Looking for great jazz guitar recordings - any recommendations?
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Pat Metheny’s early stuff on acoustic and his “Brazilian” period with Lyle Mays are solid. Just saw him at the Blue Note and he’s still got the chops. Ralph Towner, Wolfgang Muthspiel and Slavs Grigoryan on Travel Guide. Maybe be not straight up Jazz, but Steve Tibbetts latest “Life of” is a great recording and pure music. |
Great job by everyone here. Pretty much every jazz guitar player I’d recommend has already been listed, so I’ll add one that’s “stealth jazz”. Danny Dias played lead on a bunch of Steely Dan records and some of those are straight jazz. While the band regularly visited the pop charts, the guitar leads are frequently glorious and decidedly “not pop”. Check out the solo on “ Your Gold Teeth II” (from Katy Lied).....it will give you a flavor of what I’m talking about. |
I second some relaxing enjoyable older school guitar from the The Great Guitars recordings and the individual members and Almeida. These 4 guys were in high demand as session guys and in Hollywood and we’ve all heard them without knowing it’s them. I’d like to also mention Chet Atkins as different but also very enjoyable picking. I have very many of his early records |
Eric Skye - "A Different Kind of Blue" (riff on Miles Davis's classic using an acoustic guitar) https://www.amazon.com/Different-Kind-Blue-Eric-Skye/dp/B008DUQEJU Bill Frisell - "Music Is". |
Steve Masakowski - For Joe & others on Blue Note Mimi Fox - Standards Old & New Paul Meyers - Dusk to Dawn, & I Let a Song Go... Martin Taylor - Artistry, Portraits, Live in Pittsburgh ( Linn ) Jesse van Ruller- Live at Murphy’s Law Howard Alden - My Shining Hour Jimmy Raney - But Beautiful Lage Lund - Idlewild John Stowell / Ulf Bandgren - Throop |
louisl: (and everyone else) you must listen to Laurindo Almedida with Ray Brown on the direct-to-disc masterpiece "Moonlight Serenade" ... Jeton records 1003315 !!!! This is the stuff of convergence between audiophilia and the love of music! I think you'll like it based on your post above. (be sure to find the true D2D, not the remaster from tape!) |
One of my favorite "great jazz guitar recordings" is Laurindo Almeida & Charlie Byrd, 'Tango', on Concord / Picante Jazz label. Two acoustic guitar masters, impeccably recorded. This is one of my go-to's when I evaluate any change in my system, or if I just want to dim the lights and enjoy some great music. It is Latin flavored jazz. |
John Abercrombie's - "Timeless" on ECM Records is AWESOME! The title track is one of my all-time favorites. Focus "III" - Is it prog? Is it Jazz? Is it Prog/Jazz? I don't know, but it is pretty tasty. I have the double LP and it is pretty fanastic. Check out the title track - "Focus III" on Youtube, Spotify, etc., then buy the LP if you like it. Pat Metheny - "American Garage" - Been digging it since since I first heard it in 1979. Wes Montgomery - "Jimmy and Wes - The Dynamic Duo" w/Jimmy Smith |
Since Jazz is such a non-descriptive term I’ll keep in mind the list of artists includes the Rippingtons and Fourplay.You might want to check out Lee Ritenour - Wesbound. I also agree on John Scofield - his own work and also playing on some of the mentioned Miles Davis albums. I also like Al Di Meola - Elegant Gypsy, and his work on Return To Forever - Romantic Warrior. |
Here are a few recommendations Adventurous: Theo Ceccaldi - Petitie moutarde Nguyen Le - Three Trios The Hand to Man Band - You Are Always on Our Minds Live albums: Arild Andersen - The Moulde Concert Bill Frisell - Live More mainstream: Anthony Wilson - Adult Themes Ralph Towner/Gary Peacock - They made two duo albums I'm surprised no one mentioned Mike Stern |
This this is a great thread. Thanks for starting it. And thanks to many for the most excellent suggestions/nominations I agree with many - I’m with @david_pully : this is like asking for favorite albums. I’m new to this community and simply love this kind of confirmation and inspiration. Here are some additional ideas: Metheny - “80/81” McLaughlin w the “Trio of Doom” Don Ross (anything) |
Charlie Byrd for sure. Here are four to savor. Charlie on guitar and Keter Betts on bass on all. Drummers include: Buddy Deppenschmidt, Bertel Knox, Eddie Phyfe, and Bill Reichenbach. Charlie Bird Trio - Offbeat Records Jazz at the Showboat, with others - Offbeat Records Charlie's Choice - Offbeat Records Byrd at the Gate, w/Clark Terry and Sheldon Powell - Mobile Fidelity |
