Greatest Guitar Player (Alive or Dead) in the World

TincoSkin · Post by **TincoSkin** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 12:26 pm

derek trucks too i forgot about him

TincoSkin · Post by **TincoSkin** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 12:33 pm

BossHog wrote:I see a bunch here that'd get votes from me... Hendrix, Clapton, Iommi, Vaughn...

... but not a single person has even mentioned Stanley jordan the jazz/ blues guitarist... and yet, if you ever hear him, it's doubtful you wouldn't put him on your list out of sheer respect for his style and what he gets out of a guitar.

His albums used to have warning labels telling you that DESPITE what your ears may be telling you... this was ONE man on ONE guitar... getting two distinct guitar lines out of the same axe. (because of the way he bangs the fret board with his top hand) I can't say as I even fit in his genre of music that well, but i've just always been completely blown away by the guy. Check him out if you've never heard him before... he does a couple of covers on albums that will blow you away (Stairway to Heaven and Eleanor Rigby are both just mind boggling).

And all of these people that have labeled Clapton a blues guitarist, really need to go back and listen to Cream. Grass roots rock and roll baby, and the riff in White Room is one of the greatet guitar riffs of all time IMO. And whether you like him or not... not many guys can boast that they've had hit tracks in blues, rock-blues, delta blues, hard rock, pop, and reggae. Surely there has to be some sort of cosideration given to that UNPRECEDENTED versatility.

Oh and here's a few Stanley Jordan clips.... though they're too short to really do the songs any justice...

Stairway to Heaven - Zeppelin
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... ce&s=music

Sound of Silence - Simon & Garfunkel
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... ce&s=music

Eleanor Rigby - Beatles - the real media clip of ythis one is better than the windows media....
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... ce&s=music

Other people have copied him since, but when SJ came out with his 'tapping' style... it was REVOLUTIONARY... and they found the guy on a street corner busking...

I think ANY style of guitarist will appreciate the unique ability of Stanley Jordan - whether you like the music itself or not.

i cant believe you know who stanley jordan is!!!!! ive never heard that name outside of my group of friends!! so cool... hes a freak and has a talent that not many people have but i dont think he ranks with some of these names.

Justice Hog · Post by **Justice Hog** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 12:37 pm

You know what, BH, I agree! I really love Stanley Jordan and if he was in my head when I posted the original list, he would have certainly made it on there.

TincoSkin wrote:hes a freak and has a talent that not many people have but i dont think he ranks with some of these names.

I don't think I could disagree more!

fredp45 · Post by **fredp45** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 8:28 pm

Four guys not mentioned so far that must be included in the greatest guitar players of all time...hard to pick one but these 4 are near the top:

Wes Montgomery - slow jazz - played in the 50's & 60's, died in the early 60's. Music was very laid back, dinner music but he was a stud player.

Danny Gatton - redneck jazz -- grew up and played in the MD/DC area. Killed himself in the late 90's (I believe it was then)...what a shame. I loved listening to this guy play in person down in Georgetown. He could absolutely fly on the guitar...

Django (silent D) Reinhardt - fast jazz, was a gypsy from France. Was missing a few fingers but could absolutely kick butt. There's another guy from the same area of France, also a gypsy, that had Django as a mentor -- was playing Django music very very well when he was 12 years old -- Birelli LaGrene. He's probably 25 now. I know he had a bunch of CDs -- 2 I know of: "15" (his age at the time) and "Rules to Django." If you like him, you'll like Django.

Roy Buchanan -- fast jazz -- possible the fastest player I've ever seen or heard. A very different dude but an outstanding player.

The best guitar players were not rock and rollers -- they played jazz...no question. AND -- I loved rock and roll, expecially Hendrix, Winters, Page, etc...

If you've ever seen and heard Gatton in person, please respond -- I'd like to hear where, when, how was it, etc... When I lived in MD, I saw him a bunch of times, loved his music too. He was into old hot rods -- I was floored when he killed himself. Serious bummer.

air_hog · Post by **air_hog** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 10:16 pm

Eddie Van Halen???

But come on you forgot the best, Jimmy Page!

skinz74 · Post by **skinz74** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 11:48 pm

I think most of us have come to the conclusion that the "best" is too difficult to define given the different eras and genres. I would definately agree that every guitar player listed has improved our lives if only a wee bit at some point.

