Best Example of Incredible swing phrasing you can think of

[jamiehenderson1993]

...

[James W]

[pamosmusic]

Wes on No Blues from Smokin at the Half Note

[jamiehenderson1993]

Both incredible choices - thank you!
Really enjoyed listening to both of them again with phrasing in mind specifically!

[jbernstein91]

[jbernstein91]

[jbernstein91]

[Christian Miller]

I am a huge fan of Barry’s laid back slinky feel

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[rpjazzguitar]

The first one that I heard that I had to learn was Rosetta by Joe Pass.

[Christian Miller]

I’m a sucker for Grant’s feel of course, because I am a living human.

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[Christian Miller]

While there’s some very swinging guitarists, tbh guitarists lag behind horn player and piano players in the fluidity and execution of rhythmic ideas. Nature of the instrument, sadly.

FWIW Barry said that Jimmy Raney was the only guitarist he heard that got close to Bird in terms of what he was doing rhythmically.

I think this may have been the first time he heard him, sharing a bill with him; IIRC according to his son Jon (who pops up on JGO from time to time)

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[jbernstein91]

Dexter Gordon:

[jbernstein91]

Billy Bean:

[GuyBoden]

While there’s some very swinging guitarists, tbh guitarists lag behind horn player and piano players in the fluidity and execution of rhythmic ideas. Nature of the instrument, sadly.

Articulation is also lacking with Jazz guitarists.

Compared with good Jazz Sax players.

[jamiehenderson1993]

There's honestly so much incredible phrasing to listen to here - please keep it coming (as well as just general advice on improving swing phrasing!)

[befiddled]

While there’s some very swinging guitarists, tbh guitarists lag behind horn player and piano players in the fluidity and execution of rhythmic ideas. Nature of the instrument, sadly.

FWIW Barry said that Jimmy Raney was the only guitarist he heard that got close to Bird in terms of what he was doing rhythmically.

I think this may have been the first time he heard him, sharing a bill with him; IIRC according to his son Jon (who pops up on JGO from time to time)

Speaking of the Raney’s, forum member jameslovestal recently posted a video of Doug Raney playing GS that’s about as swinging as anything I’ve heard a guitarist play.

Also, I hope I managed to quote Christian’s post correctly.

[JazzPadd]

Grant Green on No. 1 Green Street leapt to mind. His early trio stuff in general, but that cut was a master class in phrasing for me. I found that it somehow corresponds with one’s natural breathing patterns. Even the Mrs., who knows thing none about playing the guitar, said it sounds like he is talking with his guitar. Since fingers don’t need to breathe, we can play ongoing lines with no breaks. Guilty here, especially when I don’t know a tune fluently. So I breathe while playing, matching my fingers to the inhales and exhales, pauses and such of my breathing. It has really helped improve phrasing.

I can’t connect to YT, but that track is easily located in search.

[jamiehenderson1993]

Speaking of the Raney’s, forum member jameslovestal recently posted a video of Doug Raney playing GS that’s about as swinging as anything I’ve heard a guitarist play.

Also, I hope I managed to quote Christian’s post correctly.

Is it this one? Doug Raney on Giant Steps 96

[Danil]

While there’s some very swinging guitarists, tbh guitarists lag behind horn player and piano players in the fluidity and execution of rhythmic ideas. Nature of the instrument, sadly.

Articulation is also lacking with Jazz guitarists.

Compared with good Jazz Sax players.

This thread went quite far without mentioning Charlie Christian, who is (to my ears) just perfect in fluency, articulation and rhythmic ingenuity and precision.
I wish more guitar players would follow his lead, rather than chasing slick fluency of horns. Horns do not have a percussive attack of the guitar and every comparison will not do justice to how insanely precise, clean and forward driving was playing of Charlie Christian.

[James W]

[AndyV]

Buddy DeFranco!

Eva Skow

Clint Strong

[Rodney Gene]

While there’s some very swinging guitarists, tbh guitarists lag behind horn player and piano players in the fluidity and execution of rhythmic ideas. Nature of the instrument, sadly.

Nature of the instrument, meaning limitations in timbre and physical output/phrasing? Are you speaking strictly of Jazz swing music? If so, it follows. All instruments have limits to their nature and swing was birthed with horns and piano. I think that is what makes guitar phrasing in jazz swing so cool. Being those phrasing influences are coming from the horns and pianos. My favorite jazz bassists swing the hardest in piano trios or quartet...but some of the funnest albums are guitar trios.

But as a musical comparison in general, when you get into others genres (even other swing genres) guitar as well as others instruments carry emotive qualities, timbre and phrasing and fluidity that piano or horns can't match. But they can compliment, and I think that is always the goal of any musician.

[GuyBoden]

Scott Hamilton. A real Swinging Cat.

Jazz Sax has the articulation no Jazz guitarist will ever possess.

[Rodney Gene]

Scott Hamilton. A real Swinging Cat.

Jazz Sax has the articulation no Jazz guitarist will ever possess.

True (and true of Hamilton as well) I think 'possess' is the definitive word. That is certainly logical being sax is a primarily monophonic instrument and all things being equal they just cannot be compared. Though articulation isn't synonymous with quality, tone, feel or emotion with any instrument. Hearing quality or extraordinary performances from any player is uplifting, regardless of instrumentation for myself. A good ensemble or album makes your ears perk up often regardless of who is playing and or get lost / disappear in the collective energy of it.

[djg]