Favourite Player Poll

[griphon ii]

Django, Wes, Pass, notwithstanding, Jim Hall ranks with them. Jim Hall has
influenced nearly every modern guitar player. I would venture to say Carlton,
Ritenour, Metheny and the like, basically our poll list, come from the Jim Hall branch.

[MrPelicano]

Originally Posted by griphon ii

Django, Wes, Pass, notwithstanding, Jim Hall ranks with them. Jim Hall has
influenced nearly every modern guitar player. I would venture to say Carlton,
Ritenour, Metheny and the like, basically our poll list, come from the Jim Hall branch.

When I first heard the Jimmy Giuffre song "The Train and the River", with Jim Hall on guitar, I instantly saw Jim's influence on players like Frisell, Metheny and Scofield. Obviously, there are plenty of other such signs, but this particular song really lays it out there. In fact, it gave me a much better understanding of what Frisell has been up to over the last few years, with his forays into Americana.

[jazznbop]

One glaring omission is Bireli Lagrene, which about the most technically, musically gifted guitarist out there.
Vic Juris, Howard Alden, Jimmy Bruno, Jack Wilkins are also modern masters.

[MrPelicano]

Now that we've arrived at the "glaring omissions" part of the poll, let me submit the following masters of the Brazilian sound:

Antonio Carlos Jobim
Charlie Byrd
Oscar Alemán

And a couple nods of the cap to:

Mark Ribot
Charlie Hunter

[mr. beaumont]

if we're going brazillian, bola sete and laurindo almedia come to mind as wellas masters of their craft...

as for unsung heroes, well, i gotta mention barry galbraith again. one of the classiest players of all time.

[wizard3739]

Yup, I agree with you, Barry Galbreath was a major influence on many of the current guitarists. Like Jimmy Raney, he was truly an unsung master. Also, George Van Eps was a major influence on many of the chord melody stylists of today. Listening to his recording of "Mellow Guitar" is what got me started back in the early 50's. If you have not already done so, please take time to listen to Howard Alden---excellent 7-string guitarist from Los Angeles area now based in New York.

[jeffy]

What can I say..... Wes is still the MAN...the best.....and the only one for me.

[seanlowe]

To be honest im getting a bit worried by a bit of this :S
Obivously players like Wes should be held in great esteem and respect, but if jazz is based around the fact that it is constantly moving forward, unlike other music, then surely the players most looked up to should be the forward thinking ones? Frisell (for example) has taken modern music, and every time he plays a tune, people learn something and consider jazz a new way; I would say that this is more important than being well known. Most modern players would cite coltrane as a better player than Ellington because he was evolving the music, whilst at the time people hated that: "the beboppers have ruined our music, jazz is dead!"
Anyway thats my two cents, any replies will be read with interest

[aPAULo]

Originally Posted by Guitar Bum

and he does Wes better than Wes.

I dont think it is possible for anybody to do Wes better than the Wes himself. I am gonna have to disagree here with you Guitar Bum.

[griphon ii]

"A penny for your thoughts?" "Here's my two cents." Where's the penny?
Jim Hall is one of those players. Much has come from him. Tonal and atonal.
Great, maybe, unknown rockers have got it. Steve Morse, comes to mind.
Played with Jaco. When one gets this good, and business runs life, who
makes the decisions? This "is" always part of the works. The best run of
very good tunes since the real jazz era, was roughly 70's. Everything else
is essentially a clone. Writing "original" is a lost art. Just writing commercials
is an impossible job to get, unless you know someone. It's easier to steal
from someone that actually wrote something. The only way to get heard
is to lessen your standards. I sincerely hope that changes.

