Classic Jazz Guitar

[sidewinder]

I knew Prez (orig title never issued - issued in 1987 on CD as "Smooth groove") prob hard to find - Candid (1961) (with J Coles (tp), Cecil Payne (bars) Jr Mance (p), Ben Tucker (b), Frankie Dunlop (d))

It came out on Japanese Candid vinyl as well. I've seen at least 2 copies (one of which I grabbed).

[A Lark Ascending]

Many thanks for all those recommended recordings.

I'm interested in the Billy Bauer record in particular, having heard him in other settings; and Chuck Wayne, René Thomas and Jimmy Gourley strike me as areas I might find interesting.

I was listening to a couple of Mundell Lowe recordings from the late 50s today, both very enjoyable. But what struck me at the end of 'The Mundell Lowe Quartet' disc was how unsusual the final 'Far from Vanilla' was - sounded like a Fred Frith track!!!

Another one I've read about elsewhere but would like to hear (I think it's MIA) is Bary Galbraith's 'Guitar and the Wind' - Galbraith is another of those players you come across on other discs but who seems to have recorded very little himself.

Nice to see Ed Bickert's name mentioned - I only really know him from a Rosemary Clooney and a Paul Desmond record but he raises both above the ordinary.

Keep them coming, especially recommendations for specific records.

Oh, and hi there MG! Really good to read your comments again. You've been much missed.

First off, I saw this in Costco and thought of you:

Progressions: 100 Years of Jazz Guitar

Proper has something similar:

Hittin' On All Six

A good collection. The one small annoyance is that the artists listed are usually the guitarist in the "name" artist's band.

Here are some other guitarists I've enjoyed over the years:

Ron Affif - check out his album "52nd Street" for some wicked guitar

Herb Ellis - can play virtually anything. One album I've enjoyed recently is "Texas Swings"

Lenny Breau - has a cult following (= died from drugs and in relative obscurity), but does live up to the expectations. Try "Cabin Fever."

Cal Collins - I like "Interplay" (with Herb Ellis)

Charlie Byrd - I've just scratched the surface with him - so many albums! Try "At The Village Vanguard."

John Fahey - only "not jazz" if you rigidly enforce the parameters. Otherwise, he'll definitely take you places. Start with "God, Time and Causality."

Charlie Christian - needless to say? The Minton's material is still powerful.

John Scofield - like it or not, one of the few guitarists who are still important. One I've loved for years: "I Can See Your House From Here" (with Pat Metheny)

Charlie Hunter - the most underrated guitarist in jazz. If you can find it, "TJ Kirk." Or "Friends Seen and Unseen."

Thanks all, once more. Especially all this help here, mjzee.

I've had the Proper box for several years and it gets plenty of mileage. If anything it's a bit frustrating because the guitarists on the final disc are so hard to track down on individual recordings.

I'm going to download a couple of Ellis albums when my e-music credits refresh in a couple of days. And looking up Lenny Breau, I'm intrigued. Not by the drugs but the country links. Looks like an interesting player.

Switching into recommending mode, two players from over here who play mainly in those pre-Hendrix styles are well worth a listen - Louis Stewart (Irish actually) and Dave Cliff.

I'm also very partial to this disc:

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

If we're talking about young(er) guitarists with a "classic" feel, there are a few I rather like.

Randy Johnston - has mainly recorded for Muse and HighNote, plus a couple for J-Curve. First heard him on a McDuff album and I was immediately taken by the enthusiasm of his approach, which reminded me of Grant Green's - though he doesn't sound like Green at all; he has the same kind of spirit in his playing.

Peter Bernstein - actually I think he sounds too much like Grant Green. If I want to hear someone sounding like Grant Green, I can listen to all of GG's recordings, thanks. But on someone else's albums, PB is most acceptable.

Ximo Tebar - a guitarist from Spain who has made a few very interesting organ trio albums with such luminaries as Lou Bennett and Dr Lonnie Smith. He has also made a bunch of pretty interesting albums in other veins. "Son Mediterraneo" is fairly easily obtainable and has a nice version of the Rodgrigo concerto adagio.

Russell Malone - lovely guitarist; apparently a nice guy. Met him at Brecon in 2000, where he turned in a great set.

