- Category :Music
The Jazz Fusion genre may not be the most popular genre among guitar players, however most guitar players would agree, jazz fusion concepts stand at another level. The improvisational skills in this genre leave many listeners open-mouthed. This article showcases the best jazz fusion guitar players.
Scale approach of jazz fusion guitar players sounds dementedly scary if you are a first time listener. Scale concepts guitar players use in the jazz fusion genre does sound insane, and the truth is scales used in jazz fusion contexts are daringly complex. The complex guitar passages you hear stem from jazz and modal improvisation. Also, an amalgamation of funk and blues in a “Jekyll Meets Hyde” sort of manner gives Jazz Fusion its distinct sound. You also hear elements of rock and prog rock in the scheme of things that are jazz fusion. When you hear a jazz fusion guitar player, what seeks undivided attention is the outside playing that builds bridges in solos.
It may take a while for a listener who enjoys rock guitar instrumentals to acquire an ear for jazz fusion, but sooner or later the seamless dexterity of jazz fusion does cast a spell on you.
The free-flow guitar solos in the jazz fusion genre are hypnotic and leave listeners with questions in their mind. Like with any genre, you see things in new light every time you listen to a jazz fusion album. Outside playing and outside soloing that form an integral part of jazz are used melodically and modally in the jazz fusion genre. Blazing runs on the fret board are popular among guitar players in the jazz fusion realm. Many guitar players in this genre use extended techniques. Unconventional or unorthodox playing is what gives jazz fusion guitar players their trademark sound. The legato technique is one of the most popular picking techniques in the jazz fusion genre. Furthermore, hybrid picking styles have become excessively popular in the genre.
Bands and artists that helped the jazz fusion genre evolve
The Canterbury Scene in the 60s and 70s contributed immensely towards shaping the jazz fusion genre. Bands such as Soft machine and Gong were way ahead of their times and paved the way for the jazz fusion. Many bands in the 60s and 70s started experimenting with new sounds that helped the jazz fusion genre evolve. Here is a list of bands and artists that helped shape the jazz fusion genre.
- Soft Machine
- Caravan
- Egg
- National Health
- Gong
- Centipede
- Khan
- Delivery
- Matching Mole
- Henry Cow
- Comus
- Quiet Sun
- Mirage
- Isotope
- Chick Corea
- Miles Davis
- Hatfield and the North
- Frank Zappa
- Soft Heap
- In Cahoots
- The Wilde Flowers
The jazz fusion genre became popular with musicians in jazz, jazz rock, and the progressive rock domain. You hear an amalgamation of various styles in the jazz fusion genre. Jazz fusion guitarists are considered by a large number in the music fraternity as Teachers… or rather musicians… musicians. Well, many musicians consider jazz fusion musicians as maestros of various music genres, while that may well and truly be exaggerated, it does not take away from the fact that jazz fusion musicians are at another level in terms of musical structure, improvisation and technique.
Here is a list of jazz fusion guitar players that have raised the benchmark in guitar playing. The list below is not an attempt at ranking guitarists in the jazz fusion genre; it’s a mere effort to celebrate incredible guitar players that bring the genre to life. Feel free to have your say in the jazz fusion context.
100 Greatest Jazz Fusion Guitar Players
- Allan Holdsworth
- Frank Gambale
- John Abercrombie
- John Scofield
- Bill Frisell
- Guthrie Govan
- Brett Garsed
- Steve Khan
- Greg Howe
- Al Di Meola
- Wayne Krantz
- Bill Connors
- Torsten de Winkel
- Hiram Bullock
- Scott Henderson
- Mike Stern
- John McLaughlin
- Larry Coryell
- Terje Rypdal
- John Goodsall
- Shawn Lane
- Russ Freeman
- T. J. Helmerich
- Steve Morse
- Alex Machacek
- Issei Noro
- Tony MacAlpine
- Mike Miller
- Fridrik Karlsson
- David Torn
- Peter Sprague
- Alex Hutchings
- Jean Marc Belkadi
- Gary Boyle
- Pat Methney
- Kenn Smith
- Marion Tomic
- Birelli Lagrene
- Brian Hughes
- Robben Ford
- Jan Akkerman
- Kazumi Watanabe
- Tosin Abasi
- Jennifer Batten
- Oz Noy
- Steve Topping
- Okan Ersan
- Ryo Kawasaki
- Orhan Demir
- Shaun Baxter
- Fabrizio Leo
- John Czajkowski
- Gerald Gradwohl
- Chris Poland
- Michael Lee Firkins
- Tisziji Munoz
- Richie Kotzen
- Andy Summers
- Shane Theriot
- Scott McGill
- David T. Chastain
- Jake Hertzog
- Chris Brooks
- Joe Beck
- Susan Weinert
- Prashant Aswani
- Milan Polak
- Christophe Godin
- Chet Catallo
- Nguyen Le
- Vlatko Stefanovski
- Johnny Alegre
- Derryl Gabel
- Conrad Schrenk
- Mattias Eklundh
- Damjan Pejcinoski
- Jan Zehrfeld
- Nels Cline
- Ioannis Anastassakis
- Rob Balducci
- David Fiuczynski
- Jane Getter
- Danielle Gottardo
- Todd Grubbs
- Fareed Haque
- Tom Quayle
- Fernando Miyata
- Borislav Mitic
- Dave Martone
- Richard Hallebeek
- Marco Sfogli
- Theodore Ziras
- Neal Nagaoka
- Joop Walters
- Silvio Gazquez
- Jeremy Barnes
- Frank Solari
- Patrik Carlsson
- Andy Wood
- Tony Smotherman
-
Next Post
100 Greatest Bollywood Dance Songs
Related Articles
100 Greatest Werewolf Movies
A werewolf is a mythical or folkloric creature that has become exceptionally popular in mainstream. The werewolf has been depicted in myriad ways in films.
100 Greatest Rock Love Songs From The 80s And 90s
The 80s and 90s were awe inspiring decades for romanticism and lyrics in various genres. Dwell in an epic list of rock love songs from that unforgettable era.
100 Greatest Bollywood Item Songs
Item songs have become the quite essential flavor of Bollywood movies. Without an item song a commercial Hindi movie seems incomplete.