Some of the most influential and innovative guitarists have emerged from the world of Jazz – often with breathtakingly fast technique and intricate phrasing – Jazz maestro’s can match anything that rock and roll can produce – indeed the Jazz genre has been popular for almost 100 years and from trad jazz to new world fusion pioneers they are a diverse breed producing a wide spectrum of sound.
So what makes a great Jazz guitarist? Flamboyance – technique and a dash of magic – our top 10 list features guitarists who have their own unique styles and sound – often mimicked but never matched. Want to get into Jazz guitar? Well check out these ten great players.
1. Joe Pass
With a career that spanned 50 years, including time spent with Frank Sinatra, Dizzy Gillespie and Herb Ellis – Pass became renowned for his solo style that utilized complex finger picking technique coupled with a deft left hand phrasing. With an Epiphone signature guitar released in his honor – Pass is a true great
2. Pat Metheny
Part of the modern Jazz set – Metheny is a real innovator on guitar – mixing a broad palette of musical influences from rock to folk, orchestral and traditional Jazz. Hard to pin down with a specific technique but with influences from Joe Pass to Wes Montgomery he’s has a career that spans 30 years and remains highly regarded.
3. Les Paul
One of histories most important guitarists. Central in the development of the modern guitar and recording techniques. It was however as a Jazz Guitarist that he became famous – with a fast fluid style reminiscent of the great Django Reinheardt but with a distinctive country twang he’s blazed a trail throughout his career – the fact that Les Paul still played to audiences in his 90’s is testament to how important this man is.
4. Wes Montgomery
Montgomery played with a distinctive style – discarding the use of a pick he played with mostly with his thumb resting his fingers on the guitar’s body. With intricate phrasing including use of Octaves – Montgomery sound is easily distinguishable – despite a career that was cut short at the tender age of 43 – Montgomery still had time to record a string of hit Jazz albums and influence a wealth or artists.
5. Charlie Christian
Hugely influencial in the Jazz genre and one of first mainstream Electric Guitarists but with a frustratingly brief career (dying at the age of 25) – renowned for his playing with the Benny Goodman orchestra in the 30’s and 40’s
6. John Mclaughlin
Incredible Jazz Fusion artist – part of the Mahavishnu Orchestra fusion group in the 70’s. With a blinding fast technique and influenced by world music sound – McLaughlin is a unique voice in the world of Jazz.
7. Herb Ellis
Reaching the Jazz audience with his stint with the Oscar Peterson trio in the ‘50’s Ellis has continued to record and play with a range of artists – with a fast – fluid but still melodic style – Ellis has a distinctive voice in the world of jazz guitar and inspiring tecfhnique.
8. Charlie Byrd
Grammy award winning and with a career that spanned 40 years – classically trained Byrd was heavily influenced by the South American bossa nova sound made his name playing with Stan Getz during the 1960’s -
9. Kenny Burrell
With a style that marries a soulful technique with a love of bebop, Burrell has played with a bucket load of greats including Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz and Benny Goodman – with a treasure of over 40 albums and career spanning over 50 years Burrell is a true Jazz master
10. Django Reinhardt
No list of Jazz guitarists would be complete without mentioning Django – with a Gypsy upbringing and musical influence he had a fascinating technique which involved picking close to the bridge and one string solo’s – influenced by few but influencing many – he remains perhaps the most important Jazz Guitarist of all time.
By: Adrian Martin
Jazz guitar talk is generally focused around one thing – sound. The tone of your instrument will play a huge role in the sound that you achieve. If you are engaging in live performances, and jam sessions, no doubt you will be using an amplifier too. Finding a good amp for playing jazz guitar is just as important as finding a good guitar. Let us avoid discussing which amps are “better” than others, and get down to the important issues you need to focus on when you are looking for a good amp for playing jazz guitar.