Bob DeVos - Bob is a bit older than the others. Worked with Groove Holmes and other organists in the seventies. He has a liking for playing ballads in 6/8 and it's remarkably effective.

Er, and no one's mentioned Pat Martino. I can't say I like his own recordings much - too much like proper modern jazz for my taste - but his stuff with Jack McDuff and Willis Jackson in the sixties is right up my alley. (And also the couple of albums he made with Willis in the seventies.)

MG

[Niko]

I knew Prez (orig title never issued - issued in 1987 on CD as "Smooth groove") prob hard to find - Candid (1961) (with J Coles (tp), Cecil Payne (bars) Jr Mance (p), Ben Tucker (b), Frankie Dunlop (d))

It came out on Japanese Candid vinyl as well. I've seen at least 2 copies (one of which I grabbed).

i bought the candid cd for 1,70 euro on amazon.de a few weeks ago, should be easy to find... just playing one of the rene thomas jazz in paris cds at the moment, might like both of them better than the ojc... think my favorite cd with thomas on it is the thomas/clarke/louiss trio cd under eddy louiss name... i am also just getting started with guitar players beyond grant green, another fine jazz in paris cd is the toots thielemans cd (he doesn't play harmonica on it, he just whistles a little) with the georges arvanitas trio "blues pour flirter"..., only have one of the bacsik albums (nuages) and can only second the recommendations... heard christian escoude for the first time last week (on teddy edwards live in paris) and will certainly explore him more thoroughly in the nearer future...

i have the feeling that jimmy raney is the next guitar player i should give a try... if i just want one raney cd (for the moment) which one should that be?

[AllenLowe]

this has pissed off people before, but my biggest problem with jazz guitarists is that they have no real SOUND - too soft and "mellow," from the land of solid state - for an idea of what jazz guitar could sound like listen to BB King's earliest recordings - 1950-1951 - deep and rich, still would have been appropriate for a jazz player -

[Joe G]

i have the feeling that jimmy raney is the next guitar player i should give a try... if i just want one raney cd (for the moment) which one should that be?

featuring Bob Brookmeyer is a nice one.

[mjzee]

I'm also very partial to this disc:

If you like Howard Alden, then you'll love Jimmy Bruno. They sometimes play together. Check out Burnin'.

Burnin'

I was very fortunate, a number of years back, to attend a concert as part of the JVC Jazz Festival in NYC that was a tribute to Barney Kessel, after his stroke. The rhythm section throughout was Winard Harper on drums and, I think, Ray Drummond on bass. Anyway, one duo was Alden and Bruno. Another set was a trio of Herb Ellis, Charlie Byrd, and Tal Farlow. Closing the night was the great Kenny Burrell. A wonderful evening, and a great introduction to so many guitarists. Oh, Russell Malone played too. He's really good, and dependable - check out his At The Jazz Standard CDs, and his work with Diana Krall.

TMG mentioned Pat Martino. Of course. Some of his Muse dates are in a sort of Hendrix/eastern mode, but there are many more sides to him (and by him). If you like grease, check out Stone Blue. For more straight-ahead work, try Desperado or Consciousness. I also liked his tribute to Wes Montgomery, "Remember."

I'll check out the Howard Alden.

[Tom Storer]

I like Pat Martino's "Consciousness." Particularly side two (I had it on vinyl in high school).

[A Lark Ascending]

If you like Howard Alden, then you'll love Jimmy Bruno. They sometimes play together. Check out Burnin'.

Burnin'

As chance would have it, I'm just listening to:

An excellent solo disc. I'm also fond of this one:

Bruno plus two more guitars - Vic Juris and Corey Christiansen + rhythm. Very nice coice of titles:

All Blues (8:10)

Cantaloupe Island (5:08)

Freedom Jazz Dance (5:24)

Impressions (7:16)

Killer Joe (8:52)

Milestones (5:41)

On Green Dolphin Street (6:38)

Peace (6:24)

Softly as in a Morning Sunrise (8:36)

Solar (5:18)

Edited October 27, 2008 by Bev Stapleton

[Larry Kart]

i have the feeling that jimmy raney is the next guitar player i should give a try... if i just want one raney cd (for the moment) which one should that be?

featuring Bob Brookmeyer is a nice one.

