|
a divergent group - but they all have in common the ability to move me greatly with their playing/composing. They aren't in any particular order - although if I could only ever listen to one of them again, I would choose Richard Thompson. I've included web-links in most cases - I've mostly gone for official sites - not because I think they are the best - but because they are reasonably reliably available.
 |  | Aside from guitarists, I rate a ruck of musicians - including Robert Wyatt, Van Morrison, Eddi Reader, Nickel Creek, Kate Rusby, Norma Waterson, Eliza Carthy, Elvis Costello, Little Feat, the McGarrigles, Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch, REM, Radiohead, The Gutter Brothers, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Kate Rusby, bELLOWhEAD, June Tabor, Steely Dan, The Band, Neil Young, Dr John and there are so many more. And that's before I've mentioned Vaughan-Williams, Elgar, John Adams, Charles Ives, Beethoven, Mahler, Holst, Takemitsu, Verdi, Gilbert & Sullivan even!, Stephen Sondheim, Bernstein.
| |||
 | |||||
There are probably some I've forgotten - I'll add to the list over time. Sorry if your favourite is not here - I haven't got time to like everything -
 | | Richard Thompson - he's got it all - feel, originality, guts & energy, and great technique. Add to this the best in songwriting, and a great voice - unbeatable! I recently had the great pleasure of seeing Richard play - the first time I had seen him with a band, in a good many years. He was better than ever - very encouraging given he is now in his fifties. His new studio album "The Old Kit Bag" is excellent, and if you want a taste of him live, get "Mock Tudor, Semi-Detached" which is only available at his gigs or via his web-site. | |
| RT @ Warwick Univ 7-3-2003 click picture for more pictures | |||
 | Chris Thile - of Nickel Creek - not a guitarist - but a mandolin player who plays almost like a guitarist - a stunning technical player but with great feel... they're all great - catch them soon... |  | |
| Nickel Creek @ The Lowry, Manchester - 15-3-2003 click picture for more pictures | |||
 | BB King - one of the grand-daddies of blues guitar - I saw him last year, and he still cuts it against the very best |
| Hubert Sumlin - played most significantly with Howlin' Wolf, also with Muddy Waters among many others - massively influential - he helped define a style |
| Peter Green - the feel guitarist "par excellence" - sadly, subject to severe mental distress since 1970 - his recent return to performance shows a man still greatly troubled by his "demons" |
| Debbie Davies - great sound and warm style from this Strat-wielder |
| Otis Grand - not heard of as much these days - possibly because he seems like a bit of a miserable bugger - great guitarist when on form though |
| Robben Ford - I'm a comparitively late convert to this wonderful guitarist - although I realise I've probably been listening to him for years on '70s Joni Mitchell recordings etc |
| John Herington - plays with Steely Dan in their current line-up |
| Larry Carlton - some of his stuff sounds a bit cheesy to me, but then you listen to the solo on Steely Dan's "Kid Charlemagne" and you can forgive him virtually anything. Steely Dan are one of those bands that have bought us great, innovative playing over the years, not least from Walter Becker himself. The Steely Dan web-site is fabby. |
| Dave Pegg - one of the great bass guitarists - been with Fairport Convention since god was a lad - also with the Dylan Project, and plays in a duo with PJ Wright |
| Jerry Donahue - the king of bend - an amazing guitarist, from Fotheringay via Joan Armatrading to The Hellecasters |
| Bonnie Raitt - great singer and sensitive slide player |
| Martin Carthy - the accompanying folk guitarist of choice (I know he does more than that - but I think what marks him out is superb, sensitive accompaniment) - the parent of a style - listen to any Waterson:Carthy material |
| John Martyn - John is relatively unusual in that, like Richard T, he can cut it on both acoustic and electric guitar - a great singer and songwriter as well, although these days a bit cheesy and resting on his laurels.... |
| Dan Tyminski and Jerry Douglas - guitarist and dobro with Alison Krauss's band Union Station |
| David Rawlings - guitarist with Gillian Welch |
| Jimi Hendrix - innovative, remarkable, explosive, timeless, un-constrained - all that and more - in many ways the best - you will need Java and RealPlayer to get the best from this somewhat overdone site |
| Eric Clapton - probably not God anymore, but can still play blues better than most - give "Riding with the King" a listen, to hear great stuff from both Eric and BB |
| Aynsley Lister - great young British blues guitarist |
| Jeff Beck - check out the Stevie Wonder song, " 'Cause we've ended as lovers" from "Blow by Blow" if you need any convincing of his quality. The same album also contains stuff that I think is virtually "unlistenable-to". I'm not saying anything that hasn't been said before, when I observe he is a flawed genius. |
| Dave Gilmour - he of the ringing, delayed Strat on many a Pink Floyd opus - not a "great guitarist" but highly effective |
| Richard Gleave - my longest standing friend - a great and versatile guitarist/BluesHawkist - his partner Delia owns a NightHawk |
| Maartin Alcock - a fabulous guitarist and fretless bass players - in fact one of the best bassists I've seen/heard - currently playing with BlueTapestry amongst others |
| Scott Ralph - a great friend and stunningly versatile musician - not only a fine guitarist, but a brilliantly creative drummer |
| Nick Mellor - if you see the band Quaternity playing in your neck of the woods - rush to see them, Nick is great. Entirely un-assuming in appearance Nick is a stunning player - warm, exciting and original. Winner of "Guitarist" magazine's Guitarist of the Year 2002 competition - an thoroughly deserved award if ever there was one. |
| Vice-Bishops Blues Band - with guitarists Dave Faulkner and Pod Malkin - stylish and committed |
| Mark Flanagan - guitarist with Jools Holland's band - listen to "The Chosen Few" to hear him with his own band Flanagan |
| Ian Carr - guitarist with the Kate Rusby band among others |
| Lowell George - a truly great slide guitarist - listen to any Little Feat album - one of my favourites is his guest appearance on Kate & Anna McGarrigle's eponymous first album , playing the solo on "Kiss and say goodbye" - can't beat it for sheer excitement. |
| Alan Holdsworth - my appreciation of him is based pretty much on stuff done years ago - I haven't listened to him much of late |
| Ry Cooder - don't need to say a lot about Ryland - he is the best on slide - and an endless musical curiosity into the bargain - would we ever have heard of Buena Vista Social Club but for him? |
| John Moorshead - was the guitarist years ago with Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation - great live - recorded badly except "Double Lovin' " from their first album - find it if you can |
| I have strong feeling I've missed someone important - it'll come to me - watch this space... |
