Search - Roy Clark; Joe Pass :: Roy Clark & Joe Pass Play Hank Williams

Birdland comes to Hee Haw

Samuel Chell | Kenosha,, WI United States | 01/11/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I did a double take when I came across this title. Was it really the Hee Haw star or someone coincidentally named Roy Clark? And if it indeed was "the" country icon Roy Clark, what sort of session would this amount to--sort of a "Kenny G and Ornette Coleman Play the Music of John Tesh"?



Guitarists probably know these things, but Clark has formidable chops and pretty much holds his own in the company of arguably the most gifted guitarist of them all, 1965-1980 (listening to just Joe Pass and Oscar Peterson playing together during a Paris concert recorded in 1975 was enough evidence for me). The session simmers, often cooks, from the first through the last track. Joe has a solo number, the two play as a duo, then as a trio with John Pisano providing rhythm guitar, and finally as a quintet with the addition of Joe's regular bass player and drummer.



The notes on this reissue of what was Joe Pass's very last recording are minimal to none, but some research on the internet will disclose that the two had met for the first time just minutes prior to cutting the session. It was Joe's idea to stick with Hank Williams' tunes. There's also a free video of the session traceable through Google.



Pass is, as usual, flawless. Clark, despite some shaky nerves, is almost as impressive. The distinction between their respective sounds--Pass muted, smooth and silky; Clark favoring the higher register along with some reverb, vibrato and certified C&W licks--makes identifying the soloists a no-brainer, even when they're improvising collectively (as on the hot and flavorful musical stew, "Jumbalaya").



The only slight problem I found with the recording was a sense of imbalance, with Clark's somewhat twangy guitar--coming out of the right channel--occasionally drowning out Pass's superb support. A quick and easy solution: turn your balance control to the left by a quarter to a half.



One last point, for what it's worth (quite a bit, I know, to some listeners): there are no vocals."

Don't be fooled, this is not a rerelease

Redgecko | USA | 10/16/2007

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This isn't really a re-release because it's missing 2 songs from the original recording which is on a different label. These are: "I Can't Help It" and "There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight". I find it unbelievable that two songs would be omitted which reduces this to a 41 minute recording. I also find it arrogant that Roy Clark's picture appears alone with even Joe Pass's name reduced in type size, implying that Roy Clark is the headliner...not! Collector's will look elsewhere."

Hank gets played

Gerald Jones | 03/08/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Any one who follows American music should be immediately intrigued by this musical triangle. Joe Pass, one of the finest jazz guitarists and great thinker of melodic line, Roy Clark, one of Country Western's great studio musicians and former comic side kick to Buck Owens, and, finally, Hank Williams, whose genius for that perfect melodic line and balladic refrain is unparallel and an unfortunate history of chasing those demons of physical weakness (not unlike Mr. Pass's known detours into drug addiction), all converge in this 1996 off the cuff recording. You will want to return to these interpretations of Williams's songs again and again since at each listen something new will appear on the sonic horizon. Pass is sheer understatement while Clark picks it up without falling into patterned Chicken Pickin'. If you are a guitarist, please take a listen; if a CW fan, listen to the overlap of American song here; and if you are from Johnstown PA, be proud of Mr. Pass's legacy in Jazz."