Joe Pass - Eximious (Pablo, 1982)

 This post is by Dan

Joe Pass (g); Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (b); Martin Drew (d)

Recorded May 25 and July 8,1982

Norman Granz's Pablo label provided steady recording opportunities to key figures in the jazz world during the 1970s and 1980s. Few benefitted more than Joe Pass, who came on the scene back in the 1960s with records for the Pacific Jazz label. (For Django from that period has now received the Tone Poet reissue treatment). Pass's first solo record on Pablo, Virtuoso, was released in 1974, and it brought immediate accolades for good reason. The speed of his playing on standard tunes seemed technically impossible. Like other great artists, exceptional technique allowed Pass to translate almost any idea into coherent music, and his improvisations are among the most adventurous and musical that I've ever heard. 

The Danish bassist, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (NHØP, for short), also appears on numerous Pablo recordings. His own speed and improvisational skill are wonders to hear. NHØP was a traditionalist, capable of accompanying any number of esteemed visitors to Denmark while making his own mark as a leader. His recordings include numerous collaborations with Oscar Peterson and a marvelous performance with Stéphane Grappelli at Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens.

As much as I love Pass's Virtuoso series, which lasted four albums ending in 1983, I love the work of the trios more. On Eximious the program is familiar, and the playing exceptional. On the first track, "A Foxy Chick and a Cool Cat," NHØP makes an immediate impression with his incredible touch and timing. Pass skates over the simple melody and contributes a lengthy tasteful solo. My favorite track is "Love for Sale," which stretches out to 7:30 minutes of inventive soloing by Pass. 

Pass and NHØP show off their chops on the up-tempo "Everything I Have Belongs to You." British drummer Martin Drew amazingly keeps pace without becoming just a passenger. There are also two solo numbers for Pass: the lovely "Lush Life" and the more inventive "We'll Be Together Again." On the latter cut, Pass accompanies himself by playing bass lines on the lower strings while executing speedy runs on the high strings. He uses this technique to eerie effect on his solo albums.

Eximious bears comparison with an earlier trio album, Intercontinental (MPS, 1970), which had Eberhard Weber on bass and another British drummer, Kenny Clare. There is also a duet album with Pass and NHØP, aptly titled Chops, which is a bit more "showy." 

While some might wish to criticize Granz for recording too much, 40 years later his catalog provides extensive opportunity to hear mainstream jazz played by undisputed masters. In an era when excellent jazz is not recorded very often, the Pablo recordings from decades earlier are a valuable resource for inquiring ears.