Classic Jazz Guitar

[A Lark Ascending]

Hunted around and found all sorts of guitar threads (many on individual guitarists) but none that seem to focus in on general CD recommendations. There was a very good one on another board (with Jim R...what happened to him?...proving particularly helpful). I'm not a musician but I'm particularly taken by the sound of the jazz guitar, so am always on the lookout for recommended discs.

No strict definition intended with 'Classic Jazz Guitar' - I just mean pre-rock/McLaughlin/Hendrix styles (and no criticism intended of those styles and those that stemmed from them...that's where I began and I still find pleaure there).

I'm not a novice in this area - I have the Johnny Smith and Tal Farlow Mosaics and lots of Jim Hall, Kenny Burrell, Louis Stewart, Grant Green, Charlie Christian etc. At present I'm exploring a couple of discs by Mundell Lowe and Jimmy Raney.

So, what 'classic' guitar records - either from the pre-rock period or bang up to date but in those earlier styles - particularly excite you?

[Clunky]

For relatively early jazz guitar I like Carl Kress on the compilation Fun on the Frets released on Yazoo,

How about Billy Bauer Plectrist- it's a real pity so little was released under his own name. It's fairly conservative compared to his work with Tristano or Konitz but offers a different sound to other 50s guitarists. Now available from the usual Spanish/Andorran suspects.

[Parkertown]

I'm just now starting to listen to Chet Atkins, but then, I guess that's not really jazz....

I sure love how the original Living Stereo RCA records sound. I found some minty ones of his recently. I'm diggin' that "In Hollywood" album.

How would some of you categorize Chet Atkins' music? Country? Americana? Pop?

Jazzwise? I really dig Kenny Burrell. Midnight Blue is a perfect album, at least for me.

I'd like to hear more Jim Hall too.

[Big Beat Steve]

For relatively early jazz guitar I like Carl Kress on the compilation Fun on the Frets released on Yazoo,

How about Billy Bauer Plectrist- it's a real pity so little was released under his own name. It's fairly conservative compared to his work with Tristano or Konitz but offers a different sound to other 50s guitarists. Now available from the usual Spanish/Andorran suspects.

Agree on both counts.

Beyond that, TAL FARLOW just can't do wrong with me (either the recordings under his own name or his 50s work with Red Norvo).

Some often-overlooked items from roughly the same period:

Hank Garland - "Jazz Winds From a New Direction"

Chuck Wayne - "Tasty Pudding", and "String Fever"

Jimmy Raney - Visits Paris

[sidewinder]

Second the recommendation on Tal Farlow. Anything on his Mosaic set really. And talking of Mosaics there's the fine collection on Roost by Johnny Smith

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

George Freeman - the most incredible jazz guitarist I've heard. For a guy who's been around since the forties, he's made few albums as a leader - even fewer than his brother Von.

Birth sign - Delmark 424 (1969) (still available, I think) - features Von Freeman & Maurice MacIntyre (ts), Lester Lashley (tb), Sonny Burke or Robert Prince (org), Billy Mitchell (a different one) (d). Produced by Michael Cuscuna, so you know this goes a bit beyond what I usually go for

Introducing George Freeman with Charlie Earland Sittin' in - Giant Step GS005 (1970/71) (very hard to find I think)

New improved funk - Groove Merchant 519 (1973) - with Von (ts), John Young (p), Leroy Jackson (b), Bob Guthrie (d) or Von (ts), Bobby Blevins (org), Marion Booker (d) - looks as if it's a funk album but it's much more.

Man & woman - GM 3305 (1974) - with Harold Mabern or Kenny Barron (p), Bob Cranshaw (b)m Buddy Williams (d). Mostly standards.

These GMs have recently been reissued on CD by Unidisc of Canada and are also on e-music I think.

Frantic diagnosis - Bam-boo 003 (c1976) neither this nor the Ubiquity LP reissue are available. With Dave Hubbard (fl,as) Von Freeman (ts) Caesar Frazier (org) Charles Earland (synt), Gary Jenkins (d) Eddie Moore, Donald Rivers (perc) Billy Conners (cga) - very popular with the acid jazz crowd but this is a very avant album, but with a crackling beat. Just been listening to it. Fantastic!

Rebellion - Southport 027 (1995) - with Von (ts), Penny Pendleton (b), Michael Raynor (d). Very interesting long versions of standard material.

George Burns! - Southport 0057 (1997) - with Lou Gregory (p), Eldee Young (b), Phil Thomas (d) + guests, inc Von (1 track). I love this one. People say it's not as interesting as Rebellion and I guess that's true, but it has such enthusiasm. And yes, George BURNS!

I think these two Southports are available.

At long last George - Savant 2035 (2000) - with Lloyd Wilson (org), Curtis Prince (d), Kevin Patrick (perc) + guests inc Von (3 trks), and some vocals by Kurt Elling (2 trk) Rene Marie (1 tk).

George doesn't sound like anyone else. He is definitely off to one side.

MG

[John L]

Yes, George Freeman is fantastic. So is the other more famous George (Benson). I still love his earlier records.

