Your favorite solo players and why?

[rpjazzguitar]

Mostly, when I listen to solo guitar I'm impressed, but I never go back to listen to the same track again.

Apparently, I don't like solo guitar as much as I'm supposed to. I never cared for the Virtuoso material by Joe Pass. I sort of liked Van Eps, but I didn't get captured by it. I prefer solo guitar done in strict time, but not that many players do that. I like Yamandu, but I wouldn't call what he does jazz. I tend to like the Brazilian approach more than the usual American approach. I think there are some players I like but can't think of at the moment.

I usually don't care that much for guitar trio (bass and drums), but there are exceptions. Joe Beck comes quickly to mind.

[sgosnell]

Andy Brown.

Plus many more on YouTube. His streams during the Covid pandemic are very good, as are the ones from the Green Mill.

[alltunes]

Francesco’s Days of Wine and Roses was killing! Had not heard of him before.

[jzucker]

no solo guitar thread is complete without the master, Peter Mazza!

[joelf]

Currently, or from any period? That covers a lot of ground.

I like Russell Malone. He's well organized and thought-out orchestratively, can really bring out a song and make it sparkle---no filagree, just the bare facts. I dig anyone who does that. He has a huge repertoire and OWNS the instrument. I'd almost call him a 'historian' like Howard Alden or James Chirillo, but he comes out of a black tradition which, to me gives an edge. We're friendly, and he's come to my gigs. I got him up at Walker's in NYC a few years back. 'One chorus', said he, then proceeded to nail Why Was I Born.

Paul Meyers has been a top pro forever. I've known him since 1980, and he was good then. He sent me a solo CD, playing a nylon-strung guitar, which he mostly plays these days. I dug his voicings and conceptions of the tunes. He's an ace, and has been one for years.

Kurt Rosenwinkel? The present, future and past. He's an innovator, no matter solo; duo; w/a big band. Legato all the way and endless ideas.

Renier Baas is someone to watch. Very strong concepts and interesting harmonic thoughts.

To delve into history, there's John Collins. He made one solo date (meaning a leader date where he did a few solo pieces). He was direct and to the point in delivering the tunes. Great sound, terrific, unhurried time feel. Simplicity w/o simplemindedness. To me he's a criminally underrated giant.

I'll talk about my own work---cheeky though it will come off to some---only b/c I play so much solo and have gained insight into what I do. A look in the mirror helps in so many ways.:

The tune comes first---and foremost. Once I've brought that tune out I can take liberties: change keys soloing or tempos or even meters. This is only partly planned. I open my ears. A customer might remind me of a song, and off I go. For some reason I don't play bass lines anymore much, and use chords sparingly, mostly for melody harmonization. I'm a melody-first type, so that's up front, that and the rhythmic feel I want to indicate. On ballads I like to pause at strong structural harmonic points---say a V chord, especially toward a tune's end. That's where I'll put a cadenza. If I'm singing a tune like When Sunny Gets Blue I might pause the tempo and play a counterline to my vocal at the bridge's end, then go a tempo. It gives it a little variety and the rhythm is familiar when it comes back, like going out for a drink or 2, then coming home.This is the influence of Chris Anderson---very possibly one of the most unique solo (piano) players ever, and a harmonic genius almost w/o parallel. Lastly, I'll sometimes leave out the last melody note of a rendition. This may seem overly contrived and cute. Maybe it is, but I find it gets the listener involved in the creative process. They know something's missing and listen louder. I did this on Baby Won't You Please Come Home on the last chorus on my solo CD, just slowed down some and hung on that next-to-last note. Contrived? Maybe, but then again I came up with it in-studio. Must've been on my mind (or in my ears).

Solo playing is where strengths and weaknesses surface---nothing to hide behind. But our instrument is also so versatile and a small orchestra. And easy to transpose on...

[EvansDrD]

Martin Taylor must surely be worth a mention here?

[cmajor9]

Yes, of living players, I would name Jimmy Bruno and Martin Taylor as favorites.

[pdfiddler]

Earl Klugh has a couple solo CDs out that are real good.

[sgosnell]

One who hasn't been mentioned, for some reason, is Howard Alden. He has a CD of solo guitar, titled Guitar. I can't find a link to that. Here he is playing a Sadowsky with tape over the headstock logo. He didn't play the Sadowsky for very long, returning to Benedetto. The audio isn't great, done from a phone apparently, but it's enough to show his virtuosity.

