100 Greatest Jazz Guitar Players
100 Greatest Jazz Guitarists
The improvisational lines in jazz guitar are testimony to the fact that the jazz genre encompasses a diverse range of influences. This space showcases a list of the best jazz guitar players.
Guitar players in the jazz genre may not have achieved the desired commercial success, however the fact remains… jazz guitarists have had a profound influence on guitar players from various music genres. Jazz guitarists are known for their unique ways of utilizing notes in a scale. Improvised pentatonic lines are often used in jazz solos. Soloing concepts in jazz have becoming exceedingly popular with guitar players in various music genres. In the jazz genre there are different types of playing styles and techniques showcased by guitar players.
Guitarists in jazz have unique picking techniques. While belting a solo, it’s the picking technique that adds bite and warmth to the overall sound.
Jazz chord voicings and comping form the core of jazz guitar playing. Walking jazz chord progressions are popular with different types of jazz. Modal playing is the highlighting feature in many solos by jazz guitarists. Many jazz guitarists use arpeggios when they break into a solo, and this soloing concept adds dynamism and feel to jazz contexts.
Jazz Guitar Concepts
Playing behind the beat or ahead of the beat is common in jazz. When you listen to a jazz solo you realize its melodic phrases that construct a solo. A number of jazz guitarists utilize legato phrasing in their solos to enrich the overall dynamism. Groove and time-feel are important aspects in chordal voicings and soloing. Jazz guitarists like to space their notes giving a clutter-free effect. The use of grace notes, muted notes and slide notes are creatively used by jazz guitarists. Palm muting during solos adds variety and warmth to textural playing. Another aspect about jazz guitarists is their in-depth knowledge on theory. Jazz guitarists like to experiment and improvise with chord voicings. Many jazz guitarists love to explore ideas with 9th, 11th and 13th notes as they change chords.
Modern Jazz Guitar
A number of jazz guitarists also like to explore ideas of playing melodies in parallel octaves. Jazz guitar players love improvising on scales and chords. Soloing approach among guitarists in jazz varies drastically. Modern jazz guitar players love to us a flurry of legato techniques and tapped notes to create sonic soundscapes. Textural chord voicings and hybrid picking are immensely popular with modern-day jazz guitar players. Polyphonic musical structure is exceedingly popular among jazz-fusion guitarists. Rapid chord shifts and chord solos form the essence of swing jazz and bebop. Every guitar player likes expresses the ‘jazz idiom’ in a lucid manner, and this aspect gives jazz guitarists unique identity.
The lines below showcase a list of the best jazz guitarists.
100 Greatest Jazz Guitar Players
- Charlie Christian
- Wes Montgomary
- Django Reinhardt
- Eddie Lang
- Joe Pass
- Tal Farlow
- Pat Metheny
- Herb Ellis
- George Benson
- Barney Kessel
- Jim Hall
- Earl Klugh
- John McLaughlin
- Al Di Meola
- John Scofield
- George Van Eps
- Chet Atkins
- Kenny Burrell
- Sonny Sharrock
- Alan Holdsworth
- Johnny Smith
- Lenny Breau
- Grant Green
- Howard Alden
- Ed Bickert
- Bucky Pizzarelli
- Martin Taylor
- John Abercrombie
- Ted Greene
- Billy Bauer
- Frank Vignola
- Pat Martino
- Bill Frisell
- Robert Conti
- Charlie Byrd
- Peter Bernstein
- Jimmy Raney
- Stanley Jordan
- Joe Beck
- Russell Malone
- Larry Coryell
- Julian Lage
- Freddie Green
- Lee Ritenour
- Emily Remler
- Bill Connors
- Jim Mullen
- John Pizzarelli
- Mark Whitfield
- Kurt Rosenwinkel
- Derek Bailey
- Mike Stern
- Howard Roberts
- Bobby Broom
- Hank Garland
- Larry Carlton
- Joe Diorio
- Carl Kress
- George Barnes
- Les Paul
- Gustavo Assis-Brasil
- Paco de Lucia
- Eddie Durham
- Jimmy Bruno
- Russ Freeman
- Wayne Krantz
- Steve Khan
- Luis Salinas
- Matthew Stevens
- Ben Monder
- Nir Felder
- Snoozer Quinn
- Gene Bertoncini
- Paul Bollenback
- Miles Okazaki
- Tony Mottola
- Royce Campbell
- Jonathan Kreisberg
- Gary Potter
- Bireli Lagrene
- Adam Rogers
- Lionel Loueke
- Mary Halvorson
- Nels Cline
- Gilad Hekselman
- Terje Rypdal
- Jakob Bro
- Bobby Brown
- Corey Christiansen
- Rex Abbasi
- Lage Lund
- Jack Peterson
- Stochelo Rosenberg
- Ken Navarro
- Vic Juris
- Jesse Van Ruller
- Mary Osborne
- Billy Butler
- David Fiuczynski
- Randy Napoleon