"Lesser" known great guitarists.

[JohnW400]

Let' see how many great guitarists we can list, with at least one CD name, that aren't always metioned in this forum (like Pass, Martino, etc)

Before anybody get's the wrong idea , by lesser I mean not getting (or gotten) the press they deserved. Let's try to keep it to 5 each

Kenny Burrel - Check out Soulero or Midnight
Grant Green - Check out 'Green street'
Ralph Towner - Ceck out 'Solo Concert'
Joshua Breakstone - Check out 'Let's Call this Monk"
George Barnes - Check out his duo recording with Bucky, "Great Guitars" if you can find it, on LP. It's out of print but it's pure magic

[Stackabones]

Romane and Stochelo Rosenberg - Double Jeu

Oscar Moore - any of the Nat King Cole Trio stuff

Oscar Aleman - Swing Guitar Masterpieces

Jim Campilongo - American Hips or Heaven Is Creepy

Ed Bickert - Pure Desmond

Bola Sete - Tour de Force

[bojan]

This is very difficult question ... for me. My favourite list comprises some musicians who are held in high esteem as composers and arrangers (Egberto Gismonti, Ralph Towner, Anthony Wilson) while being somewhat neglected as guitarists (perhaps their technique was never really considered outside their native musical context). On the other hand, there are guitarists that I like very much (Tonihno Horta, Philip Catherine, Brandon Ross, Sam Brown, etc.), who seem to be perceived exclusively as able (virtuoso?) instrumentalists ... which is largely undeserved.

[m78w]

The all Canadian squad

Roddy Ellias - Bone Dance
Roy Patterson - The Arcadia Suite
Lorne Lofsky - Bill Please
Greg Clayton - Live at Boomers
Bill Coon and Olivier Gannon - Too Much Guitar

MW

[JohnW400]

Bojan,

Which cd would you recommend as required listening by each?

[derek]

I guess I am confused. Kenny Burrell and Grant Green are jazz icons imo. Lorne Lofsky and Ed Bickert are also giants in the field. Are we talking commercial success?

If you are talking about monsters who didn't get wider appeal, I would say Ted Greene, and Lenny Breau would be near the top of my list.

[JohnW400]

This came about from as a result of another post about Kenny Burell. My thinking is that a lot of the younger players that frequent this site might not know about a lot of these "earlier" players.

So I figured if we could drop some names, perhaps we could teach a little history or bring some more monster players to the conciousness of the newbies.

I really don't see quite a few players mentioned that should be mentioned. I usually the same names all the time. so.....

And NO your not confused. I would also mention Ted Greene. But another guy I don't see mentioned here too often is Barry Galbraith.

I also don't see Howard Alden or Frank Vignola mentioned nor Mark Whitfield or Kevin Eubanks. I do see the ususal suspects mentioned all the time though. (Wes, Joe P, Jim H, Pat M, Pat M, Mike S, Sco etc).

Anyway , one thing I already learned is that I needed to buy some more CD's by soem of these guys mentioned above. I'm hoping to see more names dropped so I can buy more

[jseaberry]

Joe Diorio
Jimmy Wyble
Gene Bertoncini
Adam Rogers
Billy Bauer
John Pisano
Mimi Fox
Sheryl Bailey
Mick Goodrick
Jeff Parker
Vic Juris
Phil Upchruch
Joe Puma
Bill DeArango
Chuck Wayne
Barry Finnerty

[jseaberry]

Oops; Jerry Hahn
Emily Remler

[frisellfan19]

John Stowell - Scenes: Along The Way (trio recording)
Ben Monder - Excavation
Adam Rogers - Apparitions
Brad Shepik - Drip
Jacob Young - Evening Falls
Nguyen Le - Bakida
Ralph Towner - Solstice
Mick Goodrick - In Pas(s)ing (good luck finding this one)
Egberto Gismonti - Folk Songs (w/ Jan Garbarek and Charlie Haden)
Steve Tibbetts - Safe Journey
Jeff Parker - The Relatives

[mr. beaumont]

y'all already picked good ones, so i'll just add on to a few names: barry galbraith may have been the most tasteful of all time, jacob young's stuff is great (love the new one, "sideways") and nobody ever talks about ray crawford, who backed up ahmad jamal and invented the percussive "guit-bongo" sound that herb ellis took and ran with.

we also tend to ignore al viola, howard roberts, joe puma, and george van eps around here. that's too bad...i'm going to start a weekly "george van eps is god" thread, i think. and i think only myself and a handful of others talk jimmy raney up enough. the freaking master!

