by Scott Yanow
This CD reissue features guitarist Joe Pass playing 11 unaccompanied solos live at the 1975 Montreux Jazz Festival. Prior to Pass, one rarely ever heard a guitarist play anything by himself unless it was a lyrical ballad. In the years before Stanley Jordan emerged with his tapping keyboard approach, Pass demonstrated that the guitar could be its own orchestra while using conventional (although highly developed) technique. This excellent set is highlighted by &You Are the Sunshine of My Life,& &More Than You Know& and three of the guitarist's basic originals.