I'm pretty new to Jazz music and interesting in buying some CDs that have the following characteristics. 1. Smooth jazz with Acoustic Guitar, drum and percussion. 2. It should be involving and live like.
I have been listening to Peter White, Kenny G, and Earl Klugh and love them. Thanks in advance for your inputs.
Martin Taylor - Artistry and Live in Concert in Pittsburgh on Linn records. Steve Masakowski - For Joe, Direct Axxess, etc. on Blue Note. Mimi Fox - Standards Old and New, etc. Paul Meyers - I Let a Song Go... and Dawn to Dusk. Peter Bernstein- Monk, Live at Smalls (solo) Jimmy Raney - But Beautiful Kenny Burrell - Moon and Sand, Lotus Blossom Lage Lund - Idlewyld Lenny Breau - Swingin' on a Seven String John Stowell and Ulf Bandgren - Throop Russell Malone, Heartstrings, + Benny Green Live Paolo Bellinatti and Monica Salmaso - Afro Sambas
Try Elecric bass guitar work from Dean Peers' UCROSS'. Amazing playing and great recording. Bill Frisell's new Ghost town is also notable, but not great
Without a doubt, one of the best performances ever... Friday Night in San Fransisco - Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin and Paco De Lucia all on acoustic guitar.
Larry Coryell has been around a long time playing electric and fusion guitar. Not exactly a "lounge player" but some of his recent acoustic work is fascinating and beautiful (these are on hard to find labels), especially for audiophiles. Ralph Towner plays 6 & 12 string acoustic and has a number of releases on ECM--my recent favorite is "A Closer View" duets with Gary Peacock on bass. Also check out John Scofield's "Quiet."
John Scofield is very popular in Europe and is now beginning to gather a following here in the States. Scofield has released work with Metheny and Hayden among others.
Very good suggestions, Sdcampbell. I'd add only one name: Howard Roberts. However, he'd never explore a tune to the extent I'd have liked. (Am told he tended to be a lot more ruminative in his nightclub appearances in Phoenix(?).
You studied under Charlie Byrd? Wow, that must have been a treat. Didn't he also record a "Live at the Village Vanguard" or is my memory failing?
Oh, one more. How could I forget George Van Epps, an incredibly gifted musician.
I appreciate your positive remark, Frap! After I made my initial post, I realized that I forgot to mention two of my favorite contemporary guitarists, John Abercrombie and Bill Frisell. Frisell amazes me at times, because he can manage to sound like a number of different guitarists, depending on which style he chooses to play. His albums of the past 5 years or so are consistently creative, intelligent, and musical as hell, ranging from jazz to mildly folky to rock-flavored (such as his CD several years ago with Ginger Baker, the great British drummer). Some other guitarists that I admire: Emily Remler (who sadly died much too young some 10+ years ago), Martin Taylor (fine British player), and John McLaughlin (the stellar British guitarist who played with Miles Davis, then his own Mahavishnu Orchestra, and later did several excellent "straight jazz" CD's). About 15 years ago, Stanley Jordan enjoyed the popular spotlight and was critically acknowledged for his style of playing in which he tapped the strings with his fingertips rather than plucking or strumming. In closing, I'll share a personal note, and mention that many years ago (when I was in high school in the late 1950's near Washington, DC), I took guitar lessons from Charlie Byrd. Charlie was a fine man and a wonderful musician, and his technique amazed me. He could pluck notes with both hands, and sometimes used to amuse the audience by plucking notes on the neck of the guitar using just the fingers of his left hand. Charlie played for a number of years at the old Showboat Lounge off Connecticut Avenue in DC, and I took my regular girlfriend there for many evenings of beautiful music that ranged from Swing-flavored popular songs, to bossa nova, to classical music and flamenco. It was with great sadness that I learned of Charlie's death late last year. The music world -- not just the jazz world -- lost a stellar musician.
Have you listened to Russell Malone yet? Somewhat of a newcomer, but this cat can play. His first disc is self titled and is on the Columbia label. Can also be found on Roy Hargrove's cd Habama. Lastly I think he did some work with Diana Krall, and Cyrus Chestnut. Good listening!
Just wanted to say one would be wise to heed Sdcampbell's recommendations; and dont miss the Charlie Bird/Laurindo Almeida LP/CD duets on Concord Picante. They are terrific together. I very much agree the work by Wes Montgomery on Riverside is his best, but his work on Verve may attract Supakit more at this stage. Anyway, great pics Sd.
George Benson, Norman Brown, Chuck Loeb, Spyro Gyra, Herbie Handcock, Bill Frisell, Lee Ritenour, Thom Rotella, The Rippingtons and Craig Chaquico are some of my favorites that might strike your fancy, best wishes Tim
Norman Brown, Marc Antoine and Larry Carlton (Fourplay) are a few of the first contemporary ones that come to mind. You've already discovered Peter White, who is excellent. There's sone great suggestions in the above reply as well. There's a wealth of good stuff out there, but these are a few of my favorites.
Well, as an old jazz fan who loves acoustic guitar, let me offer a few of my personal favorites as suggestions: 1. Charlie Byrd: almost all of Charlie's recordings were good, but "Jazz Samba" (with Stan Getz), "Live At The Village Gate" on the Riverside label, and most of his recordings on Concord Jazz are all good. His last recording before his death in December, 2000, which was dedicated to Louis Armstrong, was also a fine effort. Charlie played both jazz and classical guitar, having studied for several years with Andres Segovia, the master. 2. Tal Farlow: very tasty electrical guitar recordings with trio and quartet. 3. Grant Green: several excellent, bluesy albums from the mid-1960's on the BlueNote label (at least one has been re-issued on the JVC XRCD series). 4. Wes Montgomery: one of the greats on electric jazz guitar. His recordings for Riverside represent his best work. 5. Herb Ellis and Barney Kessel: fine jazz guitarists from the Swing tradition. 6. Kenny Burrell: the best of the hard-bop electric guitarists. 7. Joe Pass and Jim Hall: my personal nominees for the greatest electric guitarists in jazz during the past 40 years.
Hope this gets you started. If you get serious about listening to jazz guitar, you should also explore the work of Django Reinhart, the great Gypsy jazz guitarist from the Swing era.
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