Joe Pass is undoubtedly one of the most influential guitarists of all-time. While famous for his long and fruitful collaborations with jazz legends such as Oscar Peterson and Ella Fitzgerald, Pass literally wrote the template for solo jazz guitar, and it’s safe to say that almost every player in this style since has taken a little, or a lot, from Joe’s ground-breaking and frankly genius style.
When playing with a rhythm section, Joe’s pick-based playing was staggeringly fluent and articulate, and his fingerstyle mastery allowed him a piano-like freedom to play a sophisticated blend of lines, double-stops, partial and full chords. However, Joe truly found his voice when playing solo, or in exposed scenarios such as his legendary duet recordings with Ella.
Joe was also interested in and actively involved in jazz education, hosting masterclasses and one-to-one lessons when able and, fortunately
