jazz guitar greats

[colterphoto1]

Any jazz guitar fans out there? Last night Steve Howe of Yes mentioned Wes

Montgomery last night. Then played some very funky blues guitar. Most

of the audience didn't even know that Wes was born in Indianapolis.

I'd like to know a fave Montgomery album to get. It was very cool sounding.

[artto]

Anyone who used a Standel amplifier is cool with me.

http://www.standelamps.com/about_us/story/story_p10.html

[Steve_L]

Many jazz guitarist are a bit too mellow for my taste. Pat Metheny, is great if you want some mellow Sunday morning soft jazz, but he get's a tad too mellow for me. John Scofield is similar but has a bit more edge.

Here's a suggestion if you like your jazz to have a bit of blues mixed in and really has a bit of an edge. This guy is a technical giant but also has a lot of soul and his jazz/blues fusion is really magical.

Ronnie Earl

[theryugobuddy]

I beg to differ about Pat Metheny-- his latest stuff is mellow, yes, but his earlier albums in the 70s and eighties are prime jazz guitar--

Try "Travels" my favorite--a live album-spectacular solos and arrangements--every cut is different. This is as far from smooth jazz as can be-- incredible piano too from his cohort, Lyle Mays--

Offramp, The First Circle, 80/81, When Wichita Falls.., and his first are incredible--and most of his 90s albums are eclectic and interesting--definitely NOT for Sunday afternoon--the wife will say "What is THAT?"

Listen to "Are You Going with Me?" for explosive guitar and guitar synth thats more fusion than soft jazz--my fave cut of his. Also, "Praise" is great--starts acoustic, then rips into guitar synth--

Alot of my friends loved Earl Klugh, George Benson, and Larry Carlton--but they tended toward smooth jazz-

Kenny Burrell is excellent--so is AL DiMeola and John McLaughlin--

[Steve_L]

I've got 80/81 and also the one recorded out here in Brookfield Ma with the Airstreams on the cover (vinyl), and they seem a bit sleepy. I've got a few in CD format as well, can't remember the names but I'll need to go back and re-listen.

I'll give "Travels" a try on your say so.

I've been looking for good jazz guitar, but really don't find much out there. Who's the John Coltrane of the jazz guitar?

I do like Dimeola and McLaughlin. I also love Jeff Beck's Blow-by-Blow album. (I saw Beck and McLaughlin in back to back performances in 75 here in Boston and that was great.) But Beck tends toward the pyrotechnics and bit much for me. I guess Larry Coryell is in there someplace too, but I just haven't found the jazz guitarist I'd like to find and that I think are out there someplace.

I dunno... I guess most of the guitar talent got pulled to the money of R&R. Let's face it, most jazz musicians don't get wealthy.

[theryugobuddy]

Travels always surprise me when I hear it -- San Lorenzo has the best piano solo --some soft stuff and some wild --

Which one was in Brookfield? The Road to You? That's a great live one too--

Bill Frisell has some incredible albums, too -- he sometimes goes off the deep end toward avant gard and loses me. But his Blue Dreams and when he guests on Ginger Baker's Going Back Home--he rips--

I tend toward the blues guys too -- but very few of the contemporary ones-- I've had some Walter Trout, Kinsey Report, Johnny Winter, and alot of Alligator stuff, but to me none of it has the soul of the 60s and 70s -- guess that means I'm old-- the samples I've heard of Ronnie Earl sound too crisp to me - what is the best gritty one he's done?

[Allan Songer]

The guy I listen to more than anyone else?

Died of a heart attack between sets at a gig in NYC in 1979.

No longer the "overlooked master" --he is now getting his due.

[garymd]

Michael,

The one you have pictured is a great place to start. The Incredible Jazz Guitar Of Wes Montgomery and it's available on SACD. Some others you might want to try are Jimmy Smith & Wes Montgomery, Jimmy & Wes - The Dynamic Duo (on Verve). There are also some "Best Of's" including The Complete Riverside Recordings which is a 5 CD set.

One to stay away from is Bumpin'. Elevator music for the most part. Why Mobile Fidelity chose that one out of all his LPs is beyond me.

I tend to prefer Kenny Burrell and Grant Green LPs. Nothing against Wes. He's one of the greats for sure. The other two just seem to have put out better LPs as band leaders IMO.

[Steve_L]

The Methny one with the Airstreams on it is "America Garage", which I do like. The North Brookfield Massachusetts location is an old farm turned recording studio that has been used by a good many big names as a place to hide, mellow out and record. (There are places in Massachusetts that are very country.)

The Ronnie Earl suggestion I have is his Live in Germany CD

It's fabulous. Ronnie knows how to blend just the right amount of blues into the Jazz, (or visa-versa) to keep me really interested. He's blues roots with a jazz flavor I guess. Some purist might say he isn't jazz. he certainly isn't too laid back.

He has a Bruce Katz on this album playing B-3 organ. Bruce is now on his own and a very fine jazz musician and he is worth the listen too. He has a number of his own CDs out now and is doing a lot of touring of the higher end jazz clubs. In Boston he is usually at Scullers or the Regatta Bar. Both very nice venues for Jazz.