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So, who is the greatest jazz guitarist ever?


dem00n

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Seriously, there are so many "greats" that my #1 is a reflection of two things: 1., the fact I do any jazz picking as a solo thing and 2., general influence on others.

 

Joe Pass.

 

I have a hunch that were his interests slightly different we'd be mentioning him as a classical guitarist or truly, anything he'd want to play. His fingerboard knowledge, his knowledge of music theory as applied to guitar may be matched but I seriously doubt there are many at his level regardless of genre. Some of his single string work can match about any other jazz, blues or rock lead picker in speed and accuracy. His fingerstyle playing might easily be shifted to anything else.

 

A second "choice" again is more a matter of versatility and example to other pickers and that'd be Chet.

 

Honestly though, I think at the "high end" of all pickers you tend to see those with the greatest understanding of music evolving into jazz or jazz-like playing. In a sense blues is itself a sub-genre of jazz and so is rock.

 

Right now I'm working on some material for a prohibition "jazz age" show, for example, and in ways the difference is largely instrumentation even more than rhythm. Blues as we know it emerged from jazz. I think labels are easy to apply, but tend to say more about the audience adding the labels than the technical side of what's done.

 

m

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You're right m. I was listening to Joe play the other night and he is truly gifted. Chet may have been more versatile, but Joe's talent really is unmatched. Bird and Bill Evans are two of his influences who I also really enjoy.

 

My personal preference is for Wes just because I like his music selection and style more.

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Ziggy...

 

Yup on Montgomery being a "great" although I didn't care much for a bunch of recordings that were awfully "studio-ed" with strings, etc.

 

The thing is that there have been so many really great pickers in "jazz," including guys like BB technically in "blues," that I think at a certain point "favorite" has more to do with one's personal inclinations of style and the stuff we've heard from given pickers.

 

I also find it interesting that such as Roy Buchanan, theoretically a blues/rock/country picker, could make that Tele into a gorgeous jazz machine. I've asked myself why not more jazz that might have offered a wider audience and probably a better living and... the conclusion I came to is that regardless of talent and technical skills, one simply lives the life one lives...

 

m

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rct pointed out a great jazz player in Danny Gatton, and he was so far from a traditional jazz player they had to give him his own genre. Especially today, jazz guitar players need a second job. I also reside at a jazz guitar forum, and even though most of those guys are very skilled, and at least one-third of them are pros, none of them make a living playing full time. Many of them teach. Go figure.

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rct pointed out a great jazz player in Danny Gatton, and he was so far from a traditional jazz player they had to give him his own genre. Especially today, jazz guitar players need a second job. I also reside at a jazz guitar forum, and even though most of those guys are very skilled, and at least one-third of them are pros, none of them make a living playing full time. Many of them teach. Go figure.

 

Two words: JACK ZUCKER.

 

heh. Long ago in usenet, JAZ had his moments and I would break his jazz stones unmercifully, as did everyone else. He's a great player and great teacher, and he gave it right back to the mouth breathing knuckle draggers that we were.

 

rct

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As has been noted most Jazz players starve. There are so many great players who are forgotten,

Buddy Fite is one, look him up. He was so disgusted with the business of music he gave up and returned to Oregon and worked as a logger and played at local clubs until his death. If you are lucky enough to run across one of his few records grab it.. Also look for him on The Powder River Ramblers...

Bobby Broom is another great player who gets no mention;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqxAtZal-IY&feature=related

And Jody Fisher....man what a artist! Look for him in clubs around Riverside Ca.

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Django, Christian, Burrell. I'm not a fan of fusion so that leaves a lot out for me. Miles Davis may have created it but that was the end for him as far as I'm concerned.

 

The fusion guys seem to have lost the value of space.

 

I'm with you on your guitar player picks, but I think Miles' fusion was some of his best stuff. I'm a huge fan of Wayne Shorter, esp his work with Weather Report, and I think Jaco Pastorius, Joe Zawinul, and Wayne Shorter are/were some of the most talented musicians/writers in the business.

 

I'm curious, JM. I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "value of space." Could you explain that to me?

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I'm with you on your guitar player picks, but I think Miles' fusion was some of his best stuff. I'm a huge fan of Wayne Shorter, esp his work with Weather Report, and I think Jaco Pastorius, Joe Zawinul, and Wayne Shorter are/were some of the most talented musicians/writers in the business.

 

I'm curious, JM. I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "value of space." Could you explain that to me?

 

 

Simply put, a lack of notes.

 

 

 

 

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