Pasquale Grasso is an Italian-born jazz guitarist based in New York City. He is known for a pianistic approach to jazz guitar influenced by Bud Powell's style, and for using classical position and technique enabled by classical training.
Pasquale Grasso | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Born | October 19, 1988 (age 36) Ariano Irpino, Italy |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Website | www |
Early life and musical beginnings
editGrasso grew up on a farm in Ariano Irpino in the Campania region of Italy. His parents were jazz and classical music lovers. His older brother Luigi took up the saxophone at an early age. Their father bought Pasquale his first guitar when he was five, and by the time he was nine and Luigi was 11 they were performing locally.[1]
Grasso's first important mentor was Agostino Di Giorgio.[2] Then in summer 1998 Pasquale attended Barry Harris' jazz workshop in Switzerland. The educator and bebop pianist brought Pasquale and Luigi into his international workshops, where over the next five years they became instructors. Pasquale became Harris’ guitar teaching assistant and has conducted workshops in Italy, Switzerland, France, Spain, Holland, and Slovenia.[3]
In 2008 Pasquale studied under Walter Zanetti[4] at Bologna’s Conservatorio Giovanni Battista Martini and earned a degree in classical guitar.[1] Here he developed his own approach to jazz guitar, combining classical tradition with Chuck Wayne’s modern technique.[5]
Music career: 2011–present
editThis biographical section is written like a résumé. (November 2023) |
In 2012 he moved to New York City.[6] He became part of the Ari Roland Quartet[7] and the Chris Byars Quartet, with both of which he toured and recorded. Later that year, Pasquale was named a Jazz Ambassador for the U.S. State Department, and toured on behalf of the embassy[8] in Europe, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Cyprus, Lithuania, Ukraine, and other places.
In 2015 he released his debut album, Reflections of Me.[6] The same year he and harmonica player Yvonnick Prené released the album Merci Toots which included tunes by Toots Thielemans, Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk and Charlie Parker.[9]
Also in 2015 he won the Wes Montgomery International Jazz Guitar Competition.[10][5] One of the judges, Bill Milkowski, wrote later that Pasquale had "stunned the judges...with his sheer speed and fluency, precise articulation and sophisticated eloquence on the instrument, combining aspects of Joe Pass and Bud Powell into one formidable, unforgettable six-string voice."[11]
In 2016 Pat Metheny told Vintage Guitar magazine that Grasso was “the best guitar player I’ve heard in maybe my entire life.”[12]
In 2017, Pasquale signed with Sony Masterworks and, working with producer Matt Pierson, recorded a series of solo recordings, released as digital EPs, beginning in 2019 and starting with Solo Standards Vol. 1[13] followed by Solo Ballads Vol.1,[11] Solo Monk, Solo Bud Powell,[14][15] Solo Holiday,[16] and Solo Bird.[17] An album comprising tracks from these recordings was released as Solo Masterpieces in 2020.[16]
In November 2020 he performed a run of shows with Laura Benanti in October 2021 at Feinstein’s/54 Below[18] and was featured on Benanti's 2020 self-titled album and on her "Go Slow" single and video.[19] He appeared with Benanti again in 2021, at Feinstein's Diamond Series concert.[20]
On 17 September 2021 Sony Masterworks released his album of Duke Ellington covers,[21] Pasquale Plays Duke, with bassist Ari Roland and drummer Keith Balla and guest vocalists Samara Joy and Sheila Jordan.[22] The same year he appeared leading the trio backing Samara Joy on her album Samara Joy.[23] On 15 February 2022 he performed on the Today Show with Samara Joy,[24] and appeared on her 2022 album Linger Awhile.[25]
He has had residencies at New York City clubs including Django in TriBeCa, Tartina in Harlem and Mezzrow in the West Village.[13]
Pasquale plays a "Modello Pasquale Grasso” guitar made for him by American luthier living in France, Bryant Trenier[16] and uses a restored 1953 Gibson GA-50 amp.[1]
Discography
editAlbums and EPs as leader
edit| Album | Year | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Be-Bop! | 2022 | Sony Masterworks |
| Pasquale Plays Duke | 2021 | Sony Masterworks |
| Solo Ballads | 2021 | Sony Masterworks |
| Solo Standards | 2021 | Sony Masterworks |
