The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
  1. #1

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    On the Bill Frisell Recent Relelases thread I called his new album "Orchestras" the closest thing to a concerto for Electric Guitar. Here is "Throughout":



    In fact, there IS a concerto for Electric and Classical Guitar by the Welsh composer David John Roche, performed by the incredible Sean Shibe and Sinfonia Cymru on
    Radio 3 in Concert - Time Machine: Sean Shibe and Sinfonia Cymru - BBC Sounds (available for another week).

    Concerto starts at 1:12:50, but the previous pieces are well worth a listen, too.

    Another one I found is by Michael Daugherty - and boy, that one rocks.



    Does anybody know similar pieces by contemporary composers for Electric Guitar and orchestra? (And I don't mean metal guitarists butchering Beethoven.)

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  3. #2

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    Michael Tippett introduced the electric guitar to the orchestra in 1970 for his opera, The Knot Garden.


  4. #3

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    Tippett's 1988 opera, New Year, also uses electric guitar, as does this suite from the opera's themes:


  5. #4

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    ^ I saw The Knot Garden in the UK (somewhere near London) back in the 70s. The guitarist was playing a Gibson SG with a touch of amp breakup, as I remember. As a teen, I had learned to enjoy his beautiful Concerto for Double String Orchestra, but this was a bit much for me at time.

    There's a great performance of Tippet's The Blue Guitar (for classical guitar) by "WillsGTAR" on YT, should anyone be interested.

    Edit: Love Frisell, not so much that Daugherty piece. It's all very personal.

  6. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by docsteve
    On the Bill Frisell Recent Relelases thread I called his new album "Orchestras" the closest thing to a concerto for Electric Guitar. Here is "Throughout":



    In fact, there IS a concerto for Electric and Classical Guitar by the Welsh composer David John Roche, performed by the incredible Sean Shibe and Sinfonia Cymru on
    Radio 3 in Concert - Time Machine: Sean Shibe and Sinfonia Cymru - BBC Sounds (available for another week).

    Concerto starts at 1:12:50, but the previous pieces are well worth a listen, too.

    Another one I found is by Michael Daugherty - and boy, that one rocks.



    Does anybody know similar pieces by contemporary composers for Electric Guitar and orchestra? (And I don't mean metal guitarists butchering Beethoven.)
    Johnny Smith performed a real concerto for electric guitar written by Massimo Joseph DeJulio, in one movement:


    After that fifteen minute piece is another piece written for him by Johnny Richards called "Annotations of the Muse" using double reeds, French horn, Flute and classical percussion. Although there are two jazz interludes in the second and third movements, most of it can be considered 20th century 'legit' music.
    There are also two chamber pieces featuring strings, written by Jim Hal and Jimmy Raney, plus "Invention for Trumpet and Guitar written by Bill Holman that features the guitar accompanied by Stan Kenton's 'Orchestra, and another piece by John Carisi featuring Barry Galbraith playing a similar piece.

  7. #6

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    Here's a better recording of Annotations of the Muses by Johnny Richards, played by the great Johnny Smith. It's come out on a Mosaic Select recording:





  8. #7

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    Here is Steven Mackey performing "Deal". Bill Frisell performed it live several times in the mid-90's.