discography / bibliography for guitar
Here is a brief list and description
of some of our most historically influential American guitar players and what I feel is
their best work, recordings and writing that really changed the way I thought about the
music. That this list is short is in no way indicative of what's out there and important,
just that these players / titles are all "classics" in their respective genres
or styles and still should be easy to find today. The names of these all-stars are
hyperlinked to a web site if there is one out there and you be on line to go there. As we
get to the bottom of the list of the more modern rockers, I drop out of the mix a bit as I
am simply a jazz guy at heart. And though I have heard of these players, I generally have
not followed their careers.
| Charlie Christian |
Mr. Christian was a
phenomena at the age of 21 and gone from us within a few years hence by 1943. There are a
couple of recordings dedicated to him, one a two record set that includes many other
famous musicians of his day. Charlie was the first of us guitar players that had an
amplified, electric guitar, which brought this instrument into the front line of melody
players / soloists. His lines are clear and concise, very "horn like" in their
articulation and clarity, setting the original standard for all of the jazz guitar players
who followed. So, any recordings you can find with Mr. Christian's sounds are well worth
at least one spin. |
| Chet Atkins Hank
Garland |
These two cats where
the cat's meow in Nashville, Tennessee, the heart and soul of American country and folk
music for decades. Of the two, Mr. Garland was the more adventurous towards the jazz
language while Mr. Atkins developed his own unique style of picking often called
"thumb style" which has been emulated and evolved by nearly every country player
since. Both heavy studio guys, they are literally on hundreds of records as sidemen. As
leaders, "Jazz Winds In A New Direction" is classic, cooking Hank Garland. |
| Joe Pass |
Mr. Pass was perhaps
the original Bebop voice for guitar. Combining an incredible facility with a bright and
fluid imagination, Joe's recordings still set a high standard for the emerging Bebop guys
even today. Look for records with Oscar Peterson and Ray Brown for some exciting and
swinging guitar playing in a small group format. Later in his career, Mr. Pass developed a
solo jazz guitar format that was revolutionary in it's day back in the 60's and 70's,
these are documented in the "Virtuoso" series. Added to this solo guitar format
is the voice of Ella Fitzgerald and together they celebrate the joy of American popular
song. |
| Wes Montgomery |
Wes Montgomery burst on
the jazz scene in the late 50's with an intensity and style that even today is
unmistakable. Playing without a pick, Wes came to be known for his octave doublings for
playing melodies and in his improvisations. By my way of hearing things, Wes was the
hardest swinging guitar player to ever get recorded. More hard bop and blues / gospel
based, his relaxed feel and deep down sense of the blues comes forth in a tenderness that
warms the soul. His live recording "Full House" is a good recording into his
legacy. |
| George Benson |
Mr. Benson is the
direct descendent to both Mr. Christian and Mr. Montgomery. We here their coolness evolved
in his lines. What Mr. Benson adds to this tradition of jazz guitar is a very deep sense
and understanding of the blues with all of the coolness from the Bebop era. Gifted with an
incredible picking technique, Mr. Benson oftentimes creates surging lines over blues based
changes that come from deep within the complexities of bebop, a mixing of the two styles
in totally heartfelt lines that swing with conviction. Moving towards the American pop
music sounds in the later 70's, Mr. Benson enjoys great popularity as a vocalist, often
scat singing along with his cool guitar lines. Look for the C.T.I. label records for
earlier, more straight ahead jazz work and the "Breezin" album from the late
70's for a start in his pop career, the playing on which is simply impeccable. This was
the record that changed the whole picture for me, for up to the time of hearing this
record, I had no idea that this sort of thing could be done on a guitar. Imagine that. |
| Eric Clapton |
Britain's Eric Clapton
came on to the American scene in the early 60's with various blues based groups. Emerging
as leader towards the end of that decade, he began to write and co-write songs of
incredible beauty and intensity mainly in the rock style, retaining his blues roots while
expanding beyond the blues form into more adventurous chord progressions. Later in his
career we find Mr. Clapton creating a new rock genre called "Unplugged",
referring to the amplification, where the players were mostly acoustic, still today
emulated by rising stars of the rock world. Today, Mr. Clapton enjoys a well earned global
popularity. The "Derek And The Dominoes" / "Layla" record is a must
for the rockers. "From the Cradle" an important recording for the aspiring blues
artists. |
| Duane Allman |
Duane Allman of the
Allman Brothers Band is by consensus one of the heaviest and most intense players in the
history of the American blues / southern rock genre. Duane's coolness is in his ability to
build and climax long extended lyrical solos in some of the most incredible blues rock on
record. A gifted slide guitarist, there is no lack of sincerity in any
of his work. On the Allman Brothers "Live At The Fillmore East", Duane just
roars from the opening lick to the closing crescendo. |
| Jerry Garcia |
An incredibly gifted
writer, lyricist and storyteller, Mr. Garcia's music has an American folk quality that is
truly joyous to behold. His guitar style and sound were completely unique as his band
"The Grateful Dead" emerged from the 60's rock and roll sounds to write some of
the most important non "top 40" American rock of the last 30 years or so. Jerry
was the originator of the west coast school of the "space jam", sounds we now
hear emulated by many popular groups on the scene today, much to the delight of the
dancers nationwide, as the music just grooves along for seemingly hours on end.
