Favourite Player Poll - Page 11

hallpass · #**301** 10-15-2011, 07:30 PM

Wow, god but tough poll. I was between Wes, Martino, Pass, and Hall. I went with Joe Pass. While I go through listening spurts of all of these guys, the player I've most consistently stuck to is Pass. And its his non chord melody work I prefer actually.

Conman · #**302** 10-17-2011, 01:21 AM

i chose Wes and Kenny however if Howard Roberts was on there i would have chose him too.

Chri44ophe55 · #**303** 10-27-2011, 10:18 PM

sorry for any shortcomings of this poll, it is only guitarists and obviously there is more than ten around, but thats the max option, so here goes:

Jweele01 · #**304** 11-07-2011, 09:24 AM

Voted Bill Frisell.

Eunice824 · #**305** 11-24-2011, 02:27 AM

Yes, that's a tough choice. Pat Metheny used to be my favorite player for many years, but if I have to choose now it's Wes Montgomery.

backliner · #**306** 12-10-2011, 01:21 PM

Johnny Smith is my overall favorite guitarist (and he didn't consider himself a "jazz" guitarist), for his flawless technique and smoothness: but that's not all: his arpegiated lines are thrilling where they wind up!

Howard Roberts haD endless improv ideas at the speed of light that never fail to knock me out.

In the end I voted Barney Kessel, for his obvious Charlie Christian and Django influences, wonderful organic woody tone (usually), and overall musically satisfying improvisation statements he gets across in a way that really speaks to me.

Of course there are many others I like from that list too for their contributions to the fabric of jazz guitar, but not many ALSO contributed to the pantheon of jazz music in general like Charlie Christian, beyond guitar as an instrument, though Wes Montogomery certainly added to the sound and texture of what could be accomplished on the guitar (for me).

L_Totti · #**307** 12-10-2011, 07:21 PM

Tough poll... I was beetween Grant Green , Kessel , Wes and Mclaughlin , but I think Green is my favourite.

aniss1001 · #**308** 12-15-2011, 10:04 AM

For me there was no choice at all. SCOFIELD is simply the man. Noone else come even close. His unique beautyful sound, his peculiar original lines, his bluesy passionate fell, everything :P

He is literally the reason I play guitar / jazz today. I was playing rock, blues, funk, etc. when I was young and being pretty serious about it. At some point I completely lost interest and stopped playing for 14 years!! It was by listening to Scofield that old yearning in the fingers came back again

It was interesting to see what you other guys think. I knew that jazz listeners / players are a conservative bunch indeed (NOT saying that's a bad thing!) so it didn't surprise me that Wes would take the cake. I like him too and he would definately make my top 5 any day.

But it did surprise me the popularity of players like Benson, Hall, Pass and Burell. I like Hall and Pass too I just don't think they're that original / special.

Django even more so. To me he sounds sooo mechanical. Like one of those machines that make music when you turn a handle (don't know their name in english). Can't stand it.

Another thing.. If I was to try to make a more objective assessment based on skill level and teqnique etc. I would have to say Metheny. Unfortunately I think he has very bad taste (like Stern) and I don't like his music. I really tried though, but I always find myself fastforwarding to his solos and skipping everything else.

Ah I recently discovered Nathan Page. He was really awesome too. Can't believe I never heard of him. Check out this pearl: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpokHlYrprs :P

HighSpeedSpoon · #**309** 12-16-2011, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by backliner

Johnny Smith is my overall favorite guitarist (and he didn't consider himself a "jazz" guitarist), for his flawless technique and smoothness: but that's not all: his arpegiated lines are thrilling where they wind up! ...

Johnny Smith is also my favorite guitarist for much the same reasons as backliner. Smith is a tasteful combination of classical and swing influences, and whatever he is, he's "jazz" enough for me. His feather touch, sense of composition, and the purposefulness and direction in his solos still leave me shaking my head in admiration. After much ambivalence over the price, I recently sprung for the 8 CD Mosaic reissue, The Complete Roost Johnny Smith Small Group Sessions, and I am so glad I did! (BTW, I have no connection whatever with Mosaic or its people.)

Besides Johnny Smith, there are a few other artists I would have voted for if I could: George Van Eps, Russell Malone, Jimmy Bruno, and Yotam Silberstein. As it was, I also voted for Barney Kessel - who is another great among greats for me - as well as Joe Pass, Jim Hall, and Kenny Burrell.