[Stackabones]

Oh, man, how could I forget Sylvain Luc?!?!?! Nobody sounds like him and he is one of the most inventive players out there imo. Check out Joko.

[wizard3739]

Doug Raney (Jimmy's son) , Howard Alden (7-string master) Ron Eschete (another 7-string monster) Jimmy Wyable (very original old-timer, mostly finger style), Barry Galbraith (comping master)

[jseaberry]

If you like Jimmy Wyble, check out his associate, David Oakes, a fine fine guitarist himself:
http://www.davidoakesguitar.com/teaching.php

[derek]

Okay, I get it now. If you want some really great discs of players who aren't the big names, I can't recommend strongly enough duos by:

Herb Ellis & Joe Pass - Just great playing by Herb.
George Van Eps & Howard Alden - GVE started the whole 7 string thing and was simply sublime.

Howard Roberts doesn't get enough notice imo, and probably the best all around jazz guitarist I have ever heard (if there is really such) is Jimmy Rainey. While his son Doug is a fine guitarist, he is not anywhere near his old man, but they did a couple of duo discs together. Good stuff.

Yes, Barry Gailbraith was a master, and left us a wonderful recorded legacy, but more importantly an incredible collection of chord melody arrangements.

I find John Stowell's playing to be some of the most refreshing I have heard in a long time. After listening to most of the greats, his chord melody playing takes more unexpected turns than anyone I listen to.

Jimmy Wyble is just a wonderful soul and has just some incredibly sensitive playing up on youtube. The guy I studied with this past year, Tony DeCaprio is a monster also, and has recently spent some time playing with Jimmy.

I would also include Jeff Linsky and Ken Hatfield amoung the nylon string players who are carrying on the legacy of guys like Charlie Byrd.

[reventlov]

Louis Stewart - lots of him on youtube, swingy, inventive fluent Irish guitarist.

Hank Garland - "Jazz Winds from a New Direction" - one of the finest jazz guitar albums of them all, Hank was 'the bizznizz', probably my favourite jazz guitarist.

George Barnes - youtube - look for "Barnes-Braff Quartet" - swing versions of standards with a drummerless quartet, with lots of classy interplay.

Ollie Halsall - great early jazz-rocker from the UK - recommended album "Hold Your Fire" by the band Patto - very rocky in places but with superb guitar throughout, Ollie is one of the most under-recognised guitarists, with ability that should have put him at the top of the 'fusion' stylists. Go to The Ollie Halsall Archive - Patto [albums] and click on the sound files for 'Money Bag' and 'Give it all away' to get some idea of what Ollie could do.

Atilla Zoller - some very good youtube videos of him playing with the great Jimmy Raney.

Jack Wilkins - again, some great youtube videos of him - plus he made a superb double-album with valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer which has some great playing on it - sorry, but I can't recall what it was called!

[bojan]

Dear John ... naming the works is the difficult part because it will reveal that I myself am being unjustly biased ... treating some of the artists as inherently (or better suited for) frontmen or sidemen. So it goes like this:
Ralph Towner - Diary, Sargasso Sea (w. John Abercrombie);
Egberto Gismonti - Danca das Cabecas, Sol do Meio Dia (you know, the ubiquitous Cafe);
Anthony Wilson - Goat Hill Junket (check out the arrangement of Here's that Rainy Day);
Tonihno Horta - Once I Loved (w. Gary Peacock and Billy Higgins ... marvelous and very original rendition of standards);
Philip Catherine - Live (Dance for Victor ...) and his contribution (Nairam) on Mike Gibbs' album The Only Chrome Waterfall Orchestra (vinyl only?!);
Brandon Ross - on Henry Threadgill's Makin' a Move (I know I am sounding unjustly dismissive on his solo works but, please check out HIS music on Like It Feels or Official Silence);
Sam Brown - on Carla Bley's Escalator over the Hill, or my favorite on Paul Motian's Conception Vessel.
I feel bad about this list ... this attitude of mine appears to vindicate the very existence of those "lesser known" great guitarists ...

