Pasquale Grasso Unveils Solo Be-Bop! – A Daring, Virtuosic Tribute to Bebop’s Piano Legends

While in the studio wrapping up sessions for the Fervency Trio album, something unexpected happened. Guitarist Pasquale Grasso found himself with two extra days booked and no fixed plan. At the suggestion of his producer, Grasso did what true artists do when inspiration strikes—he picked up his guitar and started to play. The result is Solo Be-Bop!, a spontaneous yet stunning solo guitar album that honors the spirit, soul, and sophistication of bebop’s greatest pianists. The album is available now. [Listen Here]

Grasso, who was raised in the Italian countryside, grew up immersed in the complex language of jazz piano—not guitar. He studied the left-hand stride and right-hand dazzle of Art Tatum, Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, Fats Waller, and Earl Hines. These were his heroes. And on Solo Be-Bop!, he brings their influence to life in a dazzling display of unaccompanied six-string mastery.

“Whether you’re alone or in a band, you’re supposed to swing by yourself anyway if you want to play this music,” Grasso says.

And swing he does.

One of the album’s standouts is Grasso’s electrifying version of Charlie Parker’s “Chasin’ the Bird.” He treats the bebop classic as a technical étude, pushing the independence of all his fingers beyond the standard limits of guitar technique.

“This song helped me a lot to achieve independence between all my fingers,” he explains. “Not an easy task, but very rewarding.”

Equally impressive is his take on “Salt Peanuts,” a tune he usually performs with his trio. Here, it bursts with rhythmic life, proving that a single guitar can groove with the firepower of an entire rhythm section.

Throughout the album, Grasso sprinkles in heartfelt tributes to the mentors and memories that shaped him:

• “Stella by Starlight” reflects his time studying with legendary pianist Barry Harris.

• “Pannonica” is a loving nod to his mother’s favorite Thelonious Monk ballad.

• “Time Waits” captures the quiet ache of homesickness and family ties.

• “Sid’s Delight” reimagines the 1949 original arrangement featuring trumpeter Fats Navarro.

Grasso also ventures into more obscure bebop territory, including Bud Powell’s “Monopoly” (which he rhythmically reshapes) and Elmo Hope’s “Stars Over Marrakech,” where he masterfully alternates bass lines with chordal melodies.

“With Solo Be-Bop!,” Grasso doesn’t just reinterpret these pieces—he inhabits them fully,” the liner notes say. “This is bebop guitar at its most exposed and expressive: a masterful conversation between past and present, with no one else in the room.”

Solo Be-Bop! – Tracklist

1. Chasin' the Bird

2. Salt Peanuts

3. Sid's Delight

4. Time Waits

5. Manhattan

6. Monopoly

7. Stars Over Marrakech

8. Stella by Starlight

9. Happy Hour

10. Sure Thing

11. Pannonica

12. Yeheadeadeadee

Born in Ariano Irpino in Italy’s Campania region, Grasso was surrounded by a rich jazz culture. Festivals like Umbria Jazz introduced him to global sounds, but his deeper education came through hands-on mentorships—with Agostino Di Giorgio and, most pivotally, Barry Harris. His journey eventually led him to New York City in 2012, a city he calls the true heart of jazz.

“Every recording I like was made in New York City,” Grasso says. “I always wanted to come here.”

Though initially out of step with modern jazz trends in Europe, Grasso’s passion for the bebop tradition has recently found new relevance. He credits much of this revival to his collaboration with multi-Grammy winner Samara Joy, whom he met when she was just 16. Grasso toured and recorded with Joy, appearing on both her self-titled debut and 2022’s Linger Awhile.

Grasso’s musical language is shaped more by pianists and horn players than fellow guitarists. His early listening diet consisted heavily of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie—so much so that his father once hoped he’d play trumpet instead. He did pick up the trumpet briefly but ultimately found his true voice on guitar.

“I was just trying to imitate whatever I would hear,” he laughs. “I have a perfect pitch. That’s what God gave me.”

It was jazz guitar icon Pat Metheny who offered one of the highest compliments. In a 2016 Vintage Guitar interview, Metheny called Grasso “the best guitar player I’ve heard in maybe my life.”

Grasso is a fixture on the New York City jazz scene, regularly performing at Birdland, Mezzrow, Saint Tuesday, and Tartina. He’ll also appear at multiple festivals across the summer of 2025. For dates and updates, check his official calendar.