LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

Virtuoso #3 has in common with the other albums in Joe Pass's Pablo Virtuoso series, well, virtuosity. But it stands apart from them because its repertoire is made up entirely of the guitarist's compositions. As a result, the collection has something of the flavor of a suite that displays the reflection and thoughtfulness of a man often noted for the vitality of his swing and the complexity of his harmonic inventions. Not that swing or harmonic interest are absent; they abound. But Pass's playing here has the clarity of simplicity, and its purity shines through the sunny urgencies of "Trinidad" as it glows in the serenity of "Sultry."
Track listing: Offbeat, Trinidad, Nina's Blues, Sevenths, Ninths, Dissonance #1, Minor Detail, Paco de Lucia, Sultry, Passanova, Pasta Blues, Dissonance #2