TOP 100 Jazz Guitar Albums

[Alexander]

Hi there,

what you are planning is of course a pretty questionable adventure. One would have better put in a poll or something like that and ask the members directly what their favorite albums are. Mh. But sill, here's some
additional suggestions, very subjectivechoice, of course, as all other will
be as well:

- Barney Kessel, Poll Winners
- Jim Hall in Art Farmer Quartet Live at the Half Note, esp. because of
"Stompin' a the Savoy"
- Kim Hall "Live" in Toronto
- Wes & Wynton Kelly, Smokin' at the Half Note
- Barney Kessel,m Working Out with the BK Quartet
- 6-LP-Set "The Jazz Guitar" (1983)
- Guitar Player - an Album of Contempoprary Style by Modern Masters
('77)
- The Jazz Guitar Album (2 LP, Verve)
- The Concord Jazz Guitar Collection 1 & 2
- Fun on the Frets (Antho)
- Swing to Bop - Guitars in Flight
________

So, the question remains: Where to start and where to end? Eddie Lang, Lonnie Johnson, Frank Zappa? So let's hope yr request will have a good substantial response, i.e. as many items as possible.

Cheers,

alex

[RichardFrance]

Great list - some new names for me to check out. I'd add:
Sylvain Luc - Trio Sud
Luiz Bonfa - Jacaranda
Baden Powell - At the Rio Jazz Club
Neal Alger - guitarist with Patricia Barber's band. Try her A Fortnight in France, for example.

[Alexander]

Hi, Richard,

yep, your idea to put Sylvain in, is great. I have just reviewed his latest
CD for a German jazz mag, and I think him absolutely great and original.
What abhout Lionel Louke?
What about Martin Taylor?
What about Herb Ellis w. Peterson at the Shakespeare Fest?
What about the Great Guitars?
What about Friday in San Francisco?
What about Baden Powell's very first album Tristeza?
What about Zoller's revolutionary Horizon Beyond?
What about the forgotten René Thomas?
What about Cal Collins on the Concrd label during the 70s/80s?

And so on, endlessly. I cd go on no-stop adding names and recordings
to this list, but I think I'd better quit and let all others put their proposals in.

Cheers,
alex

[RichardFrance]

Alex, I saw Sylvain Luc recently in Agde, talking and playing. He said ' I am not a jazz guitarist, I am an improvising guitarist'. Whatever, he should be in the list. Yes to your other suggestions!
Richard

[Parsnipfingers]

Originally Posted by iparkin

I will introduce a new guitarist to the mix the one of the father's of Jamaican SKA music which has some roots in JAZZ. The guitarist name is Earnest Ranglin and the Album is The Ultimate Roots Ranglin. He also has one called Roots Ranglin. If you want to see samples of his playing go to youtube and search on Earnest Ranglin. He does a song with just him and a bass player called ranglin live glastonberry.

Originally Posted by slimjim57

and thanks to iparkin for bringing up Ernest Ranglin, "Below the Bassline" is really great.

Originally Posted by guavajelly

Just to avoid confusion: The name is Ernest Ranglin.

Just to avoid any more confusion, I already added Ernest Ranglin to the mix back in post #86. Reading the thread is always a good idea .

[Heronymus]

Hi

A few albums I would like to anounce are:
John Abercrombie - Abercrombie Quartet
Bill Connors - Of mist and melting

And my absolute guitar hero Ralph Towner:
Ralph Towner - Solstice !!!
Ralph Towner - Ana

Heronymus

[blackwingchai]

chic corea with return to forever = light as a feather

[ewanwallace]

Here's three of my favourites which I couldn't see on the list above:

Pat Martino - El Hombre
Kenny Burrell - Man At Work
Joe Pass/Ella Fitzgerald - Take Love Easy

[franco6719]

Originally Posted by leegenix

I'm glad some of you remembered artists like Herb Ellis, Tal Farlow. Let's not forget the late Tommy Tedesco formerly of Fernwood Tonight, The Gong Show, and many of contributions as a studio session player and mentor to Toto's guitarist. Tedesco was so smooth, he was talking to another musician while playing and made it look so easy, especially when not even looking at his fingers like it was nothing.

