Jazz Guitar
Greats :
Who's Who of Jazz Guitar
This page
links to several articles I wrote about my
favorite jazz
guitar greats. Each page contains must-know information about the
players.
The
individual pages also depict each guitarist's playing style along
with
some licks, videos and transcriptions. (All compiled by yours truly!)
Jazz guitar history is an amazing
learning tool.
Learn from the masters and burn like one!
Enjoy!
Please contact
me with any jazz
guitar
greats comments,
questions, licks, transcriptions, concerns (?) or suggestions. [I always avoid digging too much into the personal stuff in
the biographical part of each of the jazz guitar greats page. You'll
agree that the music is what matters here.]
Alphabetical Index
Benson, George
Bickert, Ed
Breau, Lenny
Christian, Charlie
Ellis, Herb
Farlow, Tal
Green, Grant
Hall, Jim Juris, Vic
Jazz Guitar Greats :(appear in chronological order)
Pat Metheny (1954-)
One
of the most influential jazz guitarist or the last 30 years. Metheny's
approach to composing and playing the guitar is unique.
Strengths :
great sound, virtuosity, use of guitar-synth, jazz composition and
arrangements (for the "Pat Metheny Group" and other projects.)
Vic Juris (1953-)A great, modern and sensitive guitar improviser. He's been part of David Liebman's group for almost 20 years.
Strengths :
Accompaniment, voicings, rubato-like lines, creative approach to anything he touches!
John Scofield (1951-)
One
of the most distinctive voice in the jazz guitar field ever. Scofield's
harsh jazz-rock sound is instantly recognizable.
Strengths :
unique "harsh" sound, never-hear-before improvised lines, outstanding
articulation, composition, groove/funk playing.
Pat Martino (1944-)
An instigator of the "modern sound" in jazz guitar. Martino combines
technical prowess and beautiful, post-bop jazz music.
Strengths :
great time feel, lyricism, virtuosity, amazing "machine-gun" like lines
(that never get boring!), melodic inventiveness.
George Benson (1943-)
Benson is the perfect blend between a heavy bop guitarist and a
soul-jazz singer. He's been entertaining crowds for decades!
Strengths :
soul singing, groove, lots of chops!, charisma, great simultaneous
scat-singing while improvising on the guitar.
Lenny Breau (1941-1984)
One of the greatest Canadian guitarist, Lenny Breau was a true master
of harmony on the guitar. Sadly, he's not very well known.
Strengths :
chords and chord melody style of playing, solo performances, harmonics,
improvisations, flamenco and classical chops (fingerstyle).
Grant Green (1935-1979)
Great
underestimated jazz guitarist. Well known for his soul and jazz albums
on Blue Note.
Strengths : Great
feel, bluesiness, outstanding use of the bebop vocabulary, funkiness
(later in his life).
Ed Bickert (1932-)
Great Canadian Jazz Guitarist. Unprecedented mastery and taste on the guitar. You have to hear him to believe it...
Strengths :
harmony, improvised lines, comping with "pick and fingers"
Jim Hall (1930-)
Probably the
most
influential of all the jazz guitar greats. His minimalistic approach
resonates with
everyone... and had an impact on today's big names (Sco, Metheny,
Frisell et al.)
Strengths :
highly individual voice and style, less-is-more approach and the use of
space, impressive in all settings (duo to big band), ultra modern yet
traditional notes and rhythms choices.
Joe Pass (1929-1994)
One of the greatest jazz guitar greats! Widely recognized as THE solo
jazz guitarist of his time.
Strengths : solo
recitals (!), harmonic concept (chords and counterpoint), walking bass
lines, chord melody arrangements, bebop improvisation.
Jimmy Raney (1927-1995)
A rather underrated jazz guitar master. Raney is amongst my favorite for his great ideas and smooth yet interesting phrasing.
Strengths
: Clear melodic ideas, phrasing and displacements, nice countours and creativity within the harmonic boundaries.
Wes
Montgomery (1923-1968)
One of my
personal
favorites of all time! Wes is respected and admired by guitarists of
many styles throughout the world.
Strengths
:
Melodic inventiveness, soulfulness, deep groove, the use of octaves,
personal sound (plucking strictly with the right-hand thumb).
Wes Montgomery:
Bio, Licks and Transcriptions
Herb Ellis (1921-2010)
A great, sensitive swinging bebop guitarist, Herb played in the most significant guitar-piano-bass trio of all times. (with the great Oscar Peterson).
Strengths
: bebop improvisations, swinging hard(!), comping.
Herb Ellis:
Bio, Licks and Transcriptions
Tal Farlow (1921-1998)
One of the great pioneers of bebop guitar, Tal had a unique approach and sound to playing.
Strengths
: Ultra-fast lines, unusual chord voicings, chord melody, artificial harmonics to play entire melodies.
Tal Farlow:
Bio, Licks and Transcriptions
Charlie
Christian (1916-1942)
The father of
jazz lines on the guitar : he played genuine bebop (imitating the
horns). Also the first established jazz guitarist to use amplification.
Strengths
:
"Horn-like" chromatic lines, flowing melodic improvisations, bluesy,
rhythmic repetition and motif development.
Charlie Christian:
Bio, Licks and Transcriptions
Django
Reinhardt (1910-1953)
The
greatest gypsy-jazz
guitarist of all time. He is the most renowned European jazz legend in
history! His band was the first established jazz ensemble using only
string instruments.
Strengths : Impeccable
melodic lines on acoustic guitar, virtuosity (with only two fingers!),
lyricism, "poum tchak" style of comping.
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