Joe Pass wrote in his notes to “Blues For 2” that as a young man he had an ideal of what a tenor saxophonist should be like: he should have a full sound, a sense of harmony, respect for the melody and the will to swing. This makes sense, because Pass was actually describing his own qualities. When the time came in 1982 for the famous guitarist to record a duo album with Zoot Sims, it was clear after about six bars that this was a perfect artistic match. Pass was an extremely natural musician whose solos swing from the very first note. Sims was a master of lyrical expression. He proves this not only in ballads like “Remember”: his relaxed urgency, even in the faster pieces, is the perfect complement to Pass' beautiful melodies and ingenious solos.
Scott Yanow of AllMusic writes: "Although guitarist Joe Pass recorded many solo albums without accompaniment, he rarely performed as part of a duo. This session with tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims works very well, as Sims was a born swinger who didn't need a full rhythm section to drive him. His playing on the selected pieces (mainly standards such as “Dindi”, “Poor Butterfly”, “Pennies From Heaven” and “I Hadn't Anyone Till You”) is as passionate and lyrical as ever. Pass also quickly finds the right mood and plays many beautiful solos. A highly entertaining set!"
Analogue Productions is proud to present this sonically stunning reissue of “Blues For 2” on its Pablo Series Edition: The LP, pressed on 180-gram vinyl by Quality Record Pressings, was remastered from the original tapes by Matthew Lutthans (The Mastering Lab), cut at 33 RPM and is housed in a tip-on jacket by Stoughton Printing. “Blues For 2” offers a highly audiophile sound experience and a high repertoire value, making it a must-have purchase – not only for fans of these gifted artists!
Title
Side A
1. Blues For 2
2. Dindi
3. Pennies From Heaven
4. Poor Butterfly
Side B
1. (What Did I Do To Be So) Black And Blue
2. I Hadn’t Anyone Till You
3. Takeoff
4. Remember