Tommy Tedesco! I haven't even heard that name mentioned in decades! Off topic, but does anybody remember the name of his book that I used to live out of for about two years when I in my teens. It was red, with a big photo of Tommy and it was filled with entertaining anecdotes and stories about his experiences in the studio, etc.. Later on, I actually met him at visit to Berklee. he shocked everyone in the audience by saying "If you are playing on a fast tune and you don't know the changes, just play 1-2-3 (chromatic scale in other words), 1-2-3, 1-2,3, 1,2,3 real fast.! HA
AAAAAAAAA!" It was classic.

(On frets 5-7, for whatever that is worth).

[franco6719]

I'm a bit late to the party, so I think everything has probably been mentioned by now. I didn't notice any mention of Joe Diorio though. I would add one of his trio recordings.

[Frank Bechlarz]

Pat Martino Footprints
Pat Martino We´ll be together again
John McLaughlin Extrapolation
Jim Hall Live
Pat Metheny Questions and answers
Grant Green Street of dreams
Mike Stern Give and Take
Wes Montgomery Full House
George Benson Bad Benson/ Body Talk
Joe Pass Tudo Bem
Michael Sagmeister Bouncing around/ Conversations with Pat Martino
John Scofield Quartett Live on ENJA
Joe Pass Intercontinental
Kenny Burrell TinTin Deo

Greetings From Germany

[jonasfixe]

Django Reinhardt - The Quintet of the Hot Club of France
Hand Jive by John Scofield
Play by Mike Stern
Charlie Christian Solo Flight

[Claes Carlberg]

Strange that I only found one member who mentioned Lee Ritenour who in my opinion is one of the most tasteful contemporary jazz guitarists I've heard.
I specially like the album "Alive in LA" from 1997.

Then there is a swedish guitarist named Rune Gustafsson born 1933,, one of swedens most known jazz guitarists who ha been around since the early 50's.
He's ha recorded several albums :
1. Rune at the top (from 1969)
2. Move (1977)
3. The Sweetest Sounds (with Zoot Simms)
4.In a Sentimental Mood (with Zoot Simms)
5 On a Clear Day (1976)

You can here him live from a swedish jazz club site here :

Jan Allan, Rune Gustafsson och Georg Riedel spelar på Lidingö Jazzklubb

It's recorded 1 oct 2009. Unfortunately it's in swedish but I don't think you will have any problem navigating the site.

By the way, listen to the sound Rune is getting out of a solid body Ibanez Les Paul copy.

So my contribution to the list would be:

Lee Ritenour Alive In LA
Wes Montgomery, "The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery"
Rune Gustafsson Move

[Carlo]

Joe Pass - Mosaic Box Set
John Mclaughlin After The Rain
Verve Jazz Masters: Tal Farlow
Jim Hall & Bill Frisell - Hemispheres
Ron Carter & Jim Hall: Telephone
Emily Remler - This Is Me

[Sven Gordon Williams]

Like all of us I do love the anglo american Blues and Jazz music, but by reeding all this posted highlights I am completly missing Django Reinhardt and his inheritance like Biréli Langrène and Sylvain Luc - my recommendation > the Gypsy Project!!!

Beside those masters I would highly recommend Antony Wilson - known as a sideman of Diana Krall... (the girl in the other room)

And Dominic Miller known as a sideman of Sting...

Jeff Beck one of the most expressive and most individualistic players still!!!
(Watch him performing with the 23 year old Tal Wilkenfield female bass player at Crossroads 2007 festival).

Aswell I am missing Ry Cooder, who is probably one of the most versatily performers of today.

My favorite Guitarist from Brazil is Yamandú Costa - watch him playing "Carinhoso" on youtube... (He plays Choro music on a 7 string classical guitar wich is typical for this style, wich usualy never plays with a double bass.)

