The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Apologies if this isn't serious enough for the Players subforum, but this question just wafted through my awakening brain

    Who'd you call the André Rieux (sic, plural) of guitar - any kind/style of guitar really? And as far as I'm concerned it's fine if they're technically more capable players

    Or maybe Rieu isn't the best reference?

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  3. #2

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    Some would say Joe Bonamassa; others Yngwie Malmsteen.

  4. #3

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    JB definitely has the show element but he's also got great technique and something to say musically (I don't think that's up for debate, whether you like his style or not?). I love his 2 acoustics concert recordings.

    Maybe I should clarify a bit what I meant. Rieu does big shows of (almost) exclusively arrangements of popular classical and operette compositions, where his name often appears ahead of the actual composer's. For me it's shallow, showmanship rather than musicianship and I strongly suspect this approach is the only means he could get to play a solo role. (There might even be a bit of "national pride" here ... we've had Berdien Stenberg before, and before that there was Marco Bakker.)
    My mom loves him now - in her demented state; Rieu concert DVDs are unamimously appreciated by the patients at her care home (which means I also get to watch them ...)

  5. #4

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    There's a husband/wife duo, can't remember the names, who do really showy routines. Not jazz, but nearer what the OP seemed to mean. I don't have the necessary incentive to do a search and find out the names.

  6. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by sgosnell
    There's a husband/wife duo, can't remember the names, who do really showy routines. Not jazz, but nearer what the OP seemed to mean. I don't have the necessary incentive to do a search and find out the names.
    T&P?

  7. #6

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    If we base it on camera mugging, its gotta be Tommy Emmanuel.

  8. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
    If we base it on camera mugging, its gotta be Tommy Emmanuel.
    Guess whom I was thinking about (and why I never put his music on to listen to, when the question bubbled up in my brain?

    TE is an awe-inspiring player, but I have never been able to decide whether I like what he does. Many of his videos are fun to watch, though (once or twice) .

  9. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by RJVB
    Guess whom I was thinking about (and why I never put his music on to listen to, when the question bubbled up in my brain?

    TE is an awe-inspiring player, but I have never been able to decide whether I like what he does. Many of his videos are fun to watch, though (once or twice) .
    I have nothing but respect for Tommy, but ill be honest, ive never listened to him play without watching a video.

  10. #9

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    I saw him live once and I almost went out. All flash, and much too loud. Joscho Stephan came on for the last numbers so we stayed after all.

    Now several players I respect (Joscho among them) tell me how great TE is, but somehow it doesn’t work for me.


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  11. #10

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    Exact same thing here. I'm sure he's a great teacher too, if you can cope with his "look at me being funny" attitude.

  12. #11

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    What kind of negative, unfriendly, unnecessary thread is this?

  13. #12

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    The kind you silently ignore if you feel that way.

  14. #13

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    Tommy is a great player, but he primarily markets himself as an entertainer. The schtick has become an essential part of his performance. I would prefer less mugging, but I suspect he's too old to change, and I don't really think he's consciously acting, it's just part of his personality. I respect his technique and chops, but he's not the first guitarist I turn to for listening.

  15. #14

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    Benson? No slight of his playing, but he fits the description of putting on a production/show and playing some very light, crowd pleasing material.

  16. #15

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    I never liked Andre Rieu and I still don't. So it has to be Willie Nelson.
    No, seriously, I would vote for Brian Setzer. Great showman and a good guitar player as well. His time with the Brian Setzer Orchestra is easily equal or better compared to Andre Rieu.

  17. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by hotpepper01
    His time with the Brian Setzer Orchestra is easily equal or better compared to Andre Rieu.
    "Brian Setzer Orchestra", the name alone makes him qualify indeed
    Shame, I still love what he did with the Stray Cats - their 1981 concert at Montreux is a favourite.

  18. #17

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    I am uninformed :-) Hard to answer without offending the guitarist's fans on the forum (as demonstrated in some other threads) and without sounding tactless.

    I think the first criterion should be they don't write any new music and secondly they cover jazz standards and/or songs from more popular genres. Tuck and Patti wrote their own songs so they would not qualify.

    I would probably seek from the smooth jazz crowd: Marc Antoine ? Jeff Golub ? I am not very sure (consequence of being uninformed).

  19. #18

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    Richard Clayderman ?

  20. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by pcjazz
    T&P?
    No, I'm thinking of a Latin couple.

  21. #20

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    Isn't he a pianist ?

  22. #21

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    For me the qualifying parameter would need to be cover artist with sufficient cheesiness.

    Andre plays cheesy versions of immensely complex and popular songs.
    Songs everyone can relate to or have heard before. But with lashings of smultz and cheese.

    The only qualifier for me (brace for it) would be Elvis impersonators.
    the more lurid the jumpsuit, the less authentic the musicianship the better. The biggest, best known one is the winner.

    take one for the money, two for the show......

    TE has talent, personality and original music. As does Brian Setzer. Love or loath them, they don't make my subjective opinionated criteria.

    (All in good humor seriously...)

  23. #22

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  24. #23

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    Elvis impersonators ... I'd say those are a step further over the line; they're the original, all-in karaoke "artists" ...
    AFAIK Rieu does do his own arrangements, but whoever is really behind that is quite good at it. The people in the orchestra seem to be enjoying themselves enough (hard to say though if it isn't just out of boredom) and you don't get a town like Vienna to deviate traffic for an open-air concert on some big plaza if you're not (very) good at pleasing (big) crowds.

    Quote Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff
    Hah, this looks like it could qualify but isn't that a bit dangerous to suggest on here

    I do have to admit something I took 1 or 2 of my parents' James Last LPs, just because they're fun to listen to every once in a while

  25. #24

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    A current thread offered up another candidate who'd be a perfect match if he arranged other people's works to suggest they're his (does he even arrange?) : Brad Paisley. A gifted player but AFAICT (even) more talented in showbiz, presenting a cleaned & polished image of a certain style that really didn't need that.

    I "discovered" him thanks to providing a version of the "Justified" theme (not title) song, which I then traced back to Darrell Scott (who is a big reason why I picked up a guitar one day). Darrell's own versions are so much more moving... Curiously, he also wrote a hit for the Dixy Chicks - again his own interpretation (esp. the one with Tim O'Brien) is much more chilling, but despite all their "being an act" those Chicks have something I think is much more authentically "country" than B.P.

  26. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by sgosnell
    No, I'm thinking of a Latin couple.
    I think maybe you mean this pair - with a repertoire spanning everything from Led Zep to Mozart, and a large number of albums and sell-out tours already under their belt, they seem to fit the bill to me. They can play well, they're showbiz in their approach, they've hit on a lucrative formula.