[Stackabones]

Originally Posted by wizard3739

Jimmy Wyable (very original old-timer, mostly finger style)

Wow! Just youtubed some Wyble and WOW!

[DMatthewsBand07]

Someone made a comment earlier about "early guitarists" that made me realize that we don't talk about good old Charlie Christian much on this site. Maybe I've been reading the wrong threads. As for albums - any of his stuff with Benny Goodman is great.

I know he's not lesser known I just thought it was interesting that we don't discuss him more.

[Little Jay]

Two names that I did not see here yet, but I like them:

Jimmy Ponder
Royce Campbell

[bojan]

Sorry for this late attempt of reviving the thread ... but I have made a sin of omission that needs to be redressed. I am referring to Bill Connors - a guitarist, a composer and an improviser who truly deserves a wider recognition ... at least on this forum. Younger members may be interested in his work with Chick Corea's Return to Forever band, as well as in his solo (third stream?) acoustic work on Theme to the Gaurdian and Swimming with the Hole in My Body. As to my knowledge, his most recent release is the Assembler from 1987.
The previous homily may also be addressed to the early works of Terje Rypdal ...

[swordfishtrombon]

geoff farina from the band karate (i am still sorry for the band's break up )
david torn
robert fripp from king crimson

[gravitas]

Originally Posted by m78w

The all Canadian squad

Roddy Ellias - Bone Dance
Roy Patterson - The Arcadia Suite
Lorne Lofsky - Bill Please
Greg Clayton - Live at Boomers
Bill Coon and Olivier Gannon - Too Much Guitar

MW

Don't forget about Jeff Langley

(for the uninitiated:
YouTube - Jake Langley, Trio at Dizzies "Pork Pie Hat"
YouTube - Jake langley Dis Here)

[hot ford coupe]

Mundell Lowe- There are some good Youtube footage of Mundell playing years ago and more recent.

Mary Osborne - She had a really big sound playing those Gretsch guitars

Eddie Durham - played around Charlie Christian's time

Irv Ashby- Played with Nat King Cole

Oscar Moore- also played with Cole

[frisellfan19]

I still think Ben Monder is sadly underrated even though he's one of the busiest jazz guitarist in New York City.

Rare picture of Ben with a beard:

[Tom Z]

Nice to see some of Nat Cole's guitarists up here!

Check out Cal Collins, Tiny Grimes, Mike Sheffrin NYC, Dave Biller (Django and Hillbilly Jazz), LLoyd Ellis, Joe Beck, Jimmie Rivers and the super old school Lonnie Johnson. Of course there are a lot of unknown greats in every town! Ray Chamberlain was here in Buffalo NY...he hung out with the greats back in the day and even dormed with Howard Roberts!

[Tom Z]

Oops, forgot about a guy on YouTube you should check out.

Joel Patterson from Chicago. He's a younger guy that really knows his blues and jazz, and can even tear it up on pedal steel.

YouTube - Joel Paterson - Sheik Of Araby

[DMatthewsBand07]

Just curious... hillbilly jazz... would that be like Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed?

[Tom Z]

I think hillbilly jazz is more Jimmie Rivers and the Cherokees or Speedy West/Jimmy Bryant. Contemporary Hillbilly swing might be "swing time" by Wayne "the train" Hancock. There were so many different sounds created when Country and Jazz crossed over in the 40s and 50s, but by the mid-60s probably because of R&R and Chet Atkins Nashville sound, country changed a bit- and the jazz was gone.

Some folks are trying to keep it alive!

[frisellfan19]

I like that fusion of country and jazz. I think it is pretty interesting, but needs to be experimented with more. Thankfully, Bill Frisell continues to show this kind of influence although the term now is called "Americana," whatever that means. People didn't want to call it country jazz or even hillbilly jazz sounds kind of cliche, so they just decided to call Americana. The media comes up with some strange names for things that can't really be labeled or find some category that this music fits into.

Check out these albums by Bill Frisell for some of that Americana thing: