Lesser known great jazz guitarists

**Tom Z** · 10-05-2008, 06:18 PM

Nice to see some of Nat Cole's guitarists up here!

Check out Cal Collins, Tiny Grimes, Mike Sheffrin NYC, Dave Biller (Django and Hillbilly Jazz), LLoyd Ellis, Joe Beck, Jimmie Rivers and the super old school Lonnie Johnson. Of course there are a lot of unknown greats in every town! Ray Chamberlain was here in Buffalo NY...he hung out with the greats back in the day and even dormed with Howard Roberts!

**Tom Z** · 10-05-2008, 06:22 PM

Oops, forgot about a guy on YouTube you should check out.

Joel Patterson from Chicago. He's a younger guy that really knows his blues and jazz, and can even tear it up on pedal steel.

**DMatthewsBand07** · 10-05-2008, 06:41 PM

Just curious... hillbilly jazz... would that be like Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed?

**Tom Z** · 10-06-2008, 07:40 AM

I think hillbilly jazz is more Jimmie Rivers and the Cherokees or Speedy West/Jimmy Bryant. Contemporary Hillbilly swing might be "swing time" by Wayne "the train" Hancock. There were so many different sounds created when Country and Jazz crossed over in the 40s and 50s, but by the mid-60s probably because of R&R and Chet Atkins Nashville sound, country changed a bit- and the jazz was gone.

Some folks are trying to keep it alive!

**frisellfan19** · 10-27-2008, 07:17 PM

I like that fusion of country and jazz. I think it is pretty interesting, but needs to be experimented with more. Thankfully, Bill Frisell continues to show this kind of influence although the term now is called "Americana," whatever that means. People didn't want to call it country jazz or even hillbilly jazz sounds kind of cliche, so they just decided to call Americana. The media comes up with some strange names for things that can't really be labeled or find some category that this music fits into.

Check out these albums by Bill Frisell for some of that Americana thing:

**javithompson** · 10-28-2008, 10:07 AM

Hello everybody, did anyone mention Kenny Poole??
You can find one of the best versions of Brasil in youtube. He plays by himself and it's simply so good. The tone is also interesting, it looks as if he played (he's no longer with us) two tones down.

**pierre richard** · 11-19-2008, 09:12 AM

anyone hear of Gabo Szabo...hungarian I think...I have an old 45rpm of him doing "Witchcraft"....Howard Roberts was great also....Barney Kessel is one of my favorites...pierre........

**reventlov** · 11-19-2008, 11:32 AM

^^^ Szabo is great - there's lots of him on YouTube

**pierre richard** · 11-19-2008, 12:26 PM

thank you reventlov....I'll check it out...pierre...

**mangotango** · 11-26-2008, 08:06 AM

Being in the UK, can I just mention:

Martin Taylor - Guv'nor! "Spirit of Django" is my favourite but there's loads of others all worth hearing
Esmond Selwyn - "The Axe" - http://www.esmondselwyn.com/ - interesting guy.....
John Etheridge -http://www.jazzcds.co.uk/artist_id_58/biography_id_58

and of course

Mike Walker!! (no introduction needed!)

**m78w** · 11-27-2008, 11:16 AM

One of my favorite "lesser known" players is Ben Monder.

For those of you who know Ben you should check out his new Composition book from Mel Bay. It's got about a dozen tunes, 6 solo 6 ensemble, with all the guitar/voice/bass parts written out.

It's a great book and I've been glued to it since I got it. It's really got me reenergized in the practice room!

MW

**ZzaJMarc** · 11-27-2008, 11:48 PM

Well Matt, where im from Ben is like the most popular guitarist these time

Anyway, i will probly order this book, and the kurt rosenwinkel one soon.

Maybe theses guitarists could interest you, even if they are maybe not less known.

Jonathan Kreisberg
Tim Miller

**m78w** · 11-27-2008, 11:54 PM

I love Tim and Kreisberg. I' just learned Jonathan's solo on Relaxin' at Camarillo, great stuff!

MW

**ZzaJMarc** · 11-27-2008, 11:56 PM

Originally Posted by m78w

I love Tim and Kreisberg. I' just learned Jonathan's solo on Relaxin' at Camarillo, great stuff!

MW

cool! i was checking his countdown one yesterday, the guy knows his stuff

**Frank Bechlarz** · 12-01-2008, 06:47 PM

I have to mention Michael Sagmeister a great guitar player from Gemany and by the way one of my teachers.