And it sounds a good deal better here than it did on LP.

Among later Raney albums, this one is very good:

http://www.amazon.com/Master-Jimmy-Raney-Q...pd_bxgy_m_img_c

There's also a LP only so far MPS trio album from the '70s with Richard Davis and IIRC Alan Dawson that's special. But there's a lot to love. The Jamey Aebersold label Raney plays duos with himself record is fantastic, and both father and son Doug play beautifully on the several albums they did together. If you can put up with the sound, the two CD set of Raney live at Bradley's in the '70s has some great playing from him.

Just to be clear, I see that there are two Raney discs from Aebersold. This is the one I mean:

http://books-videos-music.musiciansfriend....k-CD?sku=906694

[7/4]

interesting Rainey thread here.

[Joe G]

I spent a couple of fruitful hours yesterday working on "Invention" from the Play Duets w/Raney CD. Great lines in the head, and it was especially ear-opening to jam along with the backing track for a while, then give a listen to his soloing. Some surprising twists and turns in what he does. The changes are from There Will Never Be Another You.

[Joe G]

Momentary diversion...

Larry, in the Raney thread that David linked to, you posted this gem:

Also, the exposed format highlights one of Raney's key virtues IMO: As much as any player, the swing of his lines lies not so much in the attack/accent realm but in the progression of pitches, the way (like a lot of Bach) each note tugs against the harmonic gravity/rhythm this way or that and reshapes expectations of what's coming next.

I found that to be very interesting (and astute). Interesting because I've been studying out of a book called "Forward Motion", by pianist Hal Galper in which this point forms the main thesis of the entire book: that strong lines are created when chord tones (either given or superimposed) are syncronized with the strong beats of a measure (1 and 3), while color tones are lined up with the weak or "off" beats. Bach's music is perfectly clear in this regard, as is Raney's.

I wish we had more time in Chicago to talk about stuff like this, but so it goes.

Back on topic.

[Larry Kart]

Momentary diversion...

Larry, in the Raney thread that David linked to, you posted this gem:

Also, the exposed format highlights one of Raney's key virtues IMO: As much as any player, the swing of his lines lies not so much in the attack/accent realm but in the progression of pitches, the way (like a lot of Bach) each note tugs against the harmonic gravity/rhythm this way or that and reshapes expectations of what's coming next.

I found that to be very interesting (and astute). Interesting because I've been studying out of a book called "Forward Motion", by pianist Hal Galper in which this point forms the main thesis of the entire book: that strong lines are created when chord tones (either given or superimposed) are syncronized with the strong beats of a measure (1 and 3), while color tones are lined up with the weak or "off" beats. Bach's music is perfectly clear in this regard, as is Raney's.

I wish we had more time in Chicago to talk about stuff like this, but so it goes.

Back on topic.

I'm glad to hear you say that because there's so much I don't know about music technically, but I think I hear pretty well a lot of the things I don't have the names for.

[Aggie87]

Bev -

Not sure where you're drawing your bounds on "classic jazz guitar" style-wise, but Django Reihhardt's gypsy/hot club music is well worth checking out! And Bireli Lagrene has made some wonderful recordings in this style with his Gipsy Project as well.

Also second the Tal Farlow Mosaic recommendation, as well as the Wes Montgomery Riverside stuff, and Jim Hall Live!

And Joe Pass - Joy Spring, and For Django.

[A Lark Ascending]

Not really drawing any boundaries, Aggie87. I suppose I was really thinking of the electric guitar tradition that comes out of Charlie Christian. I'm familiar with Django (I have the two JSP sets, though not the more recent radio set). Not too keen on Grappelli but I love the guitar.

I have the Farlow and Smith sets (fruits of a thread like this on another site a couple of years back). The Hall live too.

The Pass Mosaic is on its way to me as we speak. Looking forward to that as I only know Pass from his Pablo years (though he is on a fair few tracks of the Gerald Wilson Mosaic).

At heart I like music with a lyrical side more than the energetic or funky. So I'm always on the look out for different recordings of jazz guitar which often veres that way.

