About three years ago, I had the pleasure of writing about an album by jazz guitarist Pasquale Grasso entitled Be-Bop! Since my preference for that genre borders on the fanatical, writing that article was a sheer delight. On that album Grasso led a trio, whose other members are Ari Roland on bass and Keith Balla on drums along with a “guest appearance” by vocalist Samara Joy.
Cover of the new album being discussed (from its Amazon.com Web page)
This morning I learned that Sony Music Masterworks had released a new Grasso album this past Friday. This one was entitled Solo Be-Bop!, and it goes without saying that Grasso was the soloist.The twelve tracks provide a survey of the be-bop genre that is as informative as it is engaging. Ironically, only two of the composers are allocated more than one track. There are three selections by Bud Powell: “Time Waits,” “Monopoly,” and “Yeheadeadeadee.” (Ironically, “Time Waits” was the only one already in my collection!) Elmo Hope, on the other hand, accounts for two tracks, “Stars Over Marakesh” and “Happy Hour;” and I must confess that my only previous encounter with Hope was in The Complete Prestige Recordings box set of Sonny Rollins!
That said, I found myself more focused on Grasso’s solo tracks than I had been on his earlier Be-Bop! album. This should not be surprising. If there is only one instrument, there is only one “target for attention,” even if it has a capacity for polyphony. I am also willing to confess that there is still more for me to learn about the be-bop genre than I had previously thought! While he is not a contemporary of the be-bop masters, Grasso is definitely a first-rate guide for those in the present to appreciate the virtues of this genre that is now “vintage.”
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