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I have been rotating through my hundreds of volumes of jazz guitar albums, re-visiting artists that I have sort of neglected in recent months. Mind you, I spend plenty of time annually studying Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, Jim Hall, and Joe Pass.
Recently, however, I have been rediscovering (1) Johnny Smith and (2) Jimmy Raney. It's not that I haven't listened to them--I listen to each every few days. It's that I have recently cycled through the stack of albums I own by each. Wow, what a revelation.
Johnny Smith, of course, is unassailable as a master of a very pianistic style of playing--with close interval chording and long, three-octave arpeggios in his lines. His speed and accuracy are unbelievable, too.
However, I want to point out that re-surveying Jimmy Raney's body of work--from early stuff in the bop period, to his late work made when he was essentially deaf--is utterly the essence of jazz, IMO.
For my money, I don't know that I can think of any other guitarist who blows such fluidly horn-like, bebop lines on his instrument as Raney. The tone changes over the body of work--early recordings are clearly tonally influenced by Charlie Christian, i.e., Gibson ES-150/Gibson amp; late recordings are smoother sounding, i.e., Hofner AZ Award guitar/Roland? amp. The lines, OTOH, remain uncannily solid, fluent bop.
De gustibus, and all that, but I find upon revisiting Raney that his solos inspire me more than Pass', Farlows', etc. Montgomery exudes a very different energy, but I'd put Raney in the Montgomery class of "inspirational" playing.
Raney is now in heavy rotation, here, and I am learning lots of ideas daily. I'm tackling the Aebersold/Raney book with renewed vigor.
Anybody else find Raney to be a player's player?
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06-22-2017 07:14 PM
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johnny smith & jimmy raney
what more to be said??? they could keep you busy 4 lifetimes!
smith was master tonesmith, accurate and articulate...unique jazz maestro of super high level....
raney worked with rhythm...christian was his eye opener and what bird did with it was his awakening...soulful beyond...and his tech was up there...a soulful maestro..hard to beat
cheersLast edited by neatomic; 06-22-2017 at 10:14 PM.
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Big fan of Jimmy Raney. His lines just flow and are so pleasant to the ears and soul. While I listen to Farlow a little more often because he is more intense, I find Jimmy to be more relaxing. Just depends on my mood.
My favorite Raney album is The Master; some great Cole Porter tunes on that one and a fine combination of swing and bebop.
Also, Raney live in Tokyo is a must. This standard guitar trio really swings and Jimmy pulls of one interesting chorus after another. Even pop sounding tunes like Watch What Happens have fire!
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Love me some Jimmy Raney gtr.
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Learning the Raney solos in the Aebersold volume has given me more hope that I might actually learn to play this music than any other single thing I've done in my 30 years of trying to play jazz guitar. He's dizzying.
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Another Raney fan here - especially his early stuff - solo and with Stan Getz (Live At Storyville). There was a surprise when I realized he overdubbed a second guitar line on one of his early albums - something (overdubbing) that jazz musicians hardly ever do.
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Jimmy Raney is one of the very best jazz guitarists ever, as far as I'm concerned. His lines just flow as if the guitar had no physical limitations or difficulties of fingering etc., few can equal him in this.
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I've only heard a few things he's done, but was mightily impressed with what I heard. An absolute master, no question.
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Also he was consistently great throughout his recorded career, if anything his playing just got better in later years, despite the fact he had Meniere's disease which impaired his hearing. His 70s and 80s records are among my favourites.
Last edited by grahambop; 06-23-2017 at 07:17 AM.
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Yes, JR was the reason I became interested in jazz at an early age. I
Originally Posted by Greentone
listened to his work , on vinyl with Stan Getz ,absolutely unbelievable.
On first hearing I thought two tenors were playing. I have been a
lifelong fan and admirer of Jimmy Raney. My late tutor had a Masters
Degree in Jazz, and always referred to JR as the guv'nor . To me
he was the King of BeBop guitar, and I concur with Grahambop's
enthusiasm on this thread .The Aebersold book is a very good
study also. His son Doug was a remarkable player ,and taken far
too soon. His version of Giant Steps is my favourite. I regret never
getting to see JR in the flesh . To my knowledge he did not visit
England. He was regarded as a God in France..
The high regard here of his legendary skill is a
testament to his enduring popularity in the Jazz
Guitar world
kind regards
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Raney's sense of humor was so sharp it almost hurt. Here's an example from an album:
"A few days ago I began to wonder how I had become a Living Legend. It has happened in the last few years. Before that I was an Old Master. I'm not sure what a Living Legend is. I've also become an Elder Statesman. I don't know what that is either. I don't do much anymore, so I think about these things. That last sentence is a good example of what a Living Legend does. When I first became an Old Master, it worried me. I knew it meant the end was in sight, but I didn't know what to do about it. I know who's behind it though:
it's the Jazz Critics.
I picture a secret meeting of Jazz Critics International held in upstate New York, where the Mafia had their ill-fated session. It's getting near lunchtime and most of the important things, such as what the new trends are and what Ira Gitler says they mean for jazz, have been taken care of. Then someone says:
"What are we going to do about the old players?"
"Like who?"
"Well. .. like Jimmy Raney, for instance."
"Who?"
"Raney. Raney. Don't you young guys ever listen to anything but Fusion?
"Oh yeah, now I remember. He played with Bix Beiderbecke."
''No. No. No. That was Eddie Condon --way back in the twenties. Raney came up in the Fifties: he played with Stan Getz or somebody. You're going to have to do some homework or you're in serious trouble. You can't get away with doing all your writing with old Leonard Feather articles, a pair of scissors, and a pot of glue."
