Looking for some GOOD guitar music

Some ideas. In the Spanish guitar area, check out Strunz and Farrah, and Ottmar Liebert. They are what is called "new Flamenco" I guess. I've seen Liebert in concert and have three of his CDs. He is an incredible technician. I've seen Strunz and Farrah on TV and was very impressed with them. Maybe you are seeking something more traditional, however.

In the "old jazz", check out Charlie Christian's work. He is widely believed to be the first jazz guitarist to play electric guitar, approximately the same time as T-Bone Walker was the first to play electric guitar blues.

 

Try Paco De Lucia.

 

"Old-Skool" Jazz guitar players-

Wes Montgomery
Grant Green
Joe Pass
Barney Kessel
Al Gafa
Pat Martino

BTW, Metheny's recent trio stuff, both Trio Live & the studio companion, Trio '99-'00, may change your opinion; Bill Stewart on cans & Larry Grenadier on URB.

 

jose feliciano is an awesome spanish/flamenco/classical guitarist

ottmar liebert he's different to say the least. go for his earlier stuff, IMO it's better than the new.

btw, ren and stimpy kick so much ass it's not even funny. i've been watching that show since i was 6 and haven't stopped. sure, some of you may find that pathetic but you got to admit that was a freakin' wierd show.

 

Pat Metheny and Paco De Lucia are two of my favs...

 

Classical:

Paul Galbraith's transcriptions of the Bach violin sonatas and partitas are very good.

Sharon Isbin has a new CD out with concertos by Tan Dun and Christopher Rouse.

Also check out the Assad brothers' recording of Piazzolla pieces. They've been done to death recently, but Piazzolla actually wrote some of them specifically for the Assads.

For sheer chops, listen to Eliot Fisk's recording of all 24 Paganini Caprices. It's on Musicmasters.

Jazz:

"Ren and Stimpy" is about as far from "traditional" archtop jazz as you can get! I think it's more rockabilly than jazz. But if you like that genre of sick n'twisted guitar, check out Bill Frisell's new recording with Dave Holland and Elvin Jones. Some of Andy Summer's new stuff hews close to Frisell also.

Other country/jazz/rockabilly wierdos include Brian Setzer and Junior Brown. Both have new stuff out; do an Amazon search.

If you want to hear some terrific solo fingerstylists, get Tuck Andress' "Reckless Precision" or any of Martin Taylor's recordings. For something a little different, try Charlie Hunter's "Duo". All three of these guys sound like one-man bands.

If you want Charlie Christian/George Benson/Django jazz guitar straightup, there's Mark Whitfield, Russell Malone, Mark Elf, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Frank Vignola, Bireli Lagrene, John Pizzarelli, Bucky Pizzarelli...the list goes on and on. Yawn.

 

If you are looking for some brilliant classic flamenco guitar playing, check out 'Spanish Caravan' by The Doors.

 

"Spanish Caravan" is actually a crib of "Asturias" by Isaac Albeniz.

 

All I have to say is damn right

And like the lizard king said "Spanish Carivan" has good classical stuff. I like it.

 

A lot of my favorite players have been mentioned here along with some guys I need to check out too.

I would add George Benson to this list. But I'm talking 60's and 70's. After that, his career took a turn and he focused on singing.

If I'm not mistaken, the three major jazz guitarists to emerge in the 60's were Pat Martino, Grant Green, and George Benson. And they are my favorites.

 

Under the genre of "really good guitar" would be Al DiMeola. Check "Elegant Gypsy" which has a superb collaboration with Paco de Lucia in the song "Mediterranean Sundance."

"DiMeola Plays Piazolla" was a collaboration with Astor Piazolla before the latter's death. "Splendido Hotel" is a CD which has an amazing example of flamenco compas, "Splendido Sundance."

Other excellent albums of DiMeola's are "World Sinfonia" and "Cielo e Terra."

In the rockabilly class, Brain Stezer's Stray Cats albums would be a great place to start. His later work is more big band swing in orientation. (Still good, but maybe not so much what you are after.)

I love Setzer. It is too bad the Stray Cats no longer play together. They used to put on one heck of a live concert. If you admire Ren and Stimpy music, you would have really enjoyed a Stray Cats concert. Setzer is a master of rockabilly guitar.

I have to add, too, that his bass player was every bit as entertaining. He had his acoustic bass hopped up with a flamed paint job like a hot rod and he'd ride the bass while he played it and other crazy antics! His bass lines are terrific for the style he played. What a show those Stray Cats put on!!

Back to DiMeola...a warning. He is one of those few guitarists who is so dog gone good, it makes you sick to hear him because is is so "out of this world" in mastery of tecnique and makes you wonder, "Oh, why bother even trying to play guitar?"

 

For classical/flamenco, look into Los Romeros. I think they are (were?) brothers or cousins. I have a cheap-o Phillips classical guitar CD with them on it. It's excellent. I wish I could remember the compositions they played ... the disc included a few flamenco pieces, but it was mostly classical music arranged for guitars or for guitar and violin (iirc).

 

The Romeros are brothers. Angel gets more publicity because he's better looking, but the true talent in the family is probably Pepe, who in addition to being a great classical guitarist is a kick-a$$ flamenco player as well.

DiMeola plays a mile a minute, but his tone on steel-string acoustic is something of an acquired taste. (He plays an Ovation.) That said, I do like his "World Sinfonia" recordings; I just wish he would throw away the cheesy-sounding guitar synth. Same goes for Metheny.

 

www.peaceworld.de

Peace - Jazz is dead since 69


All you could ever expect from modern jazz.

David

 

god help us we have a guitar player amongst us

 

For classical guitar, check out Christopher Parkening... and the master, Andres Segovia.

I also have a recording of the 24 Caprices by Alexander Markov on Violin... stunning!


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Baden Powell's music is excellent.

Raphael Rabello too.

Try also "Trio da Paz" with Romero Lubambo