$.02

And for the record...I don't have a fav...I love them all.

hailskins666 · Post by **hailskins666** » Sat Apr 15, 2006 9:10 am

dimebag... RIP

i'm a metalhead. so therefore i vote a metal slasher. (not knocking any other guitarist, anyone who plays a six string like anyone in that poll has pulled their time practicing.... you don't get that good overnite) dime was the best heavy guitarist this planet has yet to see. i play lots of different stuff, and look at different styles, but some of dime's stuff is just mind boggling. dude just played with so much 'feel' its hard to try to duplicate.

redskins12287 · Post by **redskins12287** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 1:48 pm

How about Angus Young?

But Kirk Hammett is the man.

DarthMonk · Post by **DarthMonk** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 2:19 pm

Technical Prowess: Al DiMeola :shock:

Raw Emotion: Neil Young :rock:

Combination of Both with Most Recognizable Tone on the Planet: Carlos Santana :hail:

joebagadonuts · Post by **joebagadonuts** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 2:41 pm

I can't believe no one has mentioned Mick Mars yet.

Yes, I'm kidding.

JansenFan · Post by **JansenFan** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 2:42 pm

Don't forget C.C. Deville! :rock:

Redskin in Canada · Post by **Redskin in Canada** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 7:58 am

Still mostly American guitar players... :roll:

Not a single African player?

Would anybody know any fantastic Congo guitar music?

Does the name Jean-Bosco Mwenda (a.k.a.Mwenda Wa Bayeke), for example, ring a bell anywhere?

UK Skins Fan · Post by **UK Skins Fan** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:00 pm

Redskin in Canada wrote:Still mostly American guitar players...

Not a single African player?

Would anybody know any fantastic Congo guitar music?

Does the name Jean-Bosco Mwenda (a.k.a.Mwenda Wa Bayeke), for example, ring a bell anywhere?

Yes! Doesn't he play left back for Chelsea?
I'm sorry. The truth is, none of us have any clue who the best guitar player is, and all of our judgements are clouded by our own musical preferences. I suspect that it takes a great guitar player to judge whether another guitar player is truly great. Even then, THEIR musical taste would probably sway them.

JansenFan · Post by **JansenFan** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:18 pm

That's not true. I am correct. Everyone else is not. :-P

UK Skins Fan · Post by **UK Skins Fan** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 3:13 pm

JansenFan wrote:That's not true. I am correct. Everyone else is not.

Yeah, but my dad's cleverer than yours. :nana:

JansenFan · Post by **JansenFan** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 3:15 pm

Yeah, well my dad is... ummm... do you like tennis?

Irn-Bru · Post by **Irn-Bru** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 4:10 pm

Redskin in Canada wrote:Still mostly American guitar players...

Not a single African player?

Would anybody know any fantastic Congo guitar music?

Does the name Jean-Bosco Mwenda (a.k.a.Mwenda Wa Bayeke), for example, ring a bell anywhere?

I understand some of your sentiments, RiC, but I think that you're being obtuse to make a point about American bias that might not even have relevance here.

If I go on to a Redskins board populated by a predominantly North American audience that is generally interested in football and write a poll title that reads "Greatest Guitar Player in the World," it's going to be understood by the audience that I'm referring to rock or blues guitarists in the American and British traditions. You might get the occasional latin or jazz reference, as we have in this thread.

Now, suppose that I started a poll on THN about the "Greatest Drummer in the World." It would be obvious that a good subtitle to that poll would be "Drummers of the Jazz / Blues / Rock traditions," because (frankly) those are going to be the only ones that the entire board could debate. Otherwise it's a pissing contest, using obscure names as the pee.

Maybe some guy comes in on my drummer thread and goes "I can't believe no one has mentioned Steve Shaner of The Cadets, but that's typical of you biased thinkers," and he might even roll his eyes just a bit. But who cares? Given the nature of my audience, my drummer thread going to be a thread to talk about Rich, Gadd, Roach, Blakey, Copeland, Bonham, etc.

