Jazz Festivals » Jazz Guitarists

Jazz Guitars – An Introduction

admin2 — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 03:34:18 +0000

Music can prove to be the healer for many of us. In today’s fast life, many of us suffer from worries and tensions, which can be relieved by music through its soothing action. As a result, music has become a way of life for many of us. There are many types of musical instruments in the market today. We can go for playing guitar, piano, drums and violin. But if you want to do something different, then a jazz guitar is the musical instrument for you. A jazz guitar is cool and classic at the same time. The number of jazz freaks is growing all over the world, and Jazz guitarists are earning much fame and adulation. So, if you have decided to buy a guitar, you should have some basic knowledge about the music instrument.

There are many types of guitars and the playing styles, which can be called jazz. In the beginning, Jazz guitars were mostly played through the normal acoustic ones, but in today’s techno modern age, they have been replaced by electric guitars. Through a guitar, a guitarist can produce umpteen sounds and tones, which can then be arranged and practiced to be turned into harmonies and melodies. But this ability and talent to control the strings come after many weeks of practice. If we are experienced enough, we can use different combinations of the pedals to give out different types of sounds.

There are two types of guitarists, one who are learning to play guitar just as a hobby and to impress their friends and family. But there are others who are much more serious and want to learn guitar to take it professionally. For such people, there should be special focus on their instrument. They should have a guitar which is made by experienced hands. Only if the guitar is finely made, it will be able to give out clear and harmonious tones. There are many shops which will sell you good quality jazz guitars, at not very expensive rates. But you can opt for having a guitar custom made for you, by the hands of experienced guitar makers. It could cost you a little more, but you can afford the high price, if you want real quality.

There are various types of jazz guitars and one of the most famous types is the Archtop guitars. This guitar is known for its adjustable bridge and its ‘F’ cut body. The sound and quality of a guitar depends on many factors. A very important thing is the kind of wood used to make the guitar. Guitars can be made of ordinary wood, but real music lovers would like to go for guitars made from the exquisite mahogany and ebony. Another factor which affects the quality of the sound is the shape of the guitar and its sandbox. A very important aspect to look is whether you guitar has the right pickups.

If you look at these basic things, you can get for yourself a jazz guitar, and begin to impress everybody with your new found skills.

By: Salil Kothari

Norman Brown "West Coast Coolin" Smooth Jazz Music CD Review

admin — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 23:52:25 +0000

The exceptionally talented Smooth Jazz Artist Norman Brown has released his third and latest CD on the Warner Bros. recording label entitled West Coast Coolin’. I am very confident and happy to announce that I believe Norman Brown fans, and smooth jazz fans alike will be pleased with this one.

With the release of West Coast Coolin’ Brown’s artistic excellence is on full display as he has once again delivered a brilliant collection of tracks that could very well be his best work to date.

West Coast Coolin’ is what smooth jazz is all about. One of those rare CD’s on which every track is great making it easy to listen to from beginning to end.

The CD offers a buffet of smooth melodic tunes. Kicking off with I Might, a song that features an outstanding vocal contribution from the very soulful Carol Riddick that will definitely be heard on smooth jazz radio stations everywhere, and deservedly so.

From there Brown proceeds to display why he is considered one the greatest smooth jazz guitarists of our time as he mixes his signature groove throughout the CD. At times very audibly showing the influence George Benson has had on his playing.

Overall West Coast Coolin’ is an outstanding release. What I call, must have music. I give it two thumbs up. Even the casual smooth jazz fan will appreciate and enjoy Browns very nice smooth style.

The standout tunes and SmoothJazz247.com favorites on West Coast Coolin’ are I Might [track 1], the title track West Coast Coolin’ [track 3], and I’m Comin’ Over [track 5]. My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 8, Let’s Play. Very nice!

Release Notes:

Norman Brown originally released West Coast Coolin’ on September 21, 2004 on the Warner Bros. record label.