"Why do we have to do anything?", somebody says, 'I hear he's dead anyway."
"He's not dead, he's deaf. That was a typo."
"Well, then he doesn't play anymore, so what's the problem?"
"No, he still plays once in a while. He played at Bradley's and Zinno's a couple of years ago and Ira didn't cover it, so I don't know what to say. He seemed to be doing the same sort of thing, but I'm not sure. I finally had to fall back on that old saw about 'crystal clear logical lines stretching to infinity.' You know the one: you've all used it. Geez, we can't keep doing stuff like that. People are beginning to catch on."
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Yeah, as my taste matures I find him more and more compelling each time I listen...
For the hard core fans, what are your top 5 JR recordings?
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In no particular order: Originally Posted by princeplanet
Live in Tokyo
The Master
The Influence
But Beautiful
Jimmy Raney Visits Paris
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And another example: Originally Posted by lawson-stone
When Raney had students, he often told them to learn other great musicians great solos verbatim to get the feel of the jazz language. One student refused and said he would only express himself, to which Raney replied: "Express yourself? Whaddoyoumean? You can't play!"
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I really don't know why but Raney's playing has never resonated with me. He's certainly a master of the jazz language and his technical control of the instrument is breathtaking but somehow, I never get much of an emotional reaction to what he plays. Herb Ellis affects me much the same. It's kind of like both guys are driving from here to there with exceptional control at great speed on a curvy, twisty highway but they maintain the same cruising feel despite the speed limit or terrain. Don't jump on me - this is just a personal reaction without much analysis. On the contrary, players like Wes, Jim Hall, Barney Kessel and today, Jullian Lage, give me the impression that they are really exploiting the full resources of the instrument, unafraid to take chances and trying to paint a new picture with every chorus. Perhaps it's the earthiness of their approach? Raney's lines certainly flow and aren't cliched but over the years, my reaction has always been muted.
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I love him, especially the later work.
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Seems like it. I think he's brilliant, but somehow unknown. Originally Posted by Greentone
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Here Jimmy Raney writes about the trials and tribulations of playing bebop:
Things Downbeat Never Taught Me | The Raney Legacy
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Any improviser in the know on any instrument would have to acknowledge Jimmy Raney. He was a pioneer, transferring Charlie Parker's concept to the guitar and going from there to develop his own thing. He was at the top of the heap.
He also was an early mentor for me, and set me on the right path. It was like going to a Zen master, and timed perfectly.
It's funny that the OP mentioned Jimmy and Johnny Smith. Jimmy---a terrible snob----was pretty dismissive of Johnny Smith's jazz playing. He badmouthed a couple of other 'names', too, and I didn't dig it and stuck up for them.
But I'm sure glad we hooked up. He really set me straight in my '20s---he and Eddie Diehl.
There are some funny stories I posted about Jimmy, when he came to NY in 1980 to play w/Getz at the festival. They're buried somewhere in 'Everything Else' under the title 'guitar player stories'...
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I just listened to Autumn Nocturne by Johnny Smith-
I remember Benson mentioning Smith as an Influence.
I have not listened to Smith much- a very ear opening
experience ...
Amazing , full use of the Guitar and his Technique was wayyyy ahead of his time .
Guitarpiano ...
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^"guitarpiano" is very apropos...there's an interview with guitarist lou mecca about his meeting johnny smith when they were both in the military...smith already had a reputation on guitar, but was playing trumpet in the armed forces...mecca said johnny pulled out his guitar and handed it to mecca, mecca played a bit..then johnny took the guitar back, tuned the low E down to D and proceeded to dazzle mecca with an astonishing array of tunes and techniques...
cheersLast edited by neatomic; 06-28-2017 at 10:30 PM.
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I tried playing Autumn Nocturne by JS recently, and I can't imagine how he sustained an A note above the Eb9+11 in the intro. Originally Posted by Robertkoa
The guy was not of this world.
When I worked with Billy Butler, he claimed that JS transcribed
the piano solos of a pianist whom I can't recall, for his solo guitar arrangements.
The more I study the harmony he used, the more I think that what BB said might have been true.
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I am evolving a modern R&B Style with actual harmony ( lol) but all the Jazz Devices work so I am merely forming more active Harmonic Rhythms ( and less Circle of Fifths Harmony ) -I have good independence with pick and fingers or all fingers.. Originally Posted by sgcim
Not doing Solo Guitar but sometimes the line blurs.
There will be full Rhythm Sections.
So listening to Smith - I was assuming it's pick and fingers...but on Videos he often just flatpicked everything - and his single lines are what Benson was inspired by ( along with C Christian )..I can hear it- George is more Urban..Blues R&B super tight Time.
Smith was relaxed, Orchestral, fluid effordless.
Smith had a wide Pallete of voicings and lines and had effortless chops apparently.
He is good for me to hear in a non analytical way just to expand my mind's ear.
Like many Guitarists I heard Walk Don't Run by the Ventures first...then heard Smith's Original.Wow !
I like the Guitarpiano thing alot !
Smith is Inspiring and he was creative as heck ...
Rare that a master chord melody Guy would also have single line chops like J Smith right ?
I have a nice Guitar made out of resonant Koa wood.(not an acoustic) ..but it's not a Guitarpiano...Last edited by Robertkoa; 07-01-2017 at 08:11 AM.
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He was a class act. His presentation of the guitar could only be called classy... Originally Posted by Robertkoa
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Referring to Mr. Smith, I don't believe I ever heard anyone chord so smoothly and accurately way up above the 12th fret so routinely as he did. Smith would execute chordal material in his recordings quite far up in the cutaway on his D'Angelico, Guild, or Gibson.
Try it. It's tough sledding.
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