The suggestions for "Jazz guitarists" are all over the place. Some of them aren't "Jazz" players. Traditional Jazz recordings IMO are pre 70's. Your collection wanders in that "smooth jazz" territory which is argued to death, if it's even Jazz. I'm surprised Barney Kessel hasn't been mentioned. Look up his Contemporary recordings. He is one of the pre Wrecking Crew artists who did movie/commercials that many of us grew up hearing. He is in the "must have" group-Charlie Christian,Freddie Green,Wes Montgomery,Jim Hall,Herb Ellis,Hank Garland,Kenny Burrell,George Benson... There are just too many. Just start before 1980. |
The question is sort of like, 'What are your 1000 favorite albums?' Nonetheless, my 3 cents: Kenny Burrell: many mentions above, but my favorite is Guitar Forms, a 1965 collaboration with Gil Evans Al DiMeola: Splendido Hotel, 1980 is a must-have! Get the 2016 Speakers Corner remaster! Bottleneck John: All Around John on Opus 3, LP 23001 ... don't think about it, just get it! He plays a different guitar on each track. |
+1 for Passion, Grace and Fire Jim Hall Trio: Live! John McLaughlin: My Goal’s Beyond Joe Pass: Virtuoso (don’t get the acoustic one, better tone on the electric ones) in a fusion vein: Miles Davis: A Tribute to Jack Johnson (with John McLaughlin) Mahavishnu Orchestra: The Inner Mounting Flame or Birds of Fire Oz Noy Trio: Live in Asia |
+3 or 4 for "Friday Night In San Francisco". Best acoustic trio performance I’ve ever seen and/or heard. Youtube video of the concert doesn't do it justice. Haven't seen any other. "Chester and Lester" is good stuff. I’m a Grant Green fan, as of Wes Montgomery. And just for fun, someone mentioned Stanley Jordan above. Ever see someone play two guitars simultaneously? Enjoy. https://youtu.be/NeooHiX4oH0 |
Another shout out to Bill Frisell... My favorites are his recordings with Paul Motian’s trio on ECM Records. And Frisell’s duo albums with Thomas Morgan are really special. Those are live at the Village Vanguard and also put out by ECM. I saw someone mention Julian Lage already. I’ll second that his new "Love Hurts" album is very well done. If you’re willing to listen with open ears one of my favorite guitarists is Jeff Parker. He crosses over many genres, and does a bit of free improv too. His trio album "Bright Light In Winter" on Delmark is a good one to start with. |
Lots of good names mentioned. I used to play jazz guitar (before an infection impacted my left hand), and my favorites are as follows: Charlie Christian. He basically put the electric jazz guitar on the map. He was the original guitar hero. By today’s standards his playing is basic but he came up with how to do it on his own, didn’t copy anybody. For 10 years after his death most of the jazz guitarists sounded like Charlie and he was only with Benny Goodman for about 3 years. A couple of albums to look for, “The Genius of the Electric Guitar” and “Solo Flight”. I might not be exact on the titles but close. Wes Montgomery. Self taught genius who played with his thumb because his wife didn’t want him to wake up the baby when practicing. Early on his performances were covers of Charlie Christian solos. But then he found his voice. Chord soloing, chord melody, single note lead and octaves, octaves octaves (playing the same note an octave apart). His influence is still felt today. You can’t hear a smooth jazz guitarist without hearing Wes. I like his earlier stuff where is is playing more straight ahead jazz like the stuff he did for Pacific Jazz and especially Riverside. Riverside has a 10 cd set that includes the work he did with Cannonball Adderly who “discovered” him. Others I love: Joe Pass, especially with a combo as well as the solo stuff. Gabor Szabo, Gypsy ‘66 and the original Breezin Pat Martino, pre accident Lee Ritenour, the stuff with Foreplay and especially Westbound |
Many greats already mentioned Some New , Some Old All below I don't think are mentioned above Biréli Lagrène Cornell Dupree - any Stuff Album Eric Gale Kurt Rosenwinkel Grant Green Howard Alden Les Paul Marc Ribot Mike Stern Nir Felder Andrew Renfrow Stanley Jordan Ronny Jordan Steve Kahn Jason Greenlaw John O'brien |
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