CD track list follows:

1. I Might (featuring Carol Riddick)

2. Up ‘N’ At ‘Em

3. West Coast Coolin’

4. Missin’ You

5. I’m Comin’ Over

6. What’s Goin’ On

7. Let’s Play

8. Right Now

9. Angel

10. Remember The Time

By: Clyde Lee Dennis

The Wonderful World Of Jazz Guitar

admin — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 08:26:52 +0000

In many places in the world the jazz guitar is not normally heard of and even more rarely seen however that is not an indication that there are no resources available to learn jazz guitar. Jazz music and guitarists are becoming less and less known because of new music influences as well as the grasp of young people wanting to play electric guitars and drums. The people are not standing in line to learn jazz guitar but if they knew some and heard some of what a jazz guitar can do, surely there would be more people learning to play it.

The media plays a huge role in the declination of jazz guitarists because it is rarely portrayed. In fact, it is almost too easy to go out to the streets and ask a few young adults if they know what a jazz guitar is because the proof is right there on the streets. Jazz guitar is unique and wonderful and if you are reading this article because you wish to learn the guitar then that is fabulous because the world needs a whole bunch more like you! We don’t want to go forward without the history and roots in which jazz guitarists bring to the musical world as well as the fabulous sounds.

Jazz Guitar History

The jazz style of guitar is likely one of the oldest types of guitar and in fact, it was through jazz music that electric guitars were invented. In order to make jazz guitars louder back in the day, they used to modify the guitar in order to amplify it’s sound without the use of power. If you wanted to learn jazz guitar in those days there was no plugging anything in to any outlets and no television or computer to instruct you on it.

Another amazing technique that is generally only used in blues and jazz is a technique called “bottle necking” and this was done with the old jazz guitarists breaking off the tops of wine bottles, places them on their ring fingers and proceeding to make fabulous sounds. If this kind of guitar playing sounds exciting to you, please go out and try to find a way to learn the jazz style of guitar as it is both rewarding and very pleasing to the ears. Similar to any near-extinct animal, jazz guitarists are a rare and everything should be done to protect this fine musical ability before there are no great jazz players left on earth to learn the jazz style of guitar from.

By: Roland Jefferson III

10 Top Jazz Guitarists

admin — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:47:04 +0000

Some of the most influential and innovative guitarists have emerged from the world of Jazz – often with breathtakingly fast technique and intricate phrasing – Jazz maestro’s can match anything that rock and roll can produce – indeed the Jazz genre has been popular for almost 100 years and from trad jazz to new world fusion pioneers they are a diverse breed producing a wide spectrum of sound.

So what makes a great Jazz guitarist? Flamboyance – technique and a dash of magic – our top 10 list features guitarists who have their own unique styles and sound – often mimicked but never matched. Want to get into Jazz guitar? Well check out these ten great players.

1. Joe Pass

With a career that spanned 50 years, including time spent with Frank Sinatra, Dizzy Gillespie and Herb Ellis – Pass became renowned for his solo style that utilized complex finger picking technique coupled with a deft left hand phrasing. With an Epiphone signature guitar released in his honor – Pass is a true great

2. Pat Metheny

Part of the modern Jazz set – Metheny is a real innovator on guitar – mixing a broad palette of musical influences from rock to folk, orchestral and traditional Jazz. Hard to pin down with a specific technique but with influences from Joe Pass to Wes Montgomery he’s has a career that spans 30 years and remains highly regarded.

3. Les Paul

One of histories most important guitarists. Central in the development of the modern guitar and recording techniques. It was however as a Jazz Guitarist that he became famous – with a fast fluid style reminiscent of the great Django Reinheardt but with a distinctive country twang he’s blazed a trail throughout his career – the fact that Les Paul still played to audiences in his 90’s is testament to how important this man is.

4. Wes Montgomery

Montgomery played with a distinctive style – discarding the use of a pick he played with mostly with his thumb resting his fingers on the guitar’s body. With intricate phrasing including use of Octaves – Montgomery sound is easily distinguishable – despite a career that was cut short at the tender age of 43 – Montgomery still had time to record a string of hit Jazz albums and influence a wealth or artists.

