Best musician in the world?

Maybe you should have said "favorite" not best. These posts do not seem to be objective. If we are talking about someone alive, perhaps Quincy Jones should be on top of that list. He is the most accomplished musician I can think of, with significant contributions in every field, performance, composition, arranging, conducting, producing, publishing,executive administration and mentoring younger musicians.

I agree with Bmpnyc in theory anyhow. Quincy has done all of those things. However, Frank Zappa has also accomplished these things. I do not believe he was the most talented guitar player, but he was a brilliant conductor, producer, mentor (some very famous musicians got their start with the Mothers, eg. Steve Vai and Adrian Bellew), and arguably the greatest contempory composer of the 20th century. Is musicianship the ability to perform the music or conceptualize it? I think that Kacz's comments regarding how Neil Peart makes him feel when he listens to the music are very relevant (BTW - don't underestimate Peart's technical talent). As an example, Steve Vai is undeniably a better technician than Jerry Garcia, but I would rather listen to Jerry's guitar solo in Unbroken Chain (Mars Hotel) than hear Vai deedle-deedle-deedle away at a thousand passionless notes per second. I tend more towards the artists vision than execution or ability to play several instruments. In that light, Woodman's choices of Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix, moreso, are very compelling. By creating Modal Jazz, Miles Davis did more for the evolution of Jazz than anyone had in a long time. Miles was also a great musician. Hendrix did more for the evolution of contemporary electric guitar than Chuck Berry. Additionally, Hendrix was an exceptional guitar player. But in that light, there are many others whose efforts have created new and interesting evolutions in music. How do you determine which one is more relevant than the other?

The Best...? he is, probably somewhere, cleaning the floors and emptying waste baskets...! The list above, is rather sad one...just as the world is. TURNING THE FOOLS INTO RICH HEROES!! The last, of the best ones, probably died 150 years ago!

I don't know about best, but my favorite has to be Buddy Guy. I saw him in a live performance, and besides his high NRG guitar pyrotechnics, he has a smile and stage presence that could light up Montana. BGs version of "Mustang Sally" is the most incredible I've ever heard. Eric Clapton once referred to him as "the greatest blues guitarist in the world"-- I agree. Craig.

The best whisky in the world is NOT Lagavulin, it is PORT ELLEN, distillery closed in 1983 and now demolished.