[mr. beaumont]

Originally Posted by seanlowe

To be honest im getting a bit worried by a bit of this :S
Obivously players like Wes should be held in great esteem and respect, but if jazz is based around the fact that it is constantly moving forward, unlike other music, then surely the players most looked up to should be the forward thinking ones? Frisell (for example) has taken modern music, and every time he plays a tune, people learn something and consider jazz a new way; I would say that this is more important than being well known. Most modern players would cite coltrane as a better player than Ellington because he was evolving the music, whilst at the time people hated that: "the beboppers have ruined our music, jazz is dead!"
Anyway thats my two cents, any replies will be read with interest

i wouldn't be too worried. jazz is a big music, and people find what they like in it. you really can't "blanket statement" jazz like a lot of folks do...it'd be like saying " i like rock and roll" which as a blanket statement could mean i like the rolling stones (which i do) and the eagles (which i really, really DO NOT.)

yes, jazz has always prided itself in being a progressive, forward looking music. or has it? the standards a lot of us love to play weren't outsider music 60 years ago-- they were pop music. they're still played today, by a lot of great players. I don't fault, say, john pizzarelli, because most of his repretoire is is 70 years old-- i love it, as do i love someone like nik bartsch's ronin, whose music has little in common with traditional "jazz" at all. i myself fall somewhere in between-- i like a lot of the modern stuff, but when i pick up my guitar, often the old standards are the first thing to pour out.

jazz is a music that moves forward, but also has a rich tradition. i'm a believer that you don't have to like all of it, but you do have to respect it's roots. some people don't move beyond the roots. now, someone like wes montgomery is as close to "mainstream" as you can get in a fringe music (i'm not even touching smooth jazz, a lot of which contains little or no improvisation and really doesn't qualify as jazz in my book) so it's only natural that he's influenced and loved by many, especially guitar players. luckily, there are guitar players like you whose ears are open to both classic and new sounds

by the way, your ellington/trane analogy doesn't really work for me, because i never listen to duke for his playing-- but the comment you made about people saying that bebop killed jazz might be spot on-- it likely did kill jazz as a style of popular music. i think a lot of people felt the same way about free jazz, and fusion, and contemporary styles...jazz is a BIG music.

[griphon ii]

One thing very nice about the list, it has sparked some very interesting
conversation. Also, the list has brought out new names that I am not
familiar. An interesting aside about John Pizzarelli that I heard on PBS,
"Wait, Wait". John was once a rocker, while dear old dad, Bucky, just
smiled.

[aPAULo]

True about Django. I think he was very creative and fast. I think the incredible thing is how he played with 2 fingers!! That amazes me.

[griphon ii]

I guess why I am so adamant about Jim Hall; he changed things, POV... that pivot stuff. He actually did and does all the progressive thought well. And began long ago. Scofield, Metheny and the like come from Jim Hall. I think, Jim Hall has influenced every nowaday guitar player on the map, whether they know it or not. He's incredibly subtle. Hard to get at, at first. Metheny did an album with him. I'm a major league Zappa fan, too. Tommy Tedesco, another relatively unknown studio guy and a major league guitar reader, had trouble playing Zappa's tunes. Add Tedesco to the list...

[MarkE]

Pat is the most versatile guitarist I have heard over the past 30 years of my jazz-listening life.

[Emmett]

um, Where is Tuck Andress on the poll??? Since he's not here, I'm going with my man Barney Kessel.

[seanlowe]

Don't want to slate anyone who likes the guy, but I've always wondered why kenny burrell is so respected amongst jazzers? I've scoured through hours of his music but not yet found anything particularly illuminating or harmonically interesting; and to be honest it doesnt sound very soulful either; anyone be able to help me maybe I'm just not listening right at the moment?

[mr. beaumont]

check out "midnight blue" or my personal favorite kenny on record, a slightly hard to track down split with donald byrd called "all night long." (it's on CD, thru prestige now, i think) kenny's not gonna wow you, but he is soulful--what have you been listening to?

if you really need to hear him burn, check out his album with john coltrane, cleverly titled--"kenny burrell and john coltrane."