It wouldn't have anything to do with percussionists from Scottish or Swiss traditions, drummers from Ghana or the Congo, or players from India or Japan. In fact, it probably wouldn't hit that many Latin drummers (Horacio Hernandez), jazz fusion drummers (Dennis Chambers), or many other genres (reggae, orchestral, etc.).

It's too easy, and a little disingenuous, for someone to waltz in on a high musical horse and claim that the contributors in the thread are either ignorant or biased. . .or both.

If I start a thread on drummers (something that I could discuss for hours on end), are you going to come in and remind us all that we should probably retitle our discussion to "North American and Western European drummers coming from the jazz, blues, and rock traditions, that have also hit the mainstream and shaped the way contemporary music is played."?

Sorry for the rant. I'm not trying to have a go at you, but honestly I can't figure out exactly what you're trying to prove with your posts.

JansenFan · Post by **JansenFan** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 4:23 pm

FanfromAnnapolis wrote:Maybe some guy comes in on my drummer thread and goes "I can't believe no one has mentioned Steve Shaner of The Cadets, but that's typical of you biased thinkers," and he might even roll his eyes just a bit. But who cares? Given the nature of my audience, my drummer thread going to be a thread to talk about Rich, Gadd, Roach, Blakey, Copeland, Bonham, etc.

It wouldn't have anything to do with percussionists from Scottish or Swiss traditions, drummers from Ghana or the Congo, or players from India or Japan. In fact, it probably wouldn't hit that many Latin drummers (Horacio Hernandez), jazz fusion drummers (Dennis Chambers), or many other genres (reggae, orchestral, etc.).

You forgot Neil Peart, you anti-Rush biased twit. (sorry, I couldn't resist)

redskindave · Post by **redskindave** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 5:07 pm

Jimi Hendrix !

BossHog · Post by **BossHog** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 5:27 pm

JansenFan wrote:
FanfromAnnapolis wrote:Maybe some guy comes in on my drummer thread and goes "I can't believe no one has mentioned Steve Shaner of The Cadets, but that's typical of you biased thinkers," and he might even roll his eyes just a bit. But who cares? Given the nature of my audience, my drummer thread going to be a thread to talk about Rich, Gadd, Roach, Blakey, Copeland, Bonham, etc.

It wouldn't have anything to do with percussionists from Scottish or Swiss traditions, drummers from Ghana or the Congo, or players from India or Japan. In fact, it probably wouldn't hit that many Latin drummers (Horacio Hernandez), jazz fusion drummers (Dennis Chambers), or many other genres (reggae, orchestral, etc.).

You forgot Neil Peart, you anti-Rush biased twit. (sorry, I couldn't resist)

Actually I view his stance as purely anti-Canadian. There is no other possible justification for omitting Mr. Peart's name... let alone if you further categorized the selections to be rock or blues oriented.

He quite obviously just hates Canadians...

:nana:

leatherhead 377 · Post by **leatherhead 377** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 5:37 pm

So many different styles:
Santana
Hendrix
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Jeff Beck
Joe Satriani
Frank Marino

Irn-Bru · Post by **Irn-Bru** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 7:41 pm

JansenFan wrote:You forgot Neil Peart, you anti-Rush biased twit. (sorry, I couldn't resist)

Oh, I didn't forget Peart. . . :-"

cvillehog · Post by **cvillehog** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 8:44 pm

FanfromAnnapolis wrote:
JansenFan wrote:You forgot Neil Peart, you anti-Rush biased twit. (sorry, I couldn't resist)

Oh, I didn't forget Peart. . . :-"

You also left off Carter Beauford, clearly demonstrating an anti-Virginia bias.

(Boy, this is fun. I bet you feel like a sportswriter now.

)

BossHog · Post by **BossHog** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 8:23 am

FanfromAnnapolis wrote:
JansenFan wrote:You forgot Neil Peart, you anti-Rush biased twit. (sorry, I couldn't resist)

Oh, I didn't forget Peart. . . :-"

Ohhhh.... so you just don't know what you're talking about... I understand now. You really should feel like a journalist then. :-"

DESkins · Post by **DESkins** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 8:26 am

Just so long as Geddy Lee never makes it on the list of all time greatest vocalist/singers!

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Greatest Guitar Player (Alive or Dead) in the World

The greatest guitar player (alive or dead) in the world.