Someone bought me Pat Martino's 'Stone Blue' which I've not really got on with - the keyboards lose me. But I love 'We'll be Together Again' (where I am very open to the e-p); and, especially, this marvellous disc:

[Sundog]

Howard Alden/Jack Lesberg- No Amps Allowed

A guitar/bass duet album. Probably my favorite Alden side that I own. A really interesting selection of tunes including Test Pilot by Johnny Smith, No Moon At All, Ellington's Black Beauty, and the more obscure Dancers In Love also by Ellington. Chord melody, burning single note lines, Howard does it all on this one.

Stan Getz- Complete Roost Recordings

Lots of fine Jimmy Raney and Johnny Smith on this collection. Raney really stands out.

Philip Catherine- I Remember You

Drumless trio (guitar, flugelhorn, and bass). Very fine versions of Nardis and Mobley's Funk In Deepfreeze. This setting really showcases Philip's more melodic introspective side. Hard to pick just one Philip Catherine album. Both the "Trio" albums with NHOP are exceptional as well.

Stephane Grappelli- Young Django

Philip Catherine, Larry Coryell, NHOP, and Grappelli performing songs Django and Stephane made famous. Coryell has rarely, if ever, sounded more inspired. Philip and the rest of the band really push him. This one may also change your opinion of Grappelli. Also, remarkably well recorded if that kind of thing matters to you.

On the more modern side...

Bobby Broom- Modern Man

Organ trio album plus Ronnie Cuber on baritone.

Deep Blue Organ Trio- Deep Blue Bruise

Organ Trio with Bobby Broom, Chris Foreman, and Greg Rockingham.

Jessie Van Ruller- Circles

All his releases are very good but this one kills. Another organ trio album supplemented by Seamus Blake on tenor. Jesse gets absolutely no play on this board which is very surprising. He is one of the more interesting guitarists of the last 10 years.

[AllenLowe]

Larry, let me just add that I have heard Barry Harris compare Raney's ability to alter melodic expectations to Bird's - and Barry does not give such praise easily -

[Peter Friedman]

Here are some guitar CDs I enjoy that have not, to the best of my recall, been mentioned.

Peter Leitch Quartet - A Special Rapport - Reservoir 129

Ed Bickert Trio - Out Of The Past - Sackville 2-2065

Joe Cohn - Restless - Arbors 19329

Barney Kessel - Spontaneous Combustion - Contemporary 14033-2

Gene Bertoncini With Bill Charlap and Sean Smith - Chiaroscuro 354

Doug Raney Quartet - Blues On A Par - Steeplechase 31341

Reg Schwager & Don Thompson - Live At Mezzetta - Sackville 2-2057

Peter Bernstein Quartet - Signs Of Life - Criss Cross - 1095

Emily Remler - East To Wes - Concord Jazz 4356

Herb Ellis & Red Mitchell - Live At The LOA - Concord Jazz 4372

Randy Johnston - Walk On - Muse 5432

Jimmy Raney - In Tokyo - Xanadu FDC 5157

Dave Cliff Duo & Quartet - Sipping At Bells - Spotlite 553

[A Lark Ascending]

Thanks, Peter.

The Ed Bickert is on my list to download from e-music later on.

A question, probably without an answer beyond 'they like the chords'...

Why do so many guitarists record 'Here's that Rainy Day'?

Edited October 29, 2008 by Bev Stapleton

[7/4]

I don't see George Van Eps mentioned, I have a couple of his solo albums. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them.

Ted Greene - solo guitar (it's his only album)

Both of these guys are guitar gurus, having written lots of material on guitar harmony and chord voicing.

* As previously noted, Jimmy Raney & Tal Farlow is essential.

Edited October 29, 2008 by 7/4

[Joe G]

* As previously noted, Jimmy Rainey & Tal Fatlow is essential.

A twofer misspelling!

[7/4]

fixed.

yer too fast for me Joe.

[Joe G]

It's that Joementum thing.

[7/4]

It's that Joementum thing.

Speaking of Joementum...you were discussing the Raney duets. Have you thought about writing some guitar duets like that? I totally dig his and John Abercrombies guitar orchestras on Characters.

Just guitar.