Jazz Guitar Albums For A Newbie

Hi Everyone.

Over the last few weeks, I have completely fallen in love with jazz guitar music. Especially when there is some tight drumming, Fender Rhodes, and/or Hammond B3 involved. I have not delved into much Jazz in my life (im only 22, jazz isnt exactly what all my friends listen to ), so I am hoping you all can recommend me some great jazz guitar music between the years of 1950-1975. Thanks!

 

The first jazz guitar album I ever bought was The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery.

 

Joe Pass, Kenny Burrell and Wes Montgomery are names to look for. There are many others as well.

 

Any Grant Green or Kenny Burrell albums on Blue Note is a good place to start.

Burrell's Midnight Blue is regarded as one of the best Jazz albums.

 

George Benson's early albums. Wes Montgomery. Grant Green. Kenny Burrell. Herb Ellis. Howard Roberts. Tal Farlow. Barney Kessel. Joe Pass.

 

Ed Hamilton - Planet Jazz
Wes Montgomery - Impressions (the Verve Jazz Sides)
Danny Gatton - New York Stories

 

I concur with the above recommendations and add that if you like B-3 and guitar together, check out some Jimmy Smith albums. Most of his '50s/'60s dates were trios with guitar and drums, often with Kenny Burrell on guitar.

 

Kenny Burrell, "Midnight Blue", for starters, Grant Green, "Idle Moments" would be my choice tonight, but most of the Blue Notes are just as good, Wes Montgomery on Riverside, early George Benson, the Columbia LPs are nice Soul Jazz, don't forget to look up the LPs they did as sidemen, labels would often record sessions with identical musicians, but a different musician taking lead so lots of Big John Patton LPs have Grant Green on, etc., and I wouldn't argue with any of the other guitarists mentioned in this thread.

 

One that won't get too many mentions...Mark Whitfield-The Marksman.

 

As others have mentioned, Kenny Burrell...... I think he's the most 'classic' player of all the jazz guitarist.

 

John McLaughlin - Extrapolation

An absolute classic...and with the bonus of John Surman on baritone sax

 

You can't go wrong with Grant Green's "Talkin About" with Elvin Jones on drums and Larry Young on organ. I guarantee you'll love it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfIr_c21K6o

 

Charlie Christian collections are essential.

 

22 eh. Well, you probably want some energetic guitar playing. Not something that will have you fall asleep.

Al di Meola

Start off with his first two releases:
Land of the Midnight Sun & Elegant Gypsy

This later release is also excellent: Consequence Of Chaos (hybrid SACD 5.1 surround)

Oh! And your friends WILL listen to.

 

In addiiton to some of the above recommendations, I would suggest the following

Barney Kessel
The Poll Winners

Gabor Szabo
The sorcerer
The spellbinder

Grant Green
Complete quartets with Sonny Clark

Wes Montgomery
Full House
Smokin at the half note

Kenny Burrell
Guitar Forms

 

Gotta have the John Abercrombie trio 'Timeless' with Jack DeJohnette and Jan Hammer on keyboards. ECM.

Jim Hall lead a group he called 'Grand Slam' with Joe Lovano on saxophones, no keyboards though. Live at the Regattabar Cambridge Massachusetts on Telarc.

The old standby is always John McLaughlin's 'Extrapolation' on Polydor with John Surman on sax. Similar instrumentation to Grand Slam and a complimentary recording done years before it.

Another vote for Wes Montgomery's 'Full House'.

 

If you want to check out some of the best hard bop guitar playing ever, check out Pat Martino - my first recommendation would be "Consciousness".

 

Swinging Guitar Of Tal Farlow is pretty tasty. The absolute first album I would buy is Idle Moments by Grant Green.

 

Joe Pass did some nice records both solo (Virtuoso) and with Oscar Peterson (The Trio)

 

Excellent suggestions all. I'd add my +1 to the Grant Green/Sonny Clark ('It Ain't Necessarily So' with Art Blakey is extraordinary), Wes and Gabor Szabo.

For more of a free-jazz approach (if that interests you), I'd suggest James Blood Ulmer's Tales of Captain Black and Sonny Sharrock's Ask the Ages if you can track them down.

How's about an anthology to sample various styles and players?

Progressions: 100 Years Of Jazz Guitar [Box set]

 

Someone mentioned George Benson's early albums. One I recently discovered and am really digging (to use the vernacular) is his "Beyond the Blue Horizon", him backed by a almost telepathic drums, bass and organ trio. Wonderful material like "So What" and his own reflective "Ode to A Kudu".

If you want to hear someone really shred, check out Tommy Bolin's tour de force on Billy Cobham's Spectrum, especially on "Quadrant 4". Your speakers and ears will never be the same.

 

Very highly recommended: Wes Montgomery is one of the all-time greats and live footage of him playing is hard to come by, until this DVD was released a few years ago.

 

The above choices are all good ones. But my favorite jazz guitar album is "Seven, Come Eleven" with Jim Hall and Joe Pass. Accessable and superb. Good recording too.

 

And if you go for jazz/rock, be sure to listen to Cobham in John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra, again with Jan Hammer on keyboards.

Also Larry Coryell's 'Spaces' on Vanguard with McLaughlin and Cobham, and his 'Barefoot Boy' on Flying Dutchman.

The ultimate in jazz/rock with organ and guitar, though, is Tony Williams Lifetime with McLaughlin and Larry Young. Turn It Over and the earlier and badly recorded Emergency. Williams made a comeback with Allan Holdsworth, with both albums combined on a single CD Lifetime: The Collection. Mellower than the trio, but good nonetheless.

 

Is the Danny Gatton actually a jazz album? I have 88 Elmira Street and love it but did not know he had any jazz albums.