[Guitarian]

though I couldn't but vote for Django, Alan Holdsworth is one of those superb players that I, just like Benson until the day he'd seen it all and started singing, can listen to every time and again. What happened to that site you mentioned,Sonic Blast ( http://www.therealallanholdsworth.com/)all I get is the iPower Web server homepage?
Here is a YouTube solo. On the same page are over 20 more Holdsworth videos with amongst others Beelzebub from Bill Bruford's Feels Good To Me. See for yourself, wonder and enjoy.YouTube - Allan Holdsworth - Solo

[jonasfixe]

Originally Posted by seanlowe

Don't want to slate anyone who likes the guy, but I've always wondered why kenny burrell is so respected amongst jazzers? I've scoured through hours of his music but not yet found anything particularly illuminating or harmonically interesting; and to be honest it doesnt sound very soulful either; anyone be able to help me maybe I'm just not listening right at the moment?

I feel exactly that about Grant Green. Everytime I read something about him it seems so exagerated.
I guess these guys were real professionals that above all, who did their work. They did not play to be famous, to be the best, to be outstanding, etc., although in the end they left pleasant stuff for us to listen to. Nowadays we think differently. We have raised our patterns, partly due to information society we live in. I'm not sure it is better, thou...

joao pedro

[esteban]

why not Oscar Alemán?, if some of you want to hear some of his records.... let me know and I will send you the torrent file.

Esteban.-

[Butch]

If I had to pick one, even though I like so many players, it would have to be John McLaughlin. What hasn't he attempted? I pick him for the way he has made his music an adventure. In spite of how great so many other guys are, I don't know of anyone in all of jazz, let alone guitar, that has explored so much in thier music.

[Guitar Bum]

The best jazz guitarist is an impossible title. There are so many guys that are so good, it would depent on the style, song, and day of the week.

Lately I have been really digging on Scotty Anderson, and while not classified as "jazz player", (although he really is), this guys is such a monster that he could play with any of them, and most people don't even know who he is. If you haven't heard him look him up on YouTube or get one of his CDs. There is just no good reason for anyone to play that good, it just makes us normal people look bad.

[marlonbreezin]

obviously its george benson, not counting the techniques and scales since everyone in the list has superb talent...but the way george performs looks like he's in pain...the passion he brings while playing separates him from the other guys..yes joe pass is a great guitarist and deserves to be called "the genius"..but personally i would go for the power, dynamics and performance with tremendous spirit by mr. benson..

[jason]

i completely agree pete will, metheny is definately my biggest inspiration his "we live here" record in particular and hes one of the most passionate players ive ever seen, theres a really deep commitment to music in there, one incredible musician

[griphon ii]

I completely stopped playing roughly 12 years ago. Burn-out. There are many
folks with many stories about burn-out. Not this forum. I am wood-shedding
again and the heart is returning. I, believe it or not, tend to wood-shed, country. Easier to find real work and get paid, I hope. I'm finding the business
has really changed.

Anyway, I keep thinking about major league session players, like Ray Flacke and Brent Mason. Brent Mason the country star today and an incredible jazzer.
Danny Gatton needs to be on the list, a major country influence for me.
Country players tend to play most anything and everything, some not known
for jazz.

[harrysong70]

Sorry to be casting stones, but I think a real poll of jazz guitarists is incomplete, if not utterly meaningless, without mentioning Lenny Breau.

He might not be the most accessible or the most interesting to all tastes, but he really is a cut above and beyond most of your elections. I wouldn't have expected him to win, but to not be mentioned is unforgivable.

I wouldn't have minded seeing Ed Bickert in there as well, he reminds me a little of Jim Hall (my best of the rest selection) in a different kind of way.

Shields up! Sulu, get us out of here.

[John Curran]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

by the way, your ellington/trane analogy doesn't really work for me, because i never listen to duke for his playing-- but the comment you made about people saying that bebop killed jazz might be spot on-- it likely did kill jazz as a style of popular music. i think a lot of people felt the same way about free jazz, and fusion, and contemporary styles...jazz is a BIG music.

I would agree that ellington and trane are apples and oranges, however I think Rock and Roll had alot to due with killing jazz as a popular music form, I don't know that I'd be so quick to blame bebop.

Another thought would be...Thank God jazz is no longer popular music, look at what has happened to it (pop).

[John Curran]

I may have commited a big sin here, I think I just voted for my favorite 3 guitarists. Is that possible?

[Jeff]

I would have choosen Larry Carlton if he was in the list