Were there any Jazz Guitar players who had showmanship like a Chuck Berry

[AlsoRan]

I was watching the Miles Davis video on the recent "Footsteps" thread and wondered if they were any Jazz guitarists that had showmanship like Miles. When I look at most Jazz guitarists, it seems they are occupied enough trying to play their lines - too occupied to jump up and down, shake their butts, swing the guitar neck around, or walk out into the audience the way a lot of Blues and Rock guitarists have done.

Would you agree?

[NSJ]

Not sure if serious.

Bird was famous for playing absolutely still. Trane was deeply embarrassed when he had to take a gig that involved "walking the bar". Miles was famous for turning his back on the audience.

Have be you tried to play jazz while doing windmills with the right arm and executing jumps and splits? And then smashing the guitar into an amp?

You woyld be the first one, I suspect.

[wolflen]

back some years..cindi lauper and some professional wrestlers tried to merge "rock & wrestling" .. and when you think about it .. its a natural fit..its the "Show" .. jazz has layers of perceptions on it still..its "serious" "intellectual" " American classical music" so it would be a radical step to see..oh chick corea for example..rip off his shirt and start beating the piano with a hammer..then set it on fire..though..that might just "save" jazz

[marcwhy]

My band had the fortune (or embarrassment!) of opening for Larry Carlton at a club a few years back -- got to meet him, hang out, etc., super-cool guy! -- and it was also the first time I had seen him perform. I was struck not only by his musicianship, but his "performance." No, no, he didn't "duck walk" like Chuck Berry or twirl his guitar around behind his back, but he was smiling, interacting with the crowd, and obviously having a good time. That energy was entertaining, so it was fun as an audience member to watch and listen to him! I came away thinking, "Wow, he is good!" and I think that's what helps him (and others) connect with musicians and non-musicians alike.

[and for you gear-geeks, yes, he played his Dumble.]

[WilliamScott]

I don't want to start an argument about "what is jazz" but Brian Setzer comes to mind.

[Hep To The Jive]

I dont know about the guitar players, but Jaco comes to mind first. He would do all kinds of moves, sliding on stage, etc. And he was as jazz as it gets playing electric bass. He actually showed that you dont have to stay still and look seriuos to play seriuos jazz.

As far as guitar players, I find John Scofield entertaining to watch. He doesnt do Chuck Berry moves, but he does move his body in a groovy sort of way. And his face expressions!

For me, one thing that could get very annoying, when guitarist on a stage sitting down. A lot of jazz guitarists do that, and I dont get it. Do you really need to make it look boring and think it somehow emphasize the seriousness of jazz? And not make any effort to connect with the audience? It's a false thinking.

[AlsoRan]

Thanks for the replies. So I guess my impressions were correct. Many Jazz guitarists, especially during their solo, tend to be still so that they can execute those great lines.

I looked at some George Benson footage, and while he has his moments when he smiles and really connects with the audience, there are other which he his intensely introspective.

Wes Montgomery really made you feel that he was enjoying himself and would flash that great smile of his but I remember him sitting most of the time.

[SamBooka]

Kurt Rosenwinkle is a dynamic entertainer on stage.. said no one ever.
Not in the Pete Townshend catagory but Mike Stern was pretty engaging when he was here last year with Bill Evans.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

Jazz versus rock guitar -- isn't obvious what's missing? The Bigsby, wiggle stick, talent bar, call it what you will, it's what makes the ladies throw their panties at you. As an experiment I once made Mrs LoveHandles throw her panties at me and it durn near knocked me over.

[Frethack]

These guys.

[RClegg]

My limited recent experience is that people want to see players at least enjoying themselves. They assume that we must enjoy playing, and expect to see smiles, and some acknowledgement of the audience. I don't actually "perform" I just play background music, but that line seems a little thin. They don't really care that what we are doing is actually hard, if very enjoyable, wok.

Russ

[pubylakeg]

Didn't Chuck B. get a lot of his moves (and a few of his licks) from T-Bone Walker ?

On a Jazz note, Dizzy Gillespie was noted for his ability to entertain an audience, (in addition to being an innovator/musical genius/spokesperson/cultural ambassador).

[AlsoRan]

These guys.

I was thinking about this wonderful video and with all due respect this was more of a Smooth Jazz tune, which is more groove-oriented and therefore subject to showmanship and getting everyone up and moving.

I just can't see guys like Pat Martino and John Stowell every working the stage. I feel like their complex lines just do not allow for it.

[ronjazz]

Funny, classical guitarists sit, and nobody minds. Jazz guitarists have every bit as demanding a gig, so sitting is what some must do to achieve the stability they need to execute their ideas. Jazz has had its entertainers, like the great Dizzy, but most of what he did was entertainment on an intellectual, not physical, level. Chuck Berry's playing never needed the duck walk, by the way, but the societal mores of the day often demanded that black pop and blues musicians be clowns.

[grahambop]

Frank Vignola and Vinny Raniolo like to put on a bit of a show:

[EarlBrother]

Call me crazy but Joe Pass fingers held you on the edge of you seat.Where is he going,whaa wait that dont huuuh.It was like watching a archeologist finding stuff thats always been there but no one thought of digging there.Also from that to sinking into a cozy couch and having a gentile humble soul sharing wisdoms of life with you."Im just the guitar player."

