Jazz Guitarist Recommendations

I have the classic guitarist such as Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, Kenny Burrell. I have never been big on the fusion stuff of John McLaughlin and the like. I am really searching for some current guitarist who play a very contemporary style of jazz. I like Bill Frisell but his style is all over the place. I really like Anthony Wilson but he real is more of a Wes Montgomery style player. I don't want avant garde, traditional or especially "smooth" jazz. Any recommendations out there.

Maybe a few ideas of more current players I like will help. On drums its Bobby Previte, Stanton Moore, Manu Katche and Brian Blades. On bass I like Viktor Krauss and Charlie Haden (although Charlie has been around awhile I think he remains current). Keyboardist include Lafayette Gilchrist and Wayne Horvitz. I like the stuff Roy Hargrove does on trumpet along with Tomasz Stanko and Steven Bernstein. Jenny Scheinman on violin is killer. I only recently have begun to listen to John Scofield. Marc Ribot is kind of interesting on guitar.

Who can you recommend that are the new up and comers on jazz or instrumental blues guitar with something of their own to say?

 

Well, although he doesn´t belong to the new up and comers, I´m wondering a bit that you didn´t get into Pat Metheny yet.

 

you should seriously check out Sonny Sharrock, the pionerring free-jazz guitarist, who played with Pharoah Sanders, John Coltrane (once, un-recorded) Herbie Mann, Marzette Watts, Byard Lancaster, Miles Davis, Don Cherry, Material, Last Exit, Ginger Baker / No Material, and even Stanko (also not officially released) I suggest starting with Pharoah Sanders - Tauhid , Herbie Mann - Memphis Underground, or The Sonny Sharrock Band - Seize The Rainbow to get a sense of the awesome heaviosity that influenced so many: although he's been dead for quite awhile, he's alive in my heart, I cherish the memory when I met him at the Knitting Factory, NYC in '89

 

Metheny was the first I thought of as well. Mike Stern is another worth a listen.

Don't miss Charlie Hunter as well.

And although a bit fusion-ish, I really have been enjoying Terje Rypdal's early records recently.

 

Although not a big fan I do have a couple of Pat Metheny, his first and Missouri Skys which is a favorite.

 

Interesting as Memphis Underground is an album that has been on my mind for some time. I will give him a listen.

 

Aaah, Charlie Hunter, now I had forgotten about him. I only listened to one album, it was a duo with Leon Parker doing percussion. I do need to check some of heis stuff out. Still thinking a bit newer that I may not have heard of. Mike Stern I have heard and I am familiar but not in depth with Terje Rypdal.

 

How about Philadelphia's own Kurt Rosenwinkel?

 

Some other earlier jazz guitarist you should check out: Jimmy Raney, Tal Farlow, Barney Kessel, early George Benson, Jim Hall, Joe Pass.

 

Check out Joe Morris. I have Age of Everything & Beautiful Existence.

 

Give late Derek Bailey a chance.

 

Not up-and-coming but on-their-last-legs-or-dead:
Tisiji Munõz - plays like a cross between Coltrane and Sharrock
James 'Blood' Ulmer - harmolodic jazz-blues
Derek Bailey - his most accessible disc is probably Ballads but his duo with Cecil Taylor may be his most enjoyable.

 

IMO very interesting early Gabor Szabo(on Impulse)& Stanley Jordan(on Blue Note)

 

Mimi Fox is a gifted player that has amazing chops and plays in an old school way, check out her Perpetually Hip disc

 

Nels Cline?

 

Lenny Breau

 

Are any recordings of Munoz available? I have him on a Pharoah Sanders India Navigation album and I know he's recorded for that label, but those are long out of print.

 

I would suggest Fareed Haque and Charlie Hunter.

 

Larry Coryell

 

All of his recent recordings have been on his own label, Anami Music. Its website is: http://www.anamimusic.com/dnn/ . I haven't seen his CDs in the shops recently, but it seems you can still get them via the website.

 

melvin sparks

 

I 2nd Nels Cline, but some of his work may be a bit avant guarde(depending on your taste).

Kurt Rosenwinkle and Eivind Aarsett are both looking into.

Jeff Parker is another younger guitarist - his most available work is with Tortoise and Isotope 217.

 

For what you seem to like, Russell Malone and Peter Bernstein would seem to be good choices.

 

Here's a few very good ones for you to sample:

Marc Ribot - Marc Ribot Y Los Cubanos Postizos
John Scofield - Bump
Charlie Hunter - Friends Seen and Unseen
Pat Metheney - Secret Story
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones - Live Art (OK, its banjo, but it appeals to the guitarist in me, and it fits the contemporary criteria)
Martin Taylor - Spirit of Django

 

No love here for the great Ralph Towner ? Very good on acoustic guitars.
My favorite of course is John Abercrombie..

Call them Fusion, i call them fresh...