Jazz Guitar

Slothman: I am a Jimmy Smith fan, though I don't think for a minute that as a soloist, he is an artist on the level of expressiveness of the best-loved horn or even piano players. Andress and Hedges are certainly identifiable and accomplished guitarists, though neither (and particularly Hedges, especially from a sonic standpoint) makes music that is my cup of tea aesthetically. But personal preferences aside, I concede what I think is your main point - that the guitar is an instrument which, in the right hands, can combine elements of single-note melody with both chordal and contrapuntal accompaniment to make a panoramic and rhythmic whole. The primary thrust of my comments was that there are reasons related to the instrument itself why jazz guitarists are not, as a catagory, thought of in quite the same high artistic regard or stylistic significance as horn and piano players.

I am the polar opposite of Zaikesman regarding his comments about the limited expressiveness or significance of the guitar compared to the horn or piano. I agree that there are more great horn players than great guitarist, but that's because there are more horn players (good and bad) than any other instrument. I also agree that the guitar can't compete with a piano as far as producing multiple musical lines simultaneously, but then again what other instrument can? So I guess I agree that the standard guitar (six strings covering 4 octaves) has certain design limitations, but that makes no nevermind when the instrument is in the hands of a great artist. The fact is a number, albeit small, of guitarist have attained the stylistic significance and are held in as high regard as any horn or piano player (of course excepting Louis Armstrong - he is the king). Two examples, Charlie Christian and John McLaughlin. Billie Holiday said that Charlie (an ex-piano player) would play all night, never play the same thing twice and every note would swing. The only other musician she ever raved about like that was Lester Young. Mr. Christian was also there at the birth of be-bop and was said to have influenced Monk and Diz. Miles Davis is generally considered a pretty good judge of talent and when Dave Holland brought McLaughlin to the "In A Silent Way" session it's reported that Davis was blown away. On later Davis albums there are tracks titled "John McLaughlin" and "Go Ahead John". The only other musician so honored by Mr. Davis was John Coltrane ("Trane's Blues"). So here you have two musicians who as guitar players who appear to be held in as high artistic regard by other musicians as any horn or piano player.

Just my opinion. BTW, I've owned guitars for 30 years, but I would hesitate to call myself a player.

As Zaikesman was saying, instruments have limitations/strenghts and weaknesses. A violin can sustain a single note with a hint of vibrato that can make you weep, a piano is just not capable of doing this, with the piano it's a case of play a note and your off and running but it gives you more harmonic complexity than available to any other instrument. Brass and reed are capable of great dynamic flexibilty and are (generally) easier to play ripping long quick arpeggios which make it very flexible and expressive for single note soloing. The guitar is not quite as strong as any of these instruments in thier individual strenghts and has until recent times had been considered an inferior instrument, but it emodies all the essential elements to make it arguably the most beautiful and flexible instrument (and difficult to play).

Since the advent of electricty the guitar has begun evolving at an unprecedented rate and we should consider ourselves fortunate to be living at a time when this is happening. When will the next Segovia/Christian/Hendrix come along? It used to be a saxaphone sitting in most peoples homes but nowadays it has been replaced by the guitar which is now played by more people than any other instrument.
Segovia said the guitar was the instrument of the angels, I for one agree but does this make it the strongest instrument for all styles of music?

All valid takes IMO. I do think Rockethouse is probably correct that guitar is the most-played instrument, but Onhwy61 could also be correct that all types of horns put together (or even just those commonly used in jazz) exceed it. I would also note that his examples of Christian and McLaughlin are, at least in the context that he brings them up, electric guitarists. It is my contention that this necessity of resorting to electrification is a part of what makes the guitar a second-tier instrument for jazz.

I completely agree that in a jazz combo setting an acoustic guitar is limited. BTW, I would argue that the human voice is by far the most expressive jazz instrument.