Edited October 26, 2008 by John L

[seeline]

Christian Escoudé is a fave of mine - a very lyrical player who draws equally from Gypsy styles and jazz (pre-bop and bop).

[king ubu]

not an important guy by any account, but his Jazz in Paris 2CD release is very good: Sacha Distel

Jimmy Gourley - he pops up on some Jazz in Paris releases, notably the good one by Eddy Louiss. His Elabeth CD "Double Take" with Barney Wilen is great.

From Raney, another nice one comes to mind, a recent "Decca Original": Jimmy Raney & Bob Brookmeyer

Billy Bauer's "Plectrist" is fascinating, another vote for it!

Herb Ellis has some nice albums as well... there's a "Verve Original" of his as well that is quite good (with Mariano and Holman I think)

Of course there's Barney Kessel, then... haven't heard a bad note from him... I only have two of his Contemporary releases so far, but I'll have to get more eventually.

Then someone else: Ray Crawford. Can't give any good recommendations, but he makes me sit up and listen almost every time he's on an album I listen to (sidemen things only).

[king ubu]

Christian Escoudé is a fave of mine - a very lyrical player who draws equally from Gypsy styles and jazz (pre-bop and bop).

I just heard Escoudé the first time a couple of days ago, listening to him on René Urtreger's fine album "Masters" (Carlyne, Universal France reissue). He's indeed good! I played all those four Carlyne Urtreger discs for the first time, and on the first one (Masters is the latest), there's another fine guitarist by the name of Marc Fosset. I don't know anything about him, but I'm quite sure it would be interesting to hear more of him, too!

Someone else: René Thomas - for instance his RCA album with the Bobby Jaspar/René Thomas band (there's a Mole Jazz disc, too, but that one's hard to find I guess... maybe easier for you Bev, in England?). And of course his great OJC with JR Monterose. He's got two Jazz in Paris discs as well, but I like the two with Jaspar and the OJC better.

The Raney Visists Paris are two discs, btw. One is in quartet with Sonny Clark, the other in changing settings with Jaspar and Roger Guérin making the band (with Maurice Vander at the piano) a quintet and sextet for some tunes. Those were on two of those black Original Vogue Masters digipacks from the late 90s. The first album with Clark has been on at least two Fresh Sound reissues as well, with that yellow cover. It's the better of the two, and I think nowadays the easier one to find (though of the two black ones I kept seing Vol. 2 for years in sales bins).

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Then someone else: Ray Crawford. Can't give any good recommendations, but he makes me sit up and listen almost every time he's on an album I listen to (sidemen things only).

Yes, Ray's another good 'un who's not made too many albums. Quite a bit of interesting sideman stuff, from Soul Jazz to Hard Bop and probably other styles.

As a leader, he's made

I knew Prez (orig title never issued - issued in 1987 on CD as "Smooth groove") prob hard to find - Candid (1961) (with J Coles (tp), Cecil Payne (bars) Jr Mance (p), Ben Tucker (b), Frankie Dunlop (d))

It's about time - Dobre (1977) (never reissued on CD, prob hard to find) (with Ronnell Bright (p), Herbie Lewis (b), Donald Dean (perc))

Both are very good albums, but not worth paying big money for, in my view. Ray is a very good player, but not one to be a big fan of, if you see what I mean.

MG

[Free For All]

Ray Crawford is great on Ahmad Jamal's Chamber Music of the New Jazz.

I'd also put in a good word for Lenny Breau. I like Cabin Fever a lot, to name one.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Ray Crawford is great on Ahmad Jamal's Chamber Music of the New Jazz.

Yes, he's on the Jamal Epic/Okeh sessions reissue, too. Another thumbs up there. But I still think he's a kind of minor player who makes very interesting music.

MG

[michel1969]

I recommend :

René Thomas : Guitar groove

Billy Bauer : plectrist

Wes Montgomery : the incredible jazz guitar

Chuck Wayne : String Fever

Kenny Burrell, of course (especially Jazzmen Detroit

George Benson : Giblet Gravy

Grant Green Street of Dreams and Alive (my favourite GG, yes, why not ?)

Marc Ducret, especially the ultimate 1994 masterpiece News from the front

[Big Beat Steve]

Since the "Jazz In Paris" CD series and the name of René Thomas came up:

I'll second the mention of Sachs Distel's 2-CD set ad well as Rene Thomas' releases (Meeting Mister Thomas & The Real Cat).

And then there's another one graced with reissues in that series who's not to be overloked:

HENRI CROLLA!

Some of this treatments of standards, in particular, may be a bit florid for hard-hitting hard boppers, but there are a lot of gems in there, particularly on his "Notre ami Django" CD.

Edited October 26, 2008 by Big Beat Steve

[AllenLowe]

Django

Charlie Christian

Eddie Lang

Cal Smith

Tal Farlow

Howard Roberts

Lonnie Johnson (on the borderline)

[Ted O'Reilly]

Well, I'd say you can't go wrong with anything by Ed Bickert.