5. Charlie Christian

Hugely influencial in the Jazz genre and one of first mainstream Electric Guitarists but with a frustratingly brief career (dying at the age of 25) – renowned for his playing with the Benny Goodman orchestra in the 30’s and 40’s

6. John Mclaughlin

Incredible Jazz Fusion artist – part of the Mahavishnu Orchestra fusion group in the 70’s. With a blinding fast technique and influenced by world music sound – McLaughlin is a unique voice in the world of Jazz.

7. Herb Ellis

Reaching the Jazz audience with his stint with the Oscar Peterson trio in the ‘50’s Ellis has continued to record and play with a range of artists – with a fast – fluid but still melodic style – Ellis has a distinctive voice in the world of jazz guitar and inspiring tecfhnique.

8. Charlie Byrd

Grammy award winning and with a career that spanned 40 years – classically trained Byrd was heavily influenced by the South American bossa nova sound made his name playing with Stan Getz during the 1960’s -

9. Kenny Burrell

With a style that marries a soulful technique with a love of bebop, Burrell has played with a bucket load of greats including Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz and Benny Goodman – with a treasure of over 40 albums and career spanning over 50 years Burrell is a true Jazz master

10. Django Reinhardt

No list of Jazz guitarists would be complete without mentioning Django – with a Gypsy upbringing and musical influence he had a fascinating technique which involved picking close to the bridge and one string solo’s – influenced by few but influencing many – he remains perhaps the most important Jazz Guitarist of all time.

By: Adrian Martin

Finding A Good Amp For Playing Jazz Guitar

admin — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:15:58 +0000

Jazz guitar talk is generally focused around one thing – sound. The tone of your instrument will play a huge role in the sound that you achieve. If you are engaging in live performances, and jam sessions, no doubt you will be using an amplifier too. Finding a good amp for playing jazz guitar is just as important as finding a good guitar. Let us avoid discussing which amps are “better” than others, and get down to the important issues you need to focus on when you are looking for a good amp for playing jazz guitar.

Traditional Jazz

Players who are concentrating on developing a traditional jazz sound are going to be looking for just one thing in a guitar amp – a clean sound. If you want a traditional, clean jazz sound, then you will commonly gravitate toward a solid state amp or a tube amp. Solid state amps are easier to care for than tube amps, they are less prone to damage and most importantly they deliver clean, distortion free sounds on a regular basis. This is what makes them extremely popular among jazz guitarists. The biggest complaint about solid state amps is that they tend to sound “flat” and elicit little life from the tone of the instrument. Tube amps, on the other hand, are believed to deliver a much warmer tone, and some players insist that their sound is more alive when they use a tube amp. Unfortunately, tube amps are prone to distortion, typically something traditional jazz guitarists want to avoid at all costs. Despite their expensive maintenance bills and extreme weight on the move, tube amps are exceptionally popular, for those who favor the clean, traditional sounds of jazz as well.

Contemporary & Modern Jazz

For the more modern and contemporary jazz guitarist, a good amp may come in many shapes, sizes and forms. Players who are looking for a more mixed up and funky modern vibe in their sound will regularly employ effects and alterations. They might be more inclined to own and perform on a solid body electric, and may gravitate toward amps with more bells and whistles. Digital amps are increasingly popular for modern jazz. Modern jazz guitarists may also be dabbling in other genres, and digital amps are extremely effective in other arenas of music as well, thus it is a very practical choice. These players are going to want a lot of on-board effects at their fingertips, and a digital amp provides just that.

Industry Standards

Within the world of jazz, there are several amps that have emerged as industry standards. This includes the Fender Pro, often heralded as a good amp for playing jazz guitar due to its extremely clean sounds and lack of distortion.

It is unfortunate that manufacturers do not produce amps that are labeled “jazz guitar amps”. This means you will need to spend a lot of time listening to others, and trying out amps in order to find your own signature sound.

By: David Smithe