![]() ![]() The sparkling, immaculately balanced tone the tasteful tinges of stride and boogie-woogie rhythm the stunning single-note lines that connect his equally striking use of chordal harmony-for Grasso, great solo arranging equals Art Tatum. His new digital-only EP series, available beginning in June from Sony Masterworks, showcases Grasso in the solo-guitar format, where his intensive studies of both midcentury jazz and classical meld into a signature mastery that is, remarkably, at once unprecedented and evocative.īut whom does it evoke? After a surface listen, Joe Pass and his essential Virtuoso LPs might come to mind. Born in Italy and now based in New York City, the 30-year- old guitarist has developed an astounding technique and concept informed not by jazz guitarists so much as by bebop pioneers like Powell, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie and the classical-guitar tradition. He’s since become a generous presence in Grasso’s life, and his assessment of Grasso’s playing is-no surprise-spot-on. He’s the most significant new guy I’ve heard in many, many years.”Īs he’s done with many rising jazz stars, Metheny later invited Grasso over to his New York pad to jam and share some wisdom. He has somehow captured the essence of that language from piano onto guitar in a way that almost nobody has ever addressed. In a way, it is a little bit of a throwback, because his model-which is an incredible model to have-is Bud Powell. ![]() “What’s interesting about Pasquale is that he doesn’t sound anything like that at all. ![]() “Mostly what I hear now are guitar players who sound a little bit like me mixed with a little bit of and a little bit of ,” he continued. “This guy is doing something so amazingly musical and so difficult. “The best guitar player I’ve heard in maybe my entire life is floating around now, Pasquale Grasso,” said the jazz-guitar icon and NEA Jazz Master. In his interview for Vintage Guitar magazine’s February 2016 cover story, Pat Metheny was asked to name some younger musicians who’d impressed him. It was the kind of endorsement most rising guitarists can only dream of, and then some. ![]()
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