Joe Pass/Robert Conti
The Living Legends
Mainstream jazz master Joe Pass and Robert Conti, who is less known but equally skilled, split this album of solo guitar pieces (Pass plays one selection with a rhythm section). While Joe sticks mainly to originals, Conti prefers standards; his rendition of “Hello Young Lovers” is rich with fat harmonies and moving bass notes. On “Stella By Starlight,” he follows the initial statement of the melody with quick, effortless-sounding single-note embellishments. Pass includes a series of brief, reflective Interludes. His “Joey’s Blues” is a slow, free 12-bar number, while “The Maid With The Flaxen Hair” includes cello and choir, of all things. Headlined by Pass, this atypical but fine album should introduce Robert Conti to a new audience.
Discover (Box 48081, Los Angeles, CA 90048), DS-906 [JF}
