Yup David, and the better the artist, the higher his standards in musicians. Think about it: The first three guitarists in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers band and albums were (in order) Eric Clapton, Peter Green, and Mick Taylor! The Yardbirds had Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, then Jimmy Page (well, 2 outta 3 ain’t bad ;-) !
Other guys who have always surrounded themselves with great musicians are Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, Richard Thompson, Buddy Miller, Jim Lauderdale, Marty Stuart, T Bone Burnett, Ry Cooder, Randy Newman, Bonnie Raitt, and.....well, I could go on for quite awhile, so that’s enough outta me!