| Solo Masterpieces | 2020 | Sony Masterworks |
| Solo Bud | 2020 | Sony Masterworks |
| Solo Bird (EP) | 2020 | Sony Masterworks |
| Solo Holiday (EP) | 2019 | Sony Masterworks |
| Solo Monk (EP) | 2019 | Sony Masterworks |
| Solo Ballads Vol. 1 (EP) | 2019 | Sony Masterworks |
| Solo Standards Vol. 1 (EP) | 2019 | Sony Masterworks |
| Merci Toots (w/Yvonnick Prene) | 2015 | |
| Reflections of Me | 2015 |
As a sideman
edit| Recording | Artist | Year | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Look Ahead | Chris Byars | 2023 | Steeplechase |
| Linger Awhile | Samara Joy | 2022 | Verve |
| Samara Joy | Samara Joy | 2021 | Whirlwind Recordings |
| Laura Benanti | Laura Benanti | 2020 | Sony Masterworks |
| Night at the Movies | Svetlana | 2019 | Starr Records |
| Workers' Comp | Jamale Davis | 2018 | Gut String Records |
| New York City Jazz | Chris Byars | 2018 | Steeplechase |
| We Worked In The Bricks | Jamale Davis | 2017 | Gut String Records |
| The Greenwich Session | Luigi Grasso | 2018 | Camille Productions |
| The Stroller | Zaid Nasser | 2017 | Steeplechase |
| The Music of Frank Strozier | Chris Byars | 2017 | Steeplechase |
| Play Luigi Grasso's Arrangements | Joan Chamorro Octet | 2017 | Jazz to Jazz |
| Two Fives | Chris Byars | 2015 | Steeplechase |
| The Music of Duke Jordan | Chris Byars | 2014 | Steeplechase |
References
edit- ^ a b c Ted Panken (28 June 2021), Pasquale Grasso: The Pianistic Guitarist, Jazz Times, retrieved 12 April 2022
- ^ Pasquale Grasso Quartet December 14, 2019, 6:00 - 8:00pm Magazzino Italian Art, Magazzino Italian Art Foundation, 14 December 2019, retrieved 12 April 2022
- ^ GUITAR MASTERS SERIES: PASQUALE GRASSO, Zinc Jazz, 8 July 2019, retrieved 12 April 2022
- ^ Pasquale Grasso, Purchase College, retrieved 12 April 2022
- ^ a b AND THE WINNER IS…, Benedetto Guitars, 14 October 2015, retrieved 12 April 2022
- ^ a b Zachary Weg (19 May 2021), The Usher of Spring, West Side Spirit, retrieved 12 April 2022
- ^ Sunil Sampat (21 December 2017), Concert Review: The Ari Roland Quartet, Rolling Stone India, retrieved 12 April 2022
- ^ 27th Annual Litchfield Jazz Festival Performer Spotlight: Pasquale Grasso, litchfieldjazzfest.com, 11 July 2022, retrieved 29 November 2022
- ^ Chris Mosey (15 March 2015), Yvonnick Prene And Pasquale Grasso: Merci Toots, All About Jazz, retrieved 12 April 2022
- ^ Pasquale Grasso vince a New York la prima edizione del Wes Montgomery International Jazz Guitar Competition, Jazzitalia, 21 October 2015, retrieved 12 April 2022
- ^ a b Bill Milkowski (24 June 2021), GuitArtistry: A Tale of Two Rising Six-String Stars, Jazziz, retrieved 12 April 2022
- ^ Dan Forte, Pat Metheny: The Jazz Guitar Prodigy at 60, Vintage Guitar Magazine, retrieved 12 April 2022
- ^ a b Ken Micallef (16 September 2019), Pasquale Grasso Embraces a Bebop Aesthetic, Downbeat, retrieved 12 April 2022
- ^ Steve Futterman, "Pasquale Grasso: "Solo Bud Powell"", The New Yorker, retrieved 12 April 2022
- ^ THE BEST NEW JAZZ ALBUMS: EDITOR'S CHOICE, SEPTEMBER 2020, Jazzwise, 13 August 2020, retrieved 26 April 2022
- ^ a b c Adam Sieff (6 March 2020), Pasquale Grasso: Solo Masterpieces, London Jazz News, retrieved 12 April 2022
- ^ A.A. Cristi (24 August 2020), Birdland Jazz Club Celebrates The Charlie Parker Centennial With Pasquale Grasso, Champian Fulton & Joe Lovano, Broadway World, retrieved 12 April 2022
- ^ Ed Enright (1 September 2021), Pasquale Grasso: Pasquale Plays Duke, Downbeat, retrieved 12 April 2022
- ^ Stage Tube (20 November 2020), VIDEO: Watch Laura Benanti's New Music Video for 'Go Slow', Broadway World, retrieved 12 April 2022
- ^ Bobby Patrick (6 October 2021), BWW Review: Glamorous Laura Benanti Polishes THE DIAMOND SERIES At Feinstein's/54 Below, Broadway World, retrieved 26 April 2022
- ^ Dave Gelly (30 October 2021), "Pasquale Grasso: Pasquale Plays Duke review – boggling brilliance from the guitar virtuoso", The Guardian, retrieved 12 April 2022
- ^ Matt Micucci (21 September 2021), Song of the Day: Pasquale Grasso, "Solitude" feat. Samara Joy, Jazziz, retrieved 12 April 2022
- ^ Dave Gelly (7 August 2021), "Samara Joy: Samara Joy review – classic American song in safe young hands", The Guardian, retrieved 26 April 2022
- ^ Chloe Rabinowitz (23 February 2022), Samara Joy Performs On TODAY WITH HODA & JENNA, Broadway World, retrieved 26 April 2022
- ^ Veronica Johnson (20 October 2022), Samara Joy: Linger Awhile (Verve), JazzTimes, retrieved 23 November 2022