Hall, Pass and Alexander

The late 1960s and early 1970s are often viewed as jazz's skid row—a depressed time when rock, pop and soul came to dominate the music scene and the present and future seemed hopelessly grim for aging improvisers. The truth is not all jazz albums then were pop hybrids or jazz-rock experiments. Three examples of jazz brilliance at work were recorded for Germany's MPS label and have just been re-issued by Edel AG, an independent German music and entertainment group that acquired the MPS catalog in 2014.

The first is Jim Hall's It's Nice to Be With You, recorded in 1969 at MPS's Berlin studios. Jim was joined by American bassist Jimmy Woode and Swiss drummer Daniel Humair. The selections include Up, Up and Away, Young One, for Debra, It's Nice to Be with You (by Jane Herbert, Jim's wife) and Jim's Blue Joe. I'm a huge Jim Hall fan, and this album is easily one of his finest in a trio setting.

Joe Pass was a very different type of guitarist than Jim Hall. Both were hushed players, but Jim was hugely introspective and best when gently taking apart music and re-assembling it with tremendously exciting results. Pass, by contrast, favored a more swinging approach. On Intercontinental, recorded in June 1970, Pass was accompanied by German bassist Eberhard Weber and British drummer Kenny Clare. Here, Pass soars on songs like Meditation, El Gento, Stompin' at the Savoy and Watch What Happens and is pensive on I Cover the Waterfront, Joe's Blues and Lil' Darlin'. By the 1970s, Pass's attack was more rhythmic while his chords had grown broad and lyrical. A sublime album on every score.

In 1974, Monty Alexander was making great use of the Fender Rhodes electric piano. His album Rass! is soothing and stimulating. Born in Jamaica, Alexander emigrated to the U.S. with his family when he was 17 in 1961. On Rass!, Montgomery returns to his Caribbean roots by teaming with Jamaican musicians, including guitarist Ernest Ranglin, “Trini" Clarence Wears, Fender bassist Jackie Jackson, drummer Sparrow Marlin, conga player Noel Seale and Denzil “Pops" Laing on percussion. The band plays one of the most hypnotic versions of Let's Stay Together (which runs 9:26), as well as splendid recordings of Yellow Bird, Sly Mongoose and Knowing That We Were Meant for Each Other. A groovy thing.

I can't wait to hear what else Edel AG plans to roll out from the MPS catalog. JazzWax tracks: Jim Hall's It's Nice to Be With You can be found here. Joe Pass's Intercontinental can be found here. And Monty Alexander's Rass! can be found here. Best of all, the downloads are $5.99 each.

JazzWax clips: Here's Jim Hall playing It's Nice to Be With You...



Here's Joe Pass playing Chloe...



Here's Monty Alexander with guitarist Ernest Ranglin on Al Green's Let's Stay Together...