"Europe 72", a live record is a good place to start into Mr. Garcia's recorded
legacy, which must number 25 records plus the dozens of bootleg recordings made by fans at
his shows. |
| Stevie Ray Vaughn |
A blues man's blues
man, Mr. Vaughn got to the heart of the matter in the blues domain. His recording show a
fire nearly unmatched in his day while his original compositions show his deep sense of
the history of the blues. His recording "Texas Flood" is a good place to start
into his style. |
| Pat Metheny |
Perhaps the most modern
of the modernist, Mr. Metheny combines a whole new way of creating guitar sounds with a
true gift of writing passionate and important pieces in the modern jazz repertoire. His
way of playing is new, cool and refreshing and has set the standard for the new age
players emerging today. Perhaps Mr. Metheny's most amazing contribution to American music
is for his ability to defy the effects of tonal gravity while retaining a sense of key
center and emotional environment while building tremendous musical climaxes. Combining the
best of the players that has come before, his music creates a seamless aural groove, where
the bar lines and cadential motions go away: single note lines, chords, octave doublings
are all called upon to work the magic. His arrangements and expansion of existing musical
forms has opened up vast new writing vistas for contemporaries and those that will follow.
"Pat Metheny Group" was his among his first records and a good place to start in
his discography. |
| Larry Carlton |
leader / sideman |
jazz / rock fusion |
Did I leave anyone out? Got a
favorite player in any of the American styles that needs to be included here? Did you
check with the listing of players included by musical
styles or Americal legends to see if they are
there? If need be, write me about them and include
a bit of a bio as to their contribution and I'll try to add it in successive editions.
There is no bottom to the digital page so lots of space and of course I"ll include
your name in the acknowledgements.
Recommended
Books for guitar.
| Chord Chemistry
by Ted Green |
Helpful to all players
of all styles in that it gives the reader a sense of our entire musical resources and how
it all fits together melodically and harmonically. Very easy to read and understand. There
are also a two volume set of books by Mr. Green in regards to creating single note lines
that are completely comprehensive, providing the resource and theory used in creating the
jazz language. Along with his writing, Mr. Green is also an incredibly gifted player of
American song, those that search and find his recording ( s ) will be well rewarded. |
| Joe Pass - Jazz
Guitar Chords. |
A most important 30
pages or so for the emerging jazz guitarist. Essential chord shapes and pairings of
voicings to build a harmonic vocabulary of sounds for performance of the jazz standards.
Might be out of print. |
| George Russell - Lydian
Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization |
A cool theory book that
gets at the foundations of our tonality and looks at creating a Lydian basis for our
American musical structures, very cool and insightful for the hungry theorist. |
| Charlie Parker - "Omni"
Book. |
A collection of 50 or
so songs written by jazz legend Charlie Parker as transcribed off his recordings by Jamie
Aebersold and Ken Sloan. Included with the written melody of the song are chord changes
and Mr. Parker's solo. With the availability of these recordings on cd's today, the books
and music together create an incredible learning tool for the emerging jazz guitarist. As
many guitarists are not strong readers, this combination is potentially an important
doorway into the complexities of Bebop, thought by many to be the crown jewel of American
jazz. |
| Johnny
Smith Volume One and Two. |
These two
volumes by jazz great Johnny Smith provide a gradually ascending harmonic and melodic
scheme for the emerging creative guitarist. They read so easily and logically that Mr.
Smith will build a theoretical structure and understanding within the reader of any of the
styles of American music. |
| Fake
Books |
Fake books are usually
large volumes which are collections of songs. Usually in a lead sheet format, simply the
melody and chord symbols for the harmony, they provide working musicians with an easily
transportable library of tunes to take to work. For the aspiring artists of American song,
they provide a near inexhaustible supply of music to read through. There are at least a
dozen fake books in publication, check with friends and your local music store. |
Know any good guitar books that need
to be on this list? Please let me know. This list is short and sweet, and mostly directed
to the jazz artist.
- "Few things are harder to
put up with than a good example." Mark Twain