Who is your favorite instrumentalist or instrumental group?

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

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra 

Apocalyptica - they do cello versions of Metallica songs.

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

 

 

 

 

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).