End before I stop here I have to make a bow for Mr. Chet Atkins who is more know as a country and western performer but is an outstanding Jazz Guitarist (14 Grammy Awards)(1967 - 1988 - 9 x Instrumentalist of the Year)

Thats for now folks

[JLDExtonPa]

Originally Posted by Phil'n'thegroove

Awesome power in these six string wonders. Keep at it!

After I posted, I saw your list. NC, a little too far to Jam (PA) but Jam on Phil!

[jazzbow]

Here's my pennys worth
Midnight Blue and Guitar forms,- Kenny Burrell (sweet sounds,mmm)
East west, -Bill Frisell (live trio with Frisells bangs whistles and tricks)
Birds of Fire, -Manhvishnu Orchestra/John McLaughlin (jazz rocks maan)
In a silent way, -Miles Davies feat. John McLaughlin (texture and flavour)
Anything with Django Reinhardt (all that with just 2 fingers)
Gypsy Project & Friends, -Bireli Lagrene (all that with just 4 fingers)
Anything with Stochelo Rosenberg (all that without reading music)
Intuite, -Pierre Bensusan (DADGAD heaven)
Mambo Sinuendo, -Ry Cooder and Manuel Galban (when the rhythm starts to play..mmm, tasty)
Marc Ribot y los cubanos postizos, -um, Marc Ribot (skronk me Castro baby)

There's plenty more choices in other instruments, Theolonious, Miles, E.S.T. etc.

[Sven Gordon Williams]

I forgot Bill Frisells version of Over The Rainbow - Motion Soundtrack - Finding Forester / Further East/Further West - this is real inovativ guitar playing ;-)

Love

[jazzbow]

What about Bill Frisells version of 'Moonriver' on Bill Frisell with Dave Holland and Elvin Jones??

[markf]

Originally Posted by Regats

One towers above the rest: Kenny Burrell - Guitar Forms, with arrangements by Gil Evans. One of the most beautiful jazz albums ever recorded.

)

I had this album when I was young, I agree it is very beautiful

[Passion4Blue]

I know Jose Feliciano is not known for the Jazz idiom, but it was Jose's early Spanish bolero music that eventually re-directed me to Jazz. During his early Latin releases of albums like "Exitos de Jose Feliciano" and "Mas Exitos de Jose Feliciano" I was hearing these lush chords being played against the backdrop of Standard boleros from South America that really piqued my interest. What it was taking three guitarists (Trios) to perform on their guitars, Jose was doing on just one.

I eventually hired a professional transcriptionist to tab out about 42 of Jose's songs from this era and I was absolutely right. There amidst those wonderful melodies and classic songs I found every imaginable advanced Jazz chord you could think of. And his soloing was just as excellent.

From here I became more immersed in Jazz and discovered all the other great Jazz artists that I had never noticed before. So I have to forever salute Jose for opening up that wonderful world of Jazz to me.

The music I am referring to is the music he used to play with just guitar, bass and percussion. After those years there were more elaborate orchestrations added to his music, and I felt that something was lost. Namely the fact that I wasn't able to hear that wonderful raw guitar as much as those early records. But I am forever a fan!

[markf]

Originally Posted by brhawkes

Tommy Emmanuel - Endless Road

I heard him play live on radio station 720 Chicago.

Wow! He is very good.

Have not heard the above album though.

[Johnny b]

Wes Montgomery (almost everything) These two are the greatest
Django Reinhardt (almost everything)

Lenny Breau live at Bourbon Street and others (genius)
Danny Gatton: Relentless and New York Stories (genius)
Scotty Anderson: Triple Stop (country jazz fusion ~ staggering!)
Jimmy Bruno: Burning (wow!)
Joe Pass: Joyspring and many others
Barney Kessel: Just Friends, live in Stockholm '73 (relentless swing)
Grant Green: Green Street
Howard Roberts & The Magic Band II, live in LA '68
Pat Martino: Live at Yoshi's
George Barnes: Don't get around much anymore
John McLaughlin: Trio of Doom and live Mahavishnu Orchestra
Johnny Smith (almost everything)
Stochelo Rosenberg
Frank Vignola

The list just goes on and on and let's not forget the pioneers Eddie Lang and Charlie Christian.