Smelodies · #**310** 12-26-2011, 10:33 PM

I would have thought Holdsworth would score much higher.

Of course when asked how he would rank himself, Miles said, "Rank? You mean like an athlete? When you say best, you can't say best in any form of the arts. There's no best dancer, no best actor. You know, PR is 98% of it. But Dizzy would say that I'm one of the best."

Billnc · #**311** 12-26-2011, 11:04 PM

Jim Hall, tone
Pat Martino, comforting
John Mclaughlin, the best guitarist/composer alive

sweetpic · #**312** 12-30-2011, 02:20 PM

I cheated and voted for three. Wes, Kenny Burrell and Pat Martino. It's the best I could do. Jim Hall is a very close second for me.

Asiancat · #**313** 01-24-2012, 01:09 AM

Wes Montgomery, I just love the guy.

ESCC · #**314** 01-24-2012, 08:07 AM

This week it's been Kenny Burrell. One of the 7 or 8 that alternates as a favorite of mine.

Synchro · #**315** 01-24-2012, 09:23 PM

I find it interesting that the results of this poll so closely mirror my own sentiments. I'm old school in many ways but it would appear that I am far from alone in my tastes.

I also need to put in a word for Johnny Smith. My concept of technique came from him and his arpeggios are amazing.

jbernstein91 · #**316** 01-25-2012, 08:30 AM

I agree with those who have suggested that both John Abercrombie and Lenny Breau are criminally underappreciated. Check out JH demonstrating the use of motifs in improvisation starting at about 5:32 on this clip - John Abercrombie - Jazz Guitar Improvisation 7 - YouTube - and soloing on this clip, particularly starting at around 2:00 - John Abercrombie - Jazz Guitar Improvisation 1 - YouTube. And Lenny Breau playing "Georgia" in 1961: Lenny Breau - Georgia On My Mind (Hoagy Carmichael) / Sans Souci (Gigi Gryce) - YouTube. Another underappreciated master is Billy Bean: check out his solo from a 1959 Bud Shank album:
http://classicjazzguitar.com/albums/878/bean_old_king_nep.mp3. Gorgeous.

Smelodies · #**317** 01-25-2012, 09:59 PM

Where does Howard Roberts rank?

bobby d · #**318** 02-13-2012, 05:54 PM

Benson got my vote but I was tempted to vote for Burrell, Pass or Wes. I don't think anyone mentioned Emily Remler who didn't have the chops of most Jazz guitarists, but she is one of my favorites to listen to, and would be on my list of favorites.

It's interesting to hear opinions and of unsung players that can be investigated. Favorite artists is subjective, but for some reason there's a temptation to argue about it. We could attempt to vote on which player is that fastest, has the best technique, most innovative, plays with the most emotion, is truly the best, but that would create a huge argument.

And nobody mentioned Herb Ellis either!

griphon ii · #**319** 02-14-2012, 06:08 PM

How right or correct you are, Bobby D. Emily Remler, included, died 5/4/90. 50 years ago the poll, probably, would be easy. In 50 years, a bunch of old farts created magic. It's a tribute to them and the folks that CREATED what followed and follows. Let's hope that the NEW CREATIONS are of the same merit as of the old masters. Writing standards need to be corrected and improved. (e.g. m6, m7b5, dom9's, same change, written most always, incorrectly... In full or smaller jazz bands, piano and guitar parts are quite lackluster and abysmal.) Let's look and hope for something really new and different, not the same old suit material.

jeffy · #**320** 02-26-2012, 12:32 AM

Every top jazz guitarist has its bad side. Pat Metheny's great as a sideman but I don't think he's there yet with regards to compositions. Maybe he will shine with a couple of tunes but big deal. John McLaughlin's great when he plays his thing but as sideman he could be a dud. Listen or watch when he plays with Corea. There were nothing much. Most jazz guitarist were like that. They re-used a certain style to death.

jeffy · #**321** 02-26-2012, 12:45 AM

John Abercrombie is very interesting. Check out his stint with Gil Evans in New York during early days. Lenny Breau's great, especially with harmonics but we don't get to hear from him much. Howard Robert's a good studio session man but despite all this, jazz guitarist should listen to piano player like Bill Evans or even go back to early Clark Terry, Charlie Parker or Louis Armstrong. Howard Elden did that and he came out tops.

jeffy · #**322** 02-26-2012, 01:01 AM

Why must younger jazz player keeps on doing old standards to get jazz approval? I think we must do away with it. I can relate to the Beatles, Zappa, Stones and many more, but you won't catch me playing 'Round Midnight' or 'My Funny Valentine" because it's not honesty.
A few years ago I saw John Scofield and Joe Lovano at the York Jazz Festival in Western Australia and he broke into a riff of 'Who Do You Love' by Quicksilver Messenger Service. That's my man.