Greetings Frank

**Carlo** · 12-02-2008, 03:47 PM

One of my favourite jazz guitar players is Volker Kriegel, who died of cancer years before. I really loved the sounds of his old Framus jazzguitar and the way he played along with Klaus Doldingers Passport, United Jazz and Rockensemble and his own band Volker Kriegels Mild Maniac Orchestra.
He is nearly forgotten and it is very difficult to find his records now.

**wizard3739** · 12-03-2008, 11:23 PM

Check this guy out!! I listened to his music and found him to be a really good musician. In "I'll remember April", he quoted several other tunes very clearly and very professionally.

MySpace.com - Mark Fox - Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Florida - www.myspace.com/markfoxnet

enjoy,
wiz

**Drumbler** · 12-17-2008, 10:32 PM

Hi,

Hope you don't mind me dropping in. There are some great "unknowns".

Robert Conti can tear it up.

He is great. I've only seen him on youtube but wow, he can play.

He has a CD or two out. He's been playing for decades without much fanfare.

The recently passed Joe Beck is another great one. RIP Joe.

**Chris Cline** · 12-18-2008, 02:08 AM

Haven't seen two guys mentioned yet who seem to be fading away in recognition:

Johnny Smith - Moonlight in Vermont
Tal Farlow - Anything by him (hard to list him as deserving "wider recognition," but it seems his discography shrinks every year)

Guy I like who doesn't get a lot of ink is Mark Whitfield; check out his playing on "Obligation" by Conrad Herwig (trombone player of all things). He also plays with Chris Botti (who has a killer band, regardless of what you think of his style of playing).

**Bertrand tB** · 01-18-2009, 07:43 AM

I like to mention Wayne Johnson for his work with the Manhatten Transfer. Check the solo from their "Joy Spring"

**hot ford coupe** · 01-18-2009, 05:22 PM

I didn't see Chuck Wayne or Fred Rundquist. They were usually buried under a keyboard and a set of vibes. Chuck played behind Shearing and Rundquist played behind one of the best jazz players I know, Art Van Damme. He's taken the accordian to a brand new level.

**Little Jay** · 05-20-2009, 07:42 AM

I am bumping this old topic, because I have just dicovered 2 guitarplayers that were completely unknown to me, but I like their playing very much and wanted them to share with the forum:

Elek Bacsik
The albums "Nuages" (1962) and "Guitar Conceptions" (1963) from the Gitanes' Jazz In Paris series are great examples of early bebop-guitar.
Apparently he is (was..) a cousin or nephew of Django Reinhardt. He has a distinctive clear and bright tone, that works very well.

Sacha Distel
In France once a famous populair singer - he even turned down a relationship with Brigitte Bardot (oh boy!) - was actually a great jazzguitarist before. Pianist John Lewis was an admirer and recorded "Afternoon in Paris" (1957) (Koch CD 8509) with him. Great stuff!

**Joe Dalton** · 05-20-2009, 09:37 AM

Originally Posted by ingeneri

Anyone who likes Grant Green need to check out Peter Bernstein. Signs of Life is a great CD with both Christian McBride and Brad Mehldau in the rhythm section. He's also a good composer, Heart Content sounds like Grant Green meets Wayne Shorter.

I'm new here, but a long-time lurker. However, have you shown Johnny Smith enough love today?

Yeah thats a good CD.

Not sure how well know these guys are outside of the Netherlands.
Jesse van Ruler who is an amazing jazz guitarist.
Martijn van Iterson who has a great CD with van Ruler.

And the macdaddy
Wim Overgaauw, amazing guitarist.

**AG129** · 05-23-2009, 07:11 PM

GILAD HEKSELMAN: "Split Life" or "Words Unspoken". Great guitarist great albums. Some of the cleanest, most lyrical, and soulful playing I've ever heard.

**Fast Bebop** · 03-11-2010, 09:41 PM

Originally Posted by derek

I guess I am confused. Kenny Burrell and Grant Green are jazz icons imo. Lorne Lofsky and Ed Bickert are also giants in the field. Are we talking commercial success?

If you are talking about monsters who didn't get wider appeal, I would say Ted Greene, and Lenny Breau would be near the top of my list.

Ted Greene on top. But I guess it's because he seemed to spend his life teaching, and learning. But every guitarist should have listened to him once. Had been a shock to me.

I'd mention René Thomas as well. "Guitar Groove" is wonderful.