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Legendary Guitarist Johnny Smith has died.


robertoart

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQHRPC81DDg

Thanks for posting that. At the time that was recorded, what many guitar players would be doing for the rest of their life was trying to find all those long out-of-print Johnny Smith LP's!

Every jazz guitar player I ever met or read about wanted some of that man's technique. A true legend in the world of jazz on the guitar (a reputation well earned), and by all accounts a great gentleman. RIP.

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We've just lost the greatest master of the plectrum guitar that ever lived.

Even today, nobody has even come close to the artistry JS displayed with a pick on those records he made on Roost in the 50s.

I bought every one of them, and still bought the Mosaic set.

You could play better jazz than him, you could swing more than him, but you CANNOT play the guitar with a pick better than him.

Rest In Peace, Johnny...

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We've just lost the greatest master of the plectrum guitar that ever lived.

Even today, nobody has even come close to the artistry JS displayed with a pick on those records he made on Roost in the 50s.

I bought every one of them, and still bought the Mosaic set.

You could play better jazz than him, you could swing more than him, but you CANNOT play the guitar with a pick better than him.

Rest In Peace, Johnny...

Sounds like a Johnny Smith vs Tal Farlow partisan feud might be in the air as for "guitar chops". ;)

Anyway, RIP Mr Smith. Here's another one who's appreciated your music (though admittedly I've pulled out my Tal Farlow Verve albums far more often than your Roost LPsthrough the years)

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We've just lost the greatest master of the plectrum guitar that ever lived.

Even today, nobody has even come close to the artistry JS displayed with a pick on those records he made on Roost in the 50s.

I bought every one of them, and still bought the Mosaic set.

You could play better jazz than him, you could swing more than him, but you CANNOT play the guitar with a pick better than him.

Rest In Peace, Johnny...

True. His technique was just about perfect with the pick.

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There are many interesting facts about JS that I've unearthed over the years, but they would mainly interest only guitarists.

However, he received the greatest endorsement of all when he played at Birdland in the 50s, and Bird himself would perch himself in the front to listen to him play.

Which is not to say that JS played in Bird's style- just that Bird recognized the beauty of Smith's genius on the guitar.

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