Smelodies · #**323** 02-26-2012, 09:18 PM

Guitar Player: If you could go back in time, are there any musicians you’d like to jam with?

Garcia: Oh, yeah. I’d follow around Django Reinhardt, the Gypsy guitarist. I have every single one of his records. Most of what he plays is hard to understand, no matter how much I’ve listened to it. Either he’s got fingers a half a mile long or — I just don’t know how he’s doing it. And he played all this with a messed-up left hand. His technique is awesome. Even as good as players are today, nobody has come up to the state that he was playing at—that whole fullness of expression, the combination of having incredible speed and giving every note a specific personality. The other guy I’d like to hear live is Charlie Christian, who had an incredible mind, just a relentless flow of ideas. He was the first guy who played through he changes the way horn players would. He had that sense of where everything goes harmonically. He had an incredible intensity and a hip tone. To my ears, his playing still sounds very modern.

willtheguitardude · #**324** 02-26-2012, 11:23 PM

Pat Metheny is without a doubt my favorite. Pat Martino and Wes are tied at second, and Grant Green and Jim Hall are tied at third.

eddy b. · #**325** 03-01-2012, 12:30 PM

I voted for Pat Martino but my real favorite is Ed Bickert I know they have dissimilar styles but I think they are both true to themselves and very honest artists that speak to my soul.

HighSpeedSpoon · #**326** 03-11-2012, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eddy b.

I voted for Pat Martino but my real favorite is Ed Bickert I know they have dissimilar styles but I think they are both true to themselves and very honest artists that speak to my soul.

Ed Bickert swings beautifully IMO - very interesting and lyrical, and thankfully seasoned (to my taste anyway) with only a sprinkling of bebop ornamentation. A lot like Barney Kessel I think, but less widely known of course. Bickert goes back at least as far as the 1975 album Paul Desmond Quartet Live - probably farther, and has since played a lot in trio format with Rob McConnell (tb) and Don Thompson (p). The Rob McConnell album Three For the Road was the first album I bought specifically for Ed Bickert, and it is a fine album IMO. (PDQL is still on my buy list.)

bobby d · #**327** 03-11-2012, 11:19 AM

thanks for bringing up Ed Bickert fellas. Never heard of him, yet I'm digging him on youtube. Melodic Jazz guitar is beautiful.

ottocat · #**328** 03-12-2012, 06:15 PM

Shawn Lane - Time Is The Enemy - YouTube Is this jazz ? He is my favorite.

aniss1001 · #**329** 03-12-2012, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ottocat

Shawn Lane - Time Is The Enemy - YouTube Is this jazz ? He is my favorite.

Hehe Shawn Lane jazz?! I'd say NO! But who am I to say so.

I think that any musical genre can be defined as nothing more that a set of traditions and conventions. You can break or bend some of then (or even a lot) and still be playing a specific genre. This has always been done in jazz and it's how it has evolved. But if you break them ALL at once then you're no longer playing that particular genre.

But then again I've heard someone say that whenever you hear music that you cannot categorize then it's probably jazz

Besides the music in that video would be rock fusion I believe and since fusion is a derivation of jazz I dunno...

HighSpeedSpoon · #**330** 03-12-2012, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ottocat

Shawn Lane - Time Is The Enemy - YouTube Is this jazz ? He is my favorite.

Call me crazy, but I thought of Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie when listening to this. I may not understand this piece correctly, but it seems heavily modal to me, which is why I thought of Miles. I thought of Dizzy, because Shawn's treatment is obviously more like Dizzy than Miles. I also wondered what each of them (Miles and Dizzy) would have done if they had sat in.

I guess the fact that I could picture them sitting in says that for me, this is a sort of jazz. Or I could be all wrong and this is just rock fusion, as aniss suggested. But if it's what inspires you, then rock on.