Good J*** J*** Guitar Records?

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Originally posted by Pete:
Jazz you happen to like, maybe, but it doesn't cease to be jazz just because it's played on a guitar! Being Jazz is about improvisation and swing rather than the particular instruments it's played on.
Pete.

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You're absolutely right. Maybe I'm just not cool enough (no smileys).

It is always difficult to say why you like or dislike certain music or instruments. My taste in music I think is quite broad (is 'catholic' a good description?), but there are certain combinations of instruments and musical styles that I rather not listen to and one of them is 'guitar' and 'Jazz' (others are guitar and Classical and flute and Rock). In general I don't like virtuoso guitar playing and an electric guitar without feedback for me is like a drumkit without hi-hats, but you're right when you say that I could try to be more tolerant.

I've heard of James 'Blood' Ulmer and I'm willing to give one of his records a try.

willem

Ulmer

Willem this man's music sits astride the jazz/blues divide, some of his records coming down more on the jazz side and others (such as the most recent stuff, as it happens) more on the blues. He also sings - which may or may not be a problem for you (and that might change anyway once you've heard his voice!).

At various times he has fronted a 'free jazz/funk' (for want of a significantly less loaded term) outfit called Music Revelation Ensemble (no vocals) and I'd suggest you try one of their CDs first - my personal favourite being 'After Dark' on the Japanese DIW label.

HTH Jim

[QUOTE] [Tell me who's the Jazz equivalent of Lenny Kaye or Thurston Moore and I'll promise to at least try one of their records.
/QUOTE]

Willem:

well<

Derek Bailey: Guitar Drum n Bass leaves most of the others for dead
James Blood Ulmer, as Jim says
Some of the guitarists playing with Miles in the mid 70s one make a hell of a racket
The Guitar on Nils Peter Molvears records for ECM doesn't sound like a guitar at all
Pat Metheney- ignore everything except Zero Tolerance for Silence: a guitar equivalent to the most extreme free jazz - basically almost straight feedback and no trace of a tune!!
but, to begin, go for John Zorn's Electric
Masada and listen to the noise Mark Ribot makes: fabulous

Kevin

James Blood Ulmer is good, no question. Bailey completely rejects being called a jazz guitarist (Ben Watson's new biography of Bailey gives the reasons why), and doesn't seem to like "jazz" at all, so should probably have his own category. Seconded on Marc Ribot, although Electric Masada probably aren't really jazz either. Well, they are jazz, but they're simultaneously virtually every other genre of music you could mention too...

But, the usual dozen or so players aside, it's still my view that most interesting jazz either doesn't feature guitar, or only in a fairly minor role, and that a lot of jazz guitar playing is quite dull, virtuoso noodling rather than arse kicking. Don't get me wrong, I love good acoustic guitar playing (John Fahey, Robbie Basho, Bert Jansch, etc etc), but the stuff I like tends to be from non-jazz players.

-- Ian

Just got a copy of Anthomny Braxton's 23 Standards through the post featuring a guitarist called Kevin O'Neil who is quite astonishing. He plays wonderful, piano like chords behind Braxton and his soloing is extraordinarily diverse: a clean simple sound almost like Jim Hall but with passages of amazing speed and control, but never lapsing into noodling - the speed is always relevant to the mood and then he pulls straight back to passages of slow notes or reptitions of single notes. He also throws in flurries of notes that hint at Bailey and bursts of sound that echo Sturrock or Ulmer. I don't think I've ever heard such a fluent player mixing relatively straight playing with exhilarating "out there" passages. A great balance to Braxton, as well, who similarly mixes quite traditional playing with beautiful abstract noise. Anyone know anything about him?

Me too

Also just received by mail my copy of the new Braxton Standards CD but haven't had a chance to listen to it properly yet. I've never heard of O'Neil before but what I have played is distinctly promising.

On this basis Kevin you should also check out (if you haven't already) Joe Morris whose style is not dissimilar.

Also I remembered that James Carter's 'Layin' In The Cut' is a great place to hear Jef Lee Johnson (and Ribot) - though it's possibly a little fusiony for some tastes.

Finally (for now) any fully-paid-up member of the Racket Club of guitar playing (Kevin, Ian & Willem?)should IMHO at least give Jean-Paul Bourelly a try. I can list a couple of options if anyone's interested.

For you almighty racket fans I thoroughly recommend the Scorch Trio on Rune Grammefon records. Raoul Bjorkenheim (guitar)/Ingerbigt Håker Flaten )bass)/Paal Nilssen-Love (drums).

How about Tal Farlow, anyone else like him?

John

No-one's mentioned Emily Remler, a fairly mainstream jazz guitarist, influenced by Wes Montgomery. Her best album IMHO is "East To Wes", which has the bonus of Marvin "Smitty" Smith on drums.

Mark S

Emily!

What an omission - I confess I had a delightful dalliance with the mellifluous Ms.Remler a few years back - still have all the LPs but ain't played 'em for a while. Such a shame she departed this life.

So: gotta get back to the FishFry and Jean-Paul on the Kitchen Kans.

Don't let this thread die dudes.
Jim

Most of the greats to check out have already been mentioned above.

I'd also recommend Birelli Lagrene - three albums i have are My Favourite Django, Standards and Gypsy Project (acoustic guitar - Django style).

Early George Benson is also worth checking out, two albums that come to mind are the Verve Silver collection and It's uptown.

Tuck Andress is another guitarist i like a lot. His solo albums are hard to find but you can check out his stuff under the name 'Tuck and Patti'. His wife Patti on vocals and him on acoustic guitar. Most of their albums are good but my favourite would be 'Tears of joy'.

Hope this helps.

Stan

Dear all (and Sideshowbob most of all),

"I mostly like electric guitars to make a hell of a racket, and that doesn't happen often in jazz."

Please do yourselves a favour and buy a copy of "The Inner Mounting Flame" by the Mahavishnu Orchestra.

This should put you right!
Regards, CB

Current

John Scofield for Sweet Soul(Peter Erskine 1991) - exquisite!
Jeff Parker for Fables For A New Milennium (Aesop Quartet 1998) - just scored off eBay - brilliant!
A.Spencer Barefield for Xenogenesis 2000 (1992) - tonight's random selection from the archive.
Eh?
Jim

quote:

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Originally posted by jomina:
For technique try earlyish Benson

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...and if this suits you, I reiterate my recommendation for the two Kevin Eubanks discs. The man's amazing. Check out some samples on Amazon (links on p.1 of this thread).

Marc
I think Mr.Ribot does an excellent job on Zorn's 50th birthday bash Vol.4 Electric Masada. I particularly like track 3 hadasha because with its ecstatic underpinnings and changes of mood. Ribot is 100% on the money.
Jim

Hi Guys; My first post on the forum and I'm not even much of a jazz fan (I'm learning though). I am however, a guitar fan and have to agree with the Marc Ribot comments. He does get a little aggressive in his solo albums though, which do venture a little outside the jazz arena. But the reason for the post is ERNEST RANGLIN. I heard his 'Below the Baseline' album once at my brother's and literally ran out the door to purchase it. Every friend that has heard it has bought it immediately and it is playing as I write this post (pure coincidence I assure you). Does have a 'dub' edge I suppose but is just an excellent album from start to finish. He also plays guitar for St. Germain. Give it a try, fellas!!

John Mclaughlin. Either playing in the Mahavishnu Orchestra for a loud electric sound, or with Paco de Lucia and Al Di Meola for amazing acoustic guitar playing.

Nick