Herb Ellis & Joe Pass: Arrival

Herb Ellis, Joe Pass, Ray Brown, Jake Hanna
ARRIVAL

Arrival compiles the first two recordings ever issued on the Concord Records label, and these two releases were certainly harbingers of the quality label that Concord was to become. Difficult as it is to believe, back in 1972 guitarists Herb Ellis and Joe Pass were both without recording contracts. After playing the Concord Summer Festival (now known as the Concord Jazz Festival) the two asked festival organizer Carl Jefferson to produce a recording for them. Released in 1973, Jazz/Concord comprises the first disc of this twofer rerelease. Accompanied by the highly complimentary rhythm section of bassist Ray Brown and drummer Jake Hanna, the two guitar legends provide a jazz guitar summit that has rarely been equaled on recording. The album features top-notch versions of songs such as "Look for the Silver Lining" (with stop time and counterpoint interplay that is truly spectacular), "The Shadow of Your Smile" (a guitar duet with Ellis playing the melodic solo spot), "Good News Blues" (a swinging number with some hot line trading), "Honeysuckle Rose" (performed at a slow tempo, as Fats Waller wrote it), "Georgia on My Mind" (exquisite), and "Love for Sale" (another duet with major rhythmic interplay).

In 1973 the duo was again booked to play the Concord Festival, this time with Brown and Hanna in tow, and the results were Seven, Come Eleven, the second Concord Records release and Disc Two of this set. Carl Jefferson sets up the proceedings with the advice to "Have a good time and listen to some fine guitar interplay." How right he was. The group does a fine version of "In a Mellow Tone" with a major bass solo from Brown, then rips into a feverish version of "Seven, Come Eleven" with Pass and Ellis racing around each other like a couple of slot cars whizzing around a criss-cross track at top speed. Following the performance Herb Ellis says "The name of that tune was 'Seven, Come Eleven", and Joe Pass replies: "No, the name of that tune is 'Fast.'"

Pass plays a solo version of "Prelude to a Kiss" that plumbs the harmonic complexity of the tune while Ellis does "Easy Living" for his solo turn. Other performances include "Perdido", "I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)" and a blues (dubbed "Concord Blues") to end things on a high note.

Arrival is truly a joy and well worth the price for any fan of Ellis, Pass, or the art of jazz guitar in general. Indeed, any jazz fan is likely to enjoy a lazy Sunday afternoon with this disc emanating from the speakers.

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