[Peter C]

^Absolutely loved the Wolfgang Muthspiel clip, apparently his own composition. Such depth and maturity. Thanks

So much great stuff here, to which I would add Mr John Stowell. As to "why?"....the flow, the flow.

[PatrickJazzGuitar]

I assume we use the term “chord melody” whenever someone plays alone or accompanies a singer alone. To me there’s something magical in the sound of a guitar carrying everything by itself.

Classic example being Barney Kessel on his Solo album, or with Julie London (though I think there’s also has a bass player, but still.)

There are only one or two recordings that I know of (both very lovely) of Wes by himself.

Do you have any particular faves?

Lenny Breau is a fave

[cesarguit]

without a doubt Peter Bernstein. It's like listening to Thelonius Monk on the guitar.

https://youtu.be/ZFZ7NrdSGyg?si=lIMPuNSYDPughPXI

[batswirl]

Ralph Townes is a fave to me because he is such a story teller.

[AKA]

[QUOTE=PMB;1300509]Bobby Broom is an excellent solo guitarist - impeccable time feel and a great balance between chord and line playing.

I love this guy!

AKA

[BMoore]

What are some good recordings/videos of Bobby Broom playing solo guitar in time? I'd love to hear them! He's such a great player.

[Flat]

I like Lenny Breau's version of "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright." A simple tune, simple chords, but Lenny uses it to showcase a bunch of techniques and tempos. And some wicked fingernails, lol. I'm not sure what kinda string he is using for his 3rd string.

[PMB]

What are some good recordings/videos of Bobby Broom playing solo guitar in time? I'd love to hear them! He's such a great player.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'in time'. For me, Bobby Broom's solo playing has lots of rubato but always swings and grooves (unlike so many exponents of the genre where rhythmic integrity of line is often sacrificed).

Just about every one of BB's solo guitar YT videos elicits a comment begging for a similarly-styled album. A great taster is the version of Smoke Gets In Your Eyes on Bobby Broom Plays For Monk.

Here's another one that didn't make my earlier list:

[BMoore]

By "in time" I meant a steady pulse, as opposed to rubato (out of time). You mentioned liking his time feel when playing solo and I've only heard him play solo guitar out of time. I thought maybe I was missing some videos/recordings of him playing in tempo.

Count me as another begging for him to make a solo guitar album!

[PMB]

By "in time" I meant a steady pulse, as opposed to rubato (out of time). You mentioned liking his time feel when playing solo and I've only heard him play solo guitar out of time. I thought maybe I was missing some videos/recordings of him playing in tempo.

Count me as another begging for him to make a solo guitar album!

The greatest classical and jazz musicians can play rubato and still possess an incredible time feel. It's all about placement and accent. It's not like that all goes out the window just because there's no strict sense of meter.

In contrast, check out most amateur guitarists playing 'chord melody' on YouTube. They'll often break up the flow and phrasing of both single lines and chord passages either as a result of the technical challenges presented or as a consequence of their inability to gauge at a musical level how all the parts interconnect.

[Marc Grossman]

Amazing talent and amazing right hand.

[drbhrb]

Great thread.

My favorite solo players would be Julian Lage, Luiz Bonfa, Peter Bernstein, Baden Powell, Jonathan Kreisberg

I have very little patience for over-reliance on ballads and rubato. Not putting it down if you enjoy it but I fall asleep listening to solo guitar in that manner. I want a sense of groove and rhythm through most if not all of the solo performance. So often solo guitar is a music of compromise - the time has to stop and shift constantly to allow for the challenge of representing the melody and accompaniment on a single guitar. I'd rather a simpler arrangement that can be played with groove, or for another tune to be picked altogether if needed.

This video of Julian playing Emily has been posted many times but is ideal for my preferences. A short rubato intro, and then the rest of the thing swings. It is spontaneous and not a repeated arrangement throughout, just really fun to listen to.

[Jim Soloway]

I love solo guitar and there are lots who I enjoy and admire but by far my favorite to listen to is Lenny Breau on his Cabin Fever album. Pat Metheny is also a wonderful solo player.

[Tricky Fish]

We’re 2 pages into a “favourite solo player” discussion and no-one has mentioned Ted Greene?

[grahambop]

Peter Leitch, this is a great album if you can find it.

[grahambop]

Cal Collins (don’t think this album is available now).