonde Joe Pass (Samick, I'm guessing --- silk-screened "E" on the pickguard), and I started chatting with him a little. He said he had borrowed it from a friend and was loving it --- said he had an L-5, but was enjoying the JP just as much. He played through a small Roland amp (not a cube --- not sure what model), and this cat could PLAY! Bossa, post-bop, standards, and blues in the Pass/Hall/Wes/Burrell tradition, with fluid ideas, great tone, and solid both as solist and accompanist. It was fun to hear him ripping it up on the JP (my style is quite a bit different), and if there's anyone left who doubts that these are pro-quality instruments, hearing this guy would have changed their minds in a big hurry.

[ladyscaglyc]

You're right. I'd like to think that "our" style of playing shows off the diversity of a

JP. The only change on mine was to put the Mean90 at the neck for a little more crunch.

The JP is as much fun in style & sound as the White Falcon. It may be less "bling" than

the Gretsch but I always get comments too on the JP w/ it's vintage sunburst and vintage

"Gibby" sound.

 

JPs are cool.

[Versatile]

So this afternoon I played an outdoor gig in a community garden-park, and as my band was packing up, a jazz quartet started setting up to perform next --- minimalist drum kit, stand-up bass, tenor sax and guitar. The guitarist had a blonde Joe Pass (Samick, I'm guessing --- silk-screened "E" on the pickguard), and I started chatting with him a little. He said he had borrowed it from a friend and was loving it --- said he had an L-5, but was enjoying the JP just as much. He played through a small Roland amp (not a cube --- not sure what model), and this cat could PLAY! Bossa, post-bop, standards, and blues in the Pass/Hall/Wes/Burrell tradition, with fluid ideas, great tone, and solid both as solist and accompanist. It was fun to hear him ripping it up on the JP (my style is quite a bit different), and if there's anyone left who doubts that these are pro-quality instruments, hearing this guy would have changed their minds in a big hurry.

Methinks a lot of it is in the fingers...anything with a Joe Pass logo is likely to be good and quite a lot of jazz has little do to with equipment : good pick technique, good time, clean amp (Polytone is the one) and harmonic feel can work wonders. Joe Pass had such a fine ear it is untrue...and he played a Fender Jazzmaster solid when in drug rehab.....