[dallasblues]

Someone else mentioned this guy... And even though he's not necessarily jazz in the pure sense, T-Bone Walker was certainly jazzy in his playing and without a doubt the first showman of the electric guitar.

An interesting side note... I've heard stories from people that knew T-Bone down here in Dallas. Apparently, he and Charlie Christian (from just up the road in Oklahoma City) were both playing the circuit around this area in those early days and had known each other fairly well. My imagination makes me think that maybe there could've been some mythical jam sessions with these two pioneers. How cool would that've been?

[A. Kingstone]

Ed Bickert would chew gum.

[Hep To The Jive]

Someone else mentioned this guy... And even though he's not necessarily jazz in the pure sense, T-Bone Walker was certainly jazzy in his playing and without a doubt the first showman of the electric guitar.

An interesting side note... I've heard stories from people that knew T-Bone down here in Dallas. Apparently, he and Charlie Christian (from just up the road in Oklahoma City) were both playing the circuit around this area in those early days and had known each other fairly well. My imagination makes me think that maybe there could've been some mythical jam sessions with these two pioneers. How cool would that've been?

I thought about T-Bone too... Not nesecerly jazz, but close enough! I think he was a guy equally respected by jazz, blues, and rock folks. At least I hope so! And he was a big inspiration for Jimi Hendrix, musically, and showmaship wise, enough said!

[Jonah]

Fisrt thing jazz guitarist usually is looking for on the stage is a stool or a chair to finally sit in after long walk from his car to the stage...

[Hep To The Jive]

Funny, classical guitarists sit, and nobody minds. Jazz guitarists have every bit as demanding a gig, so sitting is what some must do to achieve the stability they need to execute their ideas. Jazz has had its entertainers, like the great Dizzy, but most of what he did was entertainment on an intellectual, not physical, level. Chuck Berry's playing never needed the duck walk, by the way, but the societal mores of the day often demanded that black pop and blues musicians be clowns.

I beg to differ. Dizzy's music was entertainment on both physical and intelectual level. It's inseparable. That was the topic in another tread, but I think it's established now that Black American music, which jazz is part of, is rooted in rhythm first and foremost, and rhythm is physical.

And thinking Chuck Berry did duckwalk because it was expected from him to be a clown?? Doesnt rock'n'roll make you feel like moving and grooving?? I mean c'mon man!

[grahambop]

I beg to differ. Dizzy's music was entertainment on both physical and intelectual level. It's inseparable. That was the topic in another tread, but I think it's established now that Black American music, which jazz is part of, is rooted in rhythm first and foremost, and rhythm is physical.

Yes Dizzy definitely did some physical stuff, especially his humorous routines, and his percussion/tambourine routines and dancing about. He would pull some faces, and do some gags, like 'Let me introduce the band', then he would do just that, i.e. introduce the band members to each other.

And James Moody got some of this stuff from Diz too, he would do some hilarious introductions to songs. E.g. there would be this weird high-pitched hum, and Moody would look at his sax, then the mike, as if there was a fault somewhere. But really he was doing a ventriloquism act, it was very effective.

But then those guys would play their ass off, they could do the humour thing with no loss of musical quality. I often think jazz could do with a bit more humour like theirs. The audiences loved them for it.

Even Joe Pass used to have quite a nice line in gentle humour, like the thing where he tuned his guitar and pulled a face, saying 'they told me this thing was tuned at the factory'. (Although he did it sitting down of course!)

[grahambop]

This got me thinking about other 'showmanship' I've seen.

Drummers like Elvin Jones and Tony Williams sure got your attention when they were soloing, and they were sitting down, although admittedly drums are very physical by nature.

I saw Jimmy Smith do a neat thing where at the climax of a powerful solo, he pretended to be exhausted and pulled out a handkerchief to mop his brow, then sort of whipped the organ keyboard with it as if trying to 'fan' the organ to cool it down, but in fact he somehow played 'chords' with it! (I have a suspicion the handkerchief had weights in it or something!) But it looked great and brought the house down. And he was sitting down too.

Maybe guitarists should at least try to be a bit more responsive, move the guitar around a bit, smile and look at the other guys in the band. It all helps.

[Doctor Jeff]

There are certainly a lot of jazz musicians known for their showmanship. And sometimes for their lack thereof or even disdain for the audience. (Miles' and Jarrett's behavior in that regard is well-known.)

Among jazz artists some of the most entertaining to watch even if on video are Buddy Rich, Sammy Davis Jr., Oscar Peterson, Jimmy Smith and Art Tatum. And don't forget Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie. (It was always said that one reason Miles did his anti-showman thing was in reaction to Armstrong's antics.) I think the point of these artists is that they are complete performers who enjoy what they're doing and also want the audience to join in.

Among jazz guitarists, I think the most entertaining guitarist in terms of showmanship is Benson. Look at his video for Danny Boy on YouTube. Pure showmanship, pure artistry. There is no audience in the world that could fail to enjoy watching that.

[Little Jay]

Watch the vibe-player's solo from around 1:20 and further