He's got the biggest ears in the world, most incredible harmonic sense, a respect for melody, and incessantly creative. A superb soloist and marvellous accompanist, a favourite of other guitarists, and loved by everyone who ever worked with him. (Anyone from Paul Desmond to Rosemary Clooney to Ruby Braff to Rob McConnell to Milt Jackson to Buddy Tate to...)

What else could you want?

He's well-represented on Concord and Sackville under his own name, and lots of other labels as a sideman. Bickert's one who should come with a money-back guarantee!

[seeline]

And then there's another one graced with reissues in that series who's not to be overloked:

HENRI CROLLA!

Some of this treatments of standards, in particular, may be a bit florid for hard-hitting hard boppers, but there are a lot of gems in there, particularly on his "Notre ami Django" CD.

Absolutely! He and Elek Bacsik are new to me, and I've been enjoying their work a lot.

[A Lark Ascending]

Many thanks for all those recommended recordings.

I'm interested in the Billy Bauer record in particular, having heard him in other settings; and Chuck Wayne, René Thomas and Jimmy Gourley strike me as areas I might find interesting.

I was listening to a couple of Mundell Lowe recordings from the late 50s today, both very enjoyable. But what struck me at the end of 'The Mundell Lowe Quartet' disc was how unsusual the final 'Far from Vanilla' was - sounded like a Fred Frith track!!!

Another one I've read about elsewhere but would like to hear (I think it's MIA) is Bary Galbraith's 'Guitar and the Wind' - Galbraith is another of those players you come across on other discs but who seems to have recorded very little himself.

Nice to see Ed Bickert's name mentioned - I only really know him from a Rosemary Clooney and a Paul Desmond record but he raises both above the ordinary.

Keep them coming, especially recommendations for specific records.

Oh, and hi there MG! Really good to read your comments again. You've been much missed.

Edited October 26, 2008 by Bev Stapleton

[Tom Storer]

Three of my favorites are:

- Joe Pass, Intercontinental (1969, I think), with Eberhard Weber on bass, Kenny Clare (not Clarke) on drums

- Jim Hall Live, with Don Thompson and Terry Clarke

- Kenny Burrell, A Night at the Village Vanguard, 1959, with Richard Davis and Roy Haynes

I had the K. Burrell on vinyl, got it when I was young, and I just picked it up on CD the other day. There are no fireworks but it has so much class.

Another guitar favorite is Jim Hall's duo with Ron Carter, "Live at Village West." Beautiful interaction, beautiful sound.

[mjzee]

Many thanks for all those recommended recordings.

I'm interested in the Billy Bauer record in particular, having heard him in other settings; and Chuck Wayne, René Thomas and Jimmy Gourley strike me as areas I might find interesting.

I was listening to a couple of Mundell Lowe recordings from the late 50s today, both very enjoyable. But what struck me at the end of 'The Mundell Lowe Quartet' disc was how unsusual the final 'Far from Vanilla' was - sounded like a Fred Frith track!!!

Another one I've read about elsewhere but would like to hear (I think it's MIA) is Bary Galbraith's 'Guitar and the Wind' - Galbraith is another of those players you come across on other discs but who seems to have recorded very little himself.

Nice to see Ed Bickert's name mentioned - I only really know him from a Rosemary Clooney and a Paul Desmond record but he raises both above the ordinary.

Keep them coming, especially recommendations for specific records.

Oh, and hi there MG! Really good to read your comments again. You've been much missed.

First off, I saw this in Costco and thought of you:

Progressions: 100 Years of Jazz Guitar

Proper has something similar:

Hittin' On All Six

A good collection. The one small annoyance is that the artists listed are usually the guitarist in the "name" artist's band.

Here are some other guitarists I've enjoyed over the years:

Ron Affif - check out his album "52nd Street" for some wicked guitar

Herb Ellis - can play virtually anything. One album I've enjoyed recently is "Texas Swings"

Lenny Breau - has a cult following (= died from drugs and in relative obscurity), but does live up to the expectations. Try "Cabin Fever."

Cal Collins - I like "Interplay" (with Herb Ellis)

Charlie Byrd - I've just scratched the surface with him - so many albums! Try "At The Village Vanguard."

John Fahey - only "not jazz" if you rigidly enforce the parameters. Otherwise, he'll definitely take you places. Start with "God, Time and Causality."

Charlie Christian - needless to say? The Minton's material is still powerful.

John Scofield - like it or not, one of the few guitarists who are still important. One I've loved for years: "I Can See Your House From Here" (with Pat Metheny)

Charlie Hunter - the most underrated guitarist in jazz. If you can find it, "TJ Kirk." Or "Friends Seen and Unseen."

[seeline]

Another great swing-style guitarist: Oscar Alemán. David Grisman reissued some of his recordings; you can get them on Emusic.com

here's a clip:

(No singing on the Grisman reissues, BTW!)

Edited October 27, 2008 by seeline

[AllenLowe]

Jimmy Bryant -

[Nate Dorward]

Thoughts on Barry Galbraith, anyone? Always thought he added a lot to George Russell's work (& I think he's on that Teddy Charles Atlantic disc too)--he seemed to vanish after that, though.....

[7/4]

Barry Galbraith

and mo'...

:rsmile: