[kevin360]

Well, I'm listening to Inca Roads right now - plenty of heart. Yes, it is like many Zappa songs in that it is loaded with inside jokes. That's part of the fun and genius that is Frank's body of work - which is immense and incredibly varied. If you are unfamiliar with Zappa, 'One Size Fits All' would probably be a great place to start.

Ruth Underwood once described Frank's side stage reaction to The Mahavishnu Orchestra. Frank was deeply impressed and witnessing their performance 'changed' him. To be sure, Frank revolutionized music every bit as much as Jimi, and he revolutionized the technology and the industry far more. Of the many projects he attempted to get funded was something akin to Pandora in the 80s - satellites are pretty expensive. Anyway, I'm not trying to argue that Frank was the greatest either, just that he was certainly very influential.

I really laughed when I looked at that Rolling Stone top 100 list for guitar players - a popularity contest. I didn't find Steve Morse on the list. I didn't see Steve Howe or Steve Hackett either. Another of the many other names I find amazingly absent (especially in light if some of the names present) is Bill Nelson. Or how about... ah, never mind. I guess most of my guitar heroes are irrelevant.

[jackman]

I believe John McLaughlin was ranked 50 or something on the Rolling Stones list.  This guy is the guitar hero of Jeff Beck and he is 50?  I never saw the Mahavishnu Orchestra but I've seen John McLaughlin play live and it was mind altering. He is a brilliant artist and amazing player.  I could not look at my guitar or pick it up for weeks after seeing the show. Similarly, i recall seeing Christopher Parkening playing such complex classical pieces in a live performance, I found it hard to believe human beings were capable of such greatness.  He played impossible guitar with a smile on his face.  It was effortless.   

Rankings are unfair but I'm enjoying learning about artists. Maybe some good will come from this thread.

[Rclark]

 I do feel that in today's music, especially the last 20 years or so, the bulk of the most talented guitarists play in metal bands and the various subgenre's of it, and heavy rock. There are death metal guitarists that can play the most mindbending triplets at incredible speed and some of the craziest solo's ever conceived.

 Have to admit I like my guitar music to have energy and power. If I have to sit and politely clap between songs I'm falling asleep at some point.

[jackman]

Back when I was younger and played guitar more frequently (admittedly not well! ), my guitar player friends and I would always try to catch live shows of great technical players.  I remember seeing Paul Gilbert playing with Mr Big (with Billy Sheehan) and being mind boggled by his playing.  Over the years, this type of playing lost some of its allureto me, but I still have an appreciation for the virtuosity of these players.

[doorman]

For anyone interested in rock/jazz fusion, you simply must hear Shawn Lane. He is scary.
He also left us way too early.
Happy listening!
Don

[medium jim]

I know I promised that I wouldn't post anymore, but now that civility again prevails....

The first concert I attended was the Newport Pop Festival in Chatsworth, CA @ Devonshire Downs.  I attended on Sunday and Jimi Hendrix who had played on Friday night, took the stage early in the afternoon with an assemblage of musicians, many from Mike Bloomfields then band, and a few that later were in the Band of Gypsies. 

I was already a fan of Jimi, his performance was okay to amazing.  Later that day Booker T and the MG's took the stage with Steve Cropper, an amazing guitarist.  Later that evening a young Johnny Winter took the stage and totally blew everyone away, including me.

Having two older brothers, I was able to tag along to many great shows over the next 7 or 8 years, mostly at the Whiskey on Thursday nights when the top billed acts would play before hitting the Forum or other large venues in the Los Angeles Area.  At the Whiskey, I saw Frank Zappa and then The Manivishnu Orchestra within the same month and this totally changed me forever. Literally two if the greatest ever and the first coming of fusion. 

I also saw most if the biggest bands if the day at the aforementioned Forum in Inglewood, CA., yet seeing Frank and John stood out above the rest...notables were Jeff Beck, Duane Allman, Michael Bloomfield (saw him in San Francisco at the Waldorf).

I lived in Hermosa Beach, CA during the early to late 70's, and would also hit The Lighthouse and saw many of the great Jazz guitarists, Herb Ellis, Gabor Szabo, Joe Pass to name a few.  It took me several years later in my life to appreciate exactly how good these guys were.

I've played guitar since my teens and started collecting vintage and rare guitars in the 80's and later turned it into a livelihood after being befriended by on the largest vintage guitar dealers on the west coast. Through this association, I became friends with many if the great contemporary guitarists.  Does this make me more qualified to judge who is the greatest? Absolutely not!  What it does give me is the appreciation of how hard it is to get really good at it and that fame is not exclusive to the best, as many if the greats do it in their living rooms and not on stages.

Having said all of that, there is just no such thing as the best or greatest no matter how one quantifies it.  I'm continually falling in love with this guitarists playing or that one.

Frank Zappa was one of the greatest innovators and will always be reverred.  Jimi changed the way many played and was a major talent.  It would be nice to see where his talents would have led him.


One more from the late Ted Greene (who has influenced many countless guitarist such as Anthony Wilson, Moises Gabriel), this one is from a GIT seminar in 1993...it is a bit disjointed as it a seminar, but his playing more than makes up for it!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9T175WuTZw&feature=related


Jim

[Chazro]

....A Guitar Gods Story.   There used to be a band back in the 70's called Delaney & Bonnie & Friends.  From their band came Leon Russell's band, Joe Cocker's Mad Dog's, Derek & the Dominoes, amongst others.  They used to play R&R, country, blues, R&B, electrically and acoustically, truly a great band.  Anyhow, they released an album called 'D&B On Tour, feat. Eric Clapton'.  Around the time of this release I got tkts to see them perform in this tiny circle-in-the-round venue in Westbury, LI.  They ramble on to the stage and us stoners in the audience start to howl out "Wheeere's ERIC!?".  Delaney politely answers the catcalls with "We're sorry but Eric couldn't make it tonight, but we've got a guitarist from Macon, GA. that we hope you'll enjoy, his name's Duane Allman".  This was prior to the Allman's hitting with a bullet so hardly anybody knew anything about him.  3 encores later you can betcherass we knew he was!!;)  Later on, after buying their 1st 2 records I got to see him with the Bros. at the Fillmore East during the historic week-long engagement that resulted in 'Live At The Fillmore'.  What a show THAT was, Elvin Bishop band 3rd, Johnny Winter And 2nd, Allman Bros. Top billing.  For $7.50!  2 shows a night with the late shows starting at 11, and ending with Elvin & Johnny jammin' with the bros., sometimes 'til dawn!!  Those WERE the days!!

Saw the original Mahavishnu Orchestra 3 times, once with Frank Zappa.  The best was the 1st time in a small club when all he played was his black Les Paul and a black Ovation acoustic, later on he was playing the double neck.  I've been a fan ever since, the last time I saw him was a few years ago with Chick Corea in their 'Five Peace Band'.  Man, with this band AND with all his latest recordings I just keep wishing he'd lose the digital state of the art guitar and just pick up his old Les Paul!!  Oh well.

For those of you guys who are more into Hendrixian(?) style vs. that 'shredding' style of gtr playing, I'd strongly recommend Michael Landau and Oz Noy.  I own quite a few records by these guys and they are most definitely the real deal!

[doug s.]

all this talk of john mclaughlin reminds me that you cannot forget larry coryell as one of the all time guitar greats...  and he's also still doing it...

doug s.

[medium jim]

Chazro:

Talking of living guitarist, yes to Landau, I would add Carl Verheyen, Val McCallum, Moises Gabriel, Anthony Wilson, Dan Sawyer, and many others.  The irony is that most popular music today isn't guitar based, yet we are in an era of an abundance of fantastic ones!

I'm obviously talking about the technical merits of their playing and not their place in the social strata.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYnqC7R-UZQ

Jim

[jackman]

all this talk of john mclaughlin reminds me that you cannot forget larry coryell as one of the all time guitar greats...  and he's also still doing it...

doug s.

Larry can rip on the guitar...and he has the best hair in the bidness!  I love that guy.   

[Andre2]

Chazro:

Talking of living guitarist, yes to Landau, I would add Carl Verheyen, Val McCallum, Moises Gabriel, Anthony Wilson, Dan Sawyer, and many others.  The irony is that most popular music today isn't guitar based, yet we are in an era of an abundance of fantastic ones!

I'm obviously talking about the technical merits of their playing and not their place in the social strata.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYnqC7R-UZQ

Jim

Jim, I loved this guy Carl Verheyen in regards to both technique and style.  Really impressive, and I never heard of him before.  Thanks for sharing.
Regards,
Andre

[medium jim]

Jim, I loved this guy Carl Verheyen in regards to both technique and style.  Really impressive, and I never heard of him before.  Thanks for sharing.
Regards,
Andre

Andre:

He is a super nice guy as well....his claim to fame was with SuperTramp.  He does a lot of studio work in addition to his band. 

Glad you enjoyed it!

Jim

[doug s.]

Larry can rip on the guitar...and he has the best hair in the bidness!  I love that guy.   

i practically wore this record out when it came out; it still gets play here:


now, this one gets a lot of play - acoustic - a couple songs from the 11ht house album are on it. it is a killer album:


a couple years ago, he played a set live on-air in the wpfw studio - absolutely amazing...

doug s.