Who is your favourite jazz guitar comper?

[BryBry]

I'm trying to get better at comping and just looking for some good examples. I mean, there are many out there, but who do you think excels at comping? Guitar, piano, heck even vibes, doesn't matter to me. Maybe also say a recording that exemplifies what you like about their comping?

[mr. beaumont]

Ed Bickert and Hank Jones.

[nick1994]

Jim hall, bill evans, herbie hancock

[neatomic]

the king of comp..pretty much all he ever did!!


the great freddie green...(on a gretsch!)




cheers

[BryBry]

Can you guys post an example of a recording as well?

[MarkRhodes]

There are different kinds of comping. For four-to-the-bar stuff, Freddie Green was the king.

Here is a taste of Herb Ellis comping for Oscar Peterson on Wes Montgomery's "Naptown Blues." Herb's solo has a comping chorus but the real heat comes when he's comping for Oscar during the piano solo. Six-seven choruses. Good stuff.

[mr. beaumont]

Yes!

[Hep To The Jive]

One record that kind of defined comping for me is The Touch Of Your Lips by Chet Baker trio... Doug Rainey was the guitarist. I' m sure there are other great players out there who are really great at it, but I just took that record as a role model. I'm not really good at modern comping, where you are not part of the engine so to speak, but more like interacting with whoever is soloing. But if I have to do it, Doug is my man. Otherwise, Django or Charlie Christian, or whoever played rhythm on those records is like home to me.

[neatomic]

check this count basie boogie

freddie g compin..the great wardell gray on tenor, buddy defranco on clarinet and clark terry -trumpet..what a band!!

cheers

[neatomic]

man you can see bickert had that tele refretted with some big A frets!!...what a great..

best thing is, pickin close to the neck like that..and with knobs rolled back a tad.. almost any tele can sound like that!!...

tele jazz

cheers

[Doctor Jeff]

The fact Herbie can hang with that band with OP out front says volumes about his talent...

[Doctor Jeff]

One good Oscar Peterson song deserves another - OP trio with Joe Pass. Joe playing the hell outa that D'Aquisto - who dares say he doesn't have great tone??

[BryBry]

Thanks guys. I live close to Toronto so Ed Bickert's a big influence on a bunch of people here, but I actually haven't checked him out much. I love how every chord is placed so purposefully and perfectly in the pocket. Also gonna listen to all the other suggestions too .

[Doctor Jeff]

Yeah I think Freddie Green was the king of comping - what a groove! He holds and picks his guitar uniquely, doesn't he?

Like most guitarists I really wish he were brought up much more in the mix. If only he had gone electric...

[BryBry]

Yeah I think Freddie Green was the king of comping - what a groove! He holds and picks his guitar uniquely, doesn't he?

Like most guitarists I really wish he were brought up much more in the mix. If only he had gone electric...

I've heard that freddie green comp was not supposed to be heard but felt.

[Doctor Jeff]

Stephane Grapelli with Martin Taylor and Louis Stewart:

Practically a master class in accompaniment.

[mr. beaumont]

If you dig Bickert, check out Lorne Lofsky.

[Zakk J.]

Guitar:

Ed Bickert, Jim Hall, Lage Lund, Peter Bernstein

[MarkRhodes]

The fact Herbie can hang with that band with OP out front says volumes about his talent...

You're right, Doctor Jeff. Oscar liked to play fast (and for a long time). Keeping up was no mean feat. There's a story in the Barney Kessel bio of his (BK's) first night with the trio, how he soared. Afterward, Ray Brown goaded Oscar for letting the guitarist run over him. The next night, Oscar kept Barney on a short leash. It was Oscar's band and he didn't let his guitarists forget that. But he gave them chances to shine.

Herb wound up doing a lot with Ray Brown over the years. Here's Ray with Herb and Freddie Green:

[mr. beaumont]

Another guitar fave who never gets talked about: Ray Crawford.

[BryBry]

I can see the influence in Lorne's playing and while he's obviously excellent I'm not a huge fan. I've seen him live once, just a little too out for me + I like a brighter tone then what he does.

[destinytot]

Kirk Lightsey on piano:

[vinlander]

Bucky pizzarelli

[MarkRhodes]

John Pizzarelli doing "Route 66". Good swing comping while he's singing and a fun solo. (Notice the phrases that come from Wardell Grey's "Twisted"----I'm including a version of that below for comparison.)

[MarkRhodes]

Bucky pizzarelli

Bucky is a master. I posted this before but people may see it here who didn't see it there. Runs just under 16 minutes with several fine performances, and a classic story about playing "Pick Yourself Up" with George Barnes at a funeral.)