Jazz on classical guitar

[Stuart Elliott]

Joe Pass albums on nylon string are Song for Ellen and Unforgettable. According to wikipedia, these are his only two CDs exclusively on nylon string.

Jeff Linsky and Peter Sprague are two additional jazzers who play nylon string guitars, at least some of the time.

Andrew York of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet (until 2006) has an interest in jazz and plays some. He has written 3 books for classical guitarists to learn jazz. I think he would be described as jazz-influenced.

[DaveRoberts]

Joe Pass albums on nylon string are Song for Ellen and Unforgettable. According to wikipedia, these are his only two CDs exclusively on nylon string.

Thanks for this info. He also tickles the nylon strings on “I Remeber Charlie Parker.”

Like everyone, I love and revere Pass's playing. But I haven't been a big fan of his tone on some of his albums, including the Virtuosos. I don't know whether it's the guitar, amp, mic setup or just the percussive sound of a plastic pick on steel strings, but to me his tone can sound thin.

But he has a lovely tone on classical/nylon guitar and plays in a more intimate, restrained manner that especially suits ballads.

[nobozo]

One of the truly great examples of jazz on a classical guitar is Laurindo Almeida's Broadway Solo Guitar. If you look around you can find the CD, and even the transcriptions. It's been 50 years since I first heard it, and it's as enjoyable today as it was back then.

Jon