“Every good thing comes from God”
James 1:17
The latest collection of vinyl reissues from Craft Recordings gives further proof of God’s existence. Where else can “good” come from, if not a transcendent, good and holy God? And speaking of transcendence, these two releases are planes above what is being called “jazz” today.
If you want to know anything about jazz guitar, the two places to start with are Wes Montgomery and Joe Pass. These two albums threw down the gauntlet of what a guitar is not only supposed to sound like, but to be played like, serving as the Mount Rushmore of six string players, head and shoulders above all others.
Possibly the most beloved of all guitarists, Wes Montgomery is shown at his best on this 1960 album with Tommy Flanagan/p, Percy Heath/b and Albert Heath/dr. The hiply swinging “West Coast Blues” still confounds beginning guitarists, while the relentless drive on “Four On Six” keeps you coming back for more. His signature octaves and thumb picking solos delight on ”Airegin” and “Polka Dots and Moonbeams” with lyricism in a bun dance for “Gone With The Wind”. The standard by which all others are measured
Having said that, a new standard was thrown down in 1973 when Joe Pass recorded his first of three solo albums that either inspired or dejected a generation of aspiring jazz guitarists. Pass’ unique finger picking style astonished t he ears at the opening track, with “Night and Day” drawing gasps at the intro. Meanwhile, burners like “Cherokee” and “How High The Moon” made you wonder who the second guitarist was, wile “Stella By Starlight” sparkled in ways never conceived of before. Who has recovered from this first listen?