Who is your favorite instrumentalist or instrumental group?

Thank you all for adding your favorites. I enjoy looking up new artists on Tidal.

 

 

 

Oops @stuartk, I somehow missed your post about Will Ray’s solo albums. Nope, I didn’t even know he had made any. My search list just got longer. 

 

I also neglected to name my current favorite instrumentalists. Amongst the still living are dobro player Jerry Douglas, guitarists Ry Cooder and Albert Lee, bassists Jerry Scheff and Leland Sklar, and the Nashville studio drummers. Muscle Shoals drummer Roger Hawkins is still alive, but retired (he’s in my all-time top five drummers list, along with Earl Palmer, Jim Gordon, and Levon Helm and Richard Manuel, those four no longer with us).

 

I listen to 3 genres that are a large portion instrumental.

Those being: prog, jazz, and contemporary classical, so I could list pages. 

Jazz:

My favorite all time single instrumentalist, is probably guitarist Allan Holdsworth. Not only was his technique advanced, but his entire approach to playing was revolutionary.

McCoy Tyner - pianist / Terrifying chops, and creative.

Chick Corea - keyboardist / Chops and creativity to spare. 

John Coltrane / Not much needs to be said here.

John McClaughlin - guitarist / Technique and emotion. Leader of the best, IMO, fusion band, Mahavishnu Orchestra. 

Jaco Pastorius - bass / Innovator, chops.

Hiromi - Killer Japanese keyboard player.

Alex Machancek - guitarist / Contemporary fusion player with great chops, and composes quite complex stuff.

This is really tough, not because it is hard to think of that many, but because there are so many I would place at near equal levels. 

Jazz groups:

Mahavishnu Orchestra

Return to Forever

Brand X

Weather report

Pnazerballett

Steve Coleman and the Five Elements

Oregon

Iceberg

 

 

Apocalyptica - they do cello versions of Metallica songs.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra 

"Journey of the Sorcerer " was, i believe, also the theme song to the BBC production of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. 

Bill Frisell 

@bdp24 

Are you familiar with Will Ray’s solo albums?

I recently picked up "Invisible Birds" and am crazy about it. I expected great guitar playing, which he delivers, but I had no idea he was also such a good vocalist.  This is mostly in a Country vein. He also did a Blues album but that one doesn’t grab me like "Birds".  

Tum tum tum

 

@stuartk: Love The Hellecasters! I saw them live once, opening for Michael Nesmith. Their first two albums were on Nesmith's label Pacific Arts Audio.

 

I don't just listen to Jazz...

The Hellcasters 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jXsD7K65PA

Love the jazz fusion of weather report

Thanks to all who responded, those are some great suggestions. I forgot to mention it in the title but I'm also interested in your favorite instrumental songs.  Here are a couple of mine. Thanks.

" Share my Sky " by Ray Montford

"Mudslide" by Vestbo Trio

"Duwadjuwandadu" by Charly Antolini

 

Good nominee @slaw. As you know, another is Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives. Coincidentally their latest album Space Junk contains all instrumental material. My first favorite band was The Ventures; Los Straitjackets has been following in their footstep for the past three decades.

 

Alison Krauss and Union Station 

Wow -- this question is certainly open-ended! I could be typing a long time. I’ll just go with Jazz... this is not a comprehensive list.

Groups:

The Miles Davis Quintet, with H. Hancock, W. Shorter, Ron Carter and Tony Williams

Oregon’s original line-up.

Chick Corea’s original Latin-flavored Return to Forever, with S. Clarke, Flora Purim, Airto and Joe Farrell

Keith Jarrett’s "European Quartet" with Jan Garbarek, Jon Christensen, Palle Danielsson. 

Original Mahavishnu Orchestra and the original Shakti line-up

Chick Corea trio with Roy Haynes and Miroslav Vitous on "Now He Sings, Now He Sobs" 

Original Dave Holland Quintet with Billy Kilson on drums. 

Art Blakey Sextet with Shorter, Hubbard, Curtis Fuller, Reggie Workman, Cedar Walton 

Chick Corea Gary Burton duo

Individuals: 

Pat Martino, John Scofield, Larry Coryell, Grant Green, John Mclaughlin, Ralph Towner 

Bobby Hutcherson, Gary Burton

Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson, Jackie McLean, Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, Kenny Garrett, Joe Lovano, Booker Ervin, Billy Harper

Miroslav Vitous, Dave Holland, Buster Williams, NHOP, Charlie Haden, 

Jack deJohnette, Elvin Jones, Roy Haynes, Art Blakey, Tony Williams, Philly Joe Jones, Victor Lewis, 

Michel Petrucciani, McCoy Tyner, Stanley Cowell, H. Hancock (acoustic), Chick Corea (acoustic and Rhodes), George Cables, Bill Evans

Charles Tolliver, Woody Shaw, Miles, Tom Harrell, F. Hubbard, Booker Little, Kenny Dorham

Jean Luc Ponty, Zbigniew Seifert 

Vocalists: 

Jackie Ryan, Betty Carter, S. Vaughan, Anita O’ Day, Tina May, Sheila Jordan.

 

Thomas Georgi - viola d’amore. He is the master of baroque gestures.

I named a snail species for him: Anatoma georgii.

The Rippingtons....