100 greatest jazz guitarists

Wes Montgomery as # 1 

i don't think so...

 

 

There is an excellent  book about jazz guitarists: Masters Of Jazz Guitar: The Story Of The Players & Their Music edited by Charles Alexander (publisher Balafon  1999, ISBN for USA: 0-87930-592-4, for UK 1-871547-85-70). Cover the field almost exhaustively. For instance, Chapter 13  written by Stuart Nicholson covers "Fusion: The First Wave" (Larry Coryell, John McLaughlin and Emily Remler who died at 33 in 1990), Chapter 13: "Pat Metheny", Chapter 15: "Fusion The Second Wave" is by Mark Gilbert (John Abercrombie, Bill Frisell, John ScofieldJack Wilkins, Barry FinnertyMick Goodrick, Mike Stern, Larry Carlton, Jeff Beck|). Both Gilbert and Nicholson are sympathetic jazz rock fusion fans. Chapter 16: "Shredding The Frets" includes Scott Henderson, Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Allan Holdsworth, Frank Gambale. Currenlty reading the companion book on saxophonists

It's really tough to rate jazz guitarists....I mean, in what context is the playing being judged?  Ray Brown, the guitarist with the classic Oscar Peterson trio, was constrained to playing beside Oscar....who's runs up and down the keyboard practically dominates the trio's sound.  Wes Montgomery was the band leader in most of his releases, so his prowess was spotlighted....thus, he probably garnered a few more votes than a player who was overshadowed by a band leader or played in a big band context.  Also, WMontgomery used an octave technique, unlike, say, Grant Green, whose unique single note plucking style produced wicked solos!  Best jazz guitarist?  Dunno, but I will say my favorite jazz guitarists are:

- Barney Kessel

- Kenny Burrell....the bee-bop musicians guitarist of choice in the late 50s/early 60s

- Jim Hall...the "Concierto" LP is probably my fave by a guitarist/leader

- John McLaughlin....esp. his early ventures into fusion....check out the Extrapolation LP

- Zappa

- early and CTI era George Benson...a Wes clone, yes, but his work on the CTI label with leaders like Hubert Laws and Freddie Hubbard is fabulous.

- Wes....oh, yes!

BTW, Wes put out some horrible shyte at the end of his career

Manunkind wrote: http://www.digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best_z-prev/jz_jazzgui tar1.html What do you think? I'm especially interested in your opinion on Pat Metheny being no 3, which puts him ahead of such monster players as Joe Pass or Alan Holdsworth, for example. While I'm definitely no Metheny-hater (jazz-heads have to have their own DT, too) IMO putting him above Holdsworth is controversial and above Pass is simply a mistake.  EDIT: Only now have I noticed that earlier versions of this list had Metheny as no 2 and even as no 1, above Django Reinhardt and Wes Montgomery!

I'm not a total jazz fanatic, but I am familiar with the guitarists you mention, so I feel compelled to comment here.

I don't believe Pat Metheny should rate above Holdsworth or Pass, and absolutely not above Wes Montgomery, who deserves #1 position in my opinion, with Django not far behind.

Metheny's work sounds rather bloodless compared to Montgomery, et al.

Intruder wrote: It's really tough to rate jazz guitarists....I mean, in what context is the playing being judged?  Ray Brown, the guitarist with the classic Oscar Peterson trio, was constrained to playing beside Oscar....who's runs up and down the keyboard practically dominates the trio's sound.  Wes Montgomery was the band leader in most of his releases, so his prowess was spotlighted....thus, he probably garnered a few more votes than a player who was overshadowed by a band leader or played in a big band context.  Also, WMontgomery used an octave technique, unlike, say, Grant Green, whose unique single note plucking style produced wicked solos!  Best jazz guitarist?  Dunno, but I will say my favorite jazz guitarists are: - Barney Kessel - Kenny Burrell....the bee-bop musicians guitarist of choice in the late 50s/early 60s - Jim Hall...the "Concierto" LP is probably my fave by a guitarist/leader - John McLaughlin....esp. his early ventures into fusion....check out the Extrapolation LP - Zappa - early and CTI era George Benson...a Wes clone, yes, but his work on the CTI label with leaders like Hubert Laws and Freddie Hubbard is fabulous. - Wes....oh, yes! BTW, Wes put out some horrible shyte at the end of his career

Yes, but he had a large family to feed, so he just had to go commercial... so he should really be judged according to his work from the period where he had the most artistic freedom, and not from the one when he was under the pressure of circumstances.

When you try to put together a list like this you end up
having to represent certain constituencies: the
pioneers, the stylistic innovators, the virtuosos, the
artists, the eccentrics... That makes it difficult to rank
them numerically.

There is one thing that makes that list completely invalid and arguably worthless, and that is the absence of Shawn Lane. They could have at least put him in the top 100, based solely on his guitar skills. He never became very famous, for a couple reasons - he didn't try to sell records(he made his own music the way he wanted to), he was fat, and he died. Awesome guitarist though. If you don't know him, get/check out:

Powers Of Ten (live)

Manunkind wrote: best_z-prev/jz_jazzguitar1.html">http://www.digitaldreamdoor .com/ pages/best_z-prev/jz_jazzgui tar1.html What do you think? I'm especially interested in your opinion on Pat Metheny being no 3, which puts him ahead of such monster players as Joe Pass or Alan Holdsworth, for example. While I'm definitely no Metheny-hater (jazz- heads have to have their own DT, too) IMO putting him above Holdsworth is controversial and above Pass is simply a mistake.

I'm a BIG jazz buff and, having listened to many jazz guitar players, I find
it silly to compare, say, Pat Metheny with Joe Pass: what's better, apples
or tomatoes? (I find music polls silly, in general, and this one is no
exception...)

I'm not a Pat Metheny fanboy and DT leaves me totally cold , but I went
once to a PM Group concert and I can tell you it was great. Not your usual
"cool guy sitting while playing" stuff---it was much more like a rock
concert (there even was some scenography!). And Metheny is a very
versatile guy, just listen to what he has recorded as side-projects.

Joe Pass---ah, those incredible "Virtuoso" solo albums are a joy to listen
to. But not very much to do with Metheny's music, ain't it?

To me, neither is "better" than the other, they are different---and I enjoy
the 2 of them

If you want further proof that this list is nonsense, here you have it:
Lee Ritenour is in it

Ritenour may be a great guitarist, but how would you know?

The line between jazz and fusion is a very fine and wavering one. But I would put Django at the very top too. He was incredible. And just think that two of the fingers on his left hand could hardly be used!