Traditional Jazz
Players who are concentrating on developing a traditional jazz sound are going to be looking for just one thing in a guitar amp – a clean sound. If you want a traditional, clean jazz sound, then you will commonly gravitate toward a solid state amp or a tube amp. Solid state amps are easier to care for than tube amps, they are less prone to damage and most importantly they deliver clean, distortion free sounds on a regular basis. This is what makes them extremely popular among jazz guitarists. The biggest complaint about solid state amps is that they tend to sound “flat” and elicit little life from the tone of the instrument. Tube amps, on the other hand, are believed to deliver a much warmer tone, and some players insist that their sound is more alive when they use a tube amp. Unfortunately, tube amps are prone to distortion, typically something traditional jazz guitarists want to avoid at all costs. Despite their expensive maintenance bills and extreme weight on the move, tube amps are exceptionally popular, for those who favor the clean, traditional sounds of jazz as well.
Contemporary & Modern Jazz
For the more modern and contemporary jazz guitarist, a good amp may come in many shapes, sizes and forms. Players who are looking for a more mixed up and funky modern vibe in their sound will regularly employ effects and alterations. They might be more inclined to own and perform on a solid body electric, and may gravitate toward amps with more bells and whistles. Digital amps are increasingly popular for modern jazz. Modern jazz guitarists may also be dabbling in other genres, and digital amps are extremely effective in other arenas of music as well, thus it is a very practical choice. These players are going to want a lot of on-board effects at their fingertips, and a digital amp provides just that.
Industry Standards
Within the world of jazz, there are several amps that have emerged as industry standards. This includes the Fender Pro, often heralded as a good amp for playing jazz guitar due to its extremely clean sounds and lack of distortion.
It is unfortunate that manufacturers do not produce amps that are labeled “jazz guitar amps”. This means you will need to spend a lot of time listening to others, and trying out amps in order to find your own signature sound.
By: David Smithe
In finding the best jazz guitars, it is important to look at some of the historical icons in the genre. The tone of any jazz instrument is of the utmost significance. Many famous jazz guitarists have developed signature sounds that have come to be viewed as standards in jazz music.
By looking at players who made a distinct mark on jazz with their signature tones and techniques, you can discover the reasons behind their choice of guitar, and this might influence your decision.
Charlie Christian
Charlie Christian was the first musician to make a name for the electric guitar in jazz. His work was so pivotal that jazz enthusiasts often talk about jazz “before Charlie Christian” and jazz “after Charlie Christian.” He played a critical role in developing the type of jazz known as bebop. Guitar legends like B.B. King and Eric Clapton followed in his footsteps and learned their craft from the efforts of Charlie Christian.
Charlie Christian was an arch-top man. He is the reason that the Gibson ES150 is such a legendary instrument. The arch-top guitar became a standard piece of equipment in jazz music. It features a hollow, resonant body, and f-holes. They are designed to produce a clear voice with little sustain that is free of distortion or feedback. If you want to focus on maintaining a traditional jazz sound, then an arch-top guitar is definitely the way to go.
Les Paul
Les Paul was not only a jazz guitarist, but he was an innovator who actually made some of the best jazz guitars. The solid body electric guitar appeared in the jazz world, much due to the efforts of Les Paul. These instruments got rid of the two things that no jazz guitarist wants – feedback and lack of sustain. Solid body electrics play an important role in jazz, and one of the most notable instruments is the Gibson Les Paul guitar. Many more affordable imitations of this instrument are also popular choices for jazz guitarists, like ESP and Heritage guitars.
Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt revolutionized the world of jazz. He was an acoustic guitar man, and he played a flat-top acoustic guitar made by Selmer, which was capable of resonating above the large bands in Europe. The instrument is commonly known as a Maccaferri, which happened to be the last name of the creator. While Selmer is not necessarily a leader in the guitar world (only about 1,000 of this particular model were manufactured), other companies have created successful models that are similar to Django Reinhardt’s instrument. Typical acoustic guitars that are commonly found in jazz music include Gallato and Dell’Arte models.
The best jazz guitars are designed with the functionality of the music in mind. Jazz should not be distorted or heavy, and the guitar does not typically play a role that requires a great deal of sustain. Arch-top, solid body electric, and flat-top acoustics can all accommodate the needs of the genre, and the best instruments are the ones that have stood the test of time, yet still come out on top!
By: David Smithe