There are so many like Eddie Lang, Charlie Christian who set the way

[Passion4Blue]

"Windows" by Jack Wilkins is a hard to find classic. I've only been able to find it in the album format, but if you can get your hands on it, it is a classic IMHO. He takes on more of the Modern Standards like Freddie Hubbard and Chick Corea tunes, and he smokes on every track.

[Passion4Blue]

Originally Posted by markf

I heard him play live on radio station 720 Chicago.

Wow! He is very good.

Have not heard the above album though.

"Yeah, these albums are both out of print although the second one does exist in CD format. Sadly he doesn't perform these tunes when he is out on the road unless you see him in a Latin American country. I saw him in Puerto Rico in 2006 and that is where he pulled out these classic tunes. When I saw him in Detroit he didn't play any".

[Little Jay]

Wes Montgomery - The Incredible Jazzguitar Of Wes Montgomery
Kenny Burrell - Midnight Blue
Tal Farlow - The Return Of Tal Farlow
Grant Green - Green Street
Grant Green - The Complete Quartets with Sonny Clarke
Emily Remler - East To Wes
Jimmy Raney - Jimmy Raney Visits Paris, vol 1&2
Jesse van Ruller - Live At Murphy's Law
Toots Thielemans - Blues Pour Flirter
George Benson - Giblet Gravy

[Tom Karol]

Won't try to be original - many of these have already been mentioned - but just off the top of my head from my own collection (past and present):
Charlie Christian - Solo Flight-The Genius of Charlie Christian (orginal vinyl album on Columbia)
Wes Montgomery - The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery; The bluesy one he did with Jimmy Smith (don't remember the name)
Herb Ellis & Charlie Byrd - Guitar/Guitar
Joe Pass & Herb Ellis - Two For The Road
Joe Pass - Virtuoso
Jim Hall & Bill Evans - Intermodulation
George Benson - It's Uptown or Cookbook
Howard Roberts - Good Pickin's; HR is a Dirty Guitar Player
Attila Zoller & Lee Konitz - When It's Time
Kenny Burrell - Men at Work
George Barnes & Bucky Pizarelli - Duo album (don't remember the name)
Django - The Quintet of the Hot Club of France (double album).

[Jmal]

Hi, This is my first post.


I should put in the list some of these albums:


"Tradicional ways":


Charlie Christian: “Complete studio recordings”
Django Reinhardt: "Djangology"
Grant Green: "First recordings"
Grant Green: "Idle moments"
Wes Montgomery: "Complete live in Paris 1965"
Jim Hall-Bill Evans: "Intermodulations"
Kenny Burrell: “Blue lights”

"New ways" (or something like that):

Al Di Meola-John McLaughlin-Paco de Lucía: "Passion, grace & fire"
Miles Davis (with John McLaughlin): “A tribute to Jack Johnson”
John McLaughlin: “Extrapolation”
Mahavishnu Orchestra: “The inner mounting flame”
Mahavishnu Orchestra: “Birds of fire”
Shakti: “A Handful of Beauty”
John Scofield: “A go go”
John Scofield: “Scolohofo”
Allan Holdsworth: “Secrets”
Ernest Ranglin: “Below the bassline”
Ernest Ranglin: "Memories of Barber Mack"

...And two little Spanish masterpieces:

Pedro Iturralde: "Jazz flamenco"
Michel Camilo & Tomatito: "Spain"

Regards from Spain

Jose

[kromezone]

+1 on everything

and Danny Gatton - Untouchable

[iparkin]

Just came back from Jamaica. It was my first visit in 25 years. I was born there and spent 21 years of my life there. I went to the School of Music. While I was there Ranglin taught guitar.