Jazz Guitars & Archtop Guitars

John Pizzarelli 7-String Jazz Guitarist - I Got Rhythm

2008-12-31T06:57:00.000-08:00

John Pizzarelli is easily one the greatest living 7-string jazz guitar players. He's got a thing for old jazz standards, and after hearing him sing and play, I can tell he really appreciates the history and gift of jazz music. And his guitar is super sweet. He's playing Moll guitars now, but he used to play a signature Benedetto model. Pretty awesome if you ask me.

Ted Greene Plays Autumn Leaves

2008-10-30T09:20:00.000-07:00

Many of you know Ted Greene. He was an extraordinary guitar player, and he simply left this this world too early. One of the reasons that I love him is his use of Telecasters. Ted had a collection of Telecasters, Broadcasters and Nocasters. I've even heard that he worked with Fender to create a vintage reissue of the 1952 Fender Telecaster guitar. Ted Greene wrote four books on guitar. Of these, I've heard the first one I should get is Modern Chord Progressions. Like any other aspiring jazz guitarist, I'm pretty certain that this one book will keep me busy for a lifetime. His other books include: Jazz and Classical Voicings for Guitar, Single Note Soloing, and Chord Chemistry. One of the coolest things about this jazz cat is that his former students and his lifelong love have begun documenting his work, tablature and videos for all of us to experience and learn from. See more at tedgreene.com.

Ella Fitzgerald & Joe Pass - Stormy Weather (1975)

2008-10-15T07:31:00.000-07:00

Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass are my favorite vocalist/guitarist duo in the history of music. This video shows their finesse, elegance, and balance.

Long Live Jerry Reed!

2008-09-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

Jerry Reed passed away from this earth on August 31, 2008. I must admit that I will miss his guitar playing. He was a legend, and he had one of those styles that could not be replicated by anyone. As a songwriter, he wrote songs for Elvis Presley. As an actor, he played Cledus Snow, aka the Snowman, in Smokey and the Bandit. Jerry Reed was a super hero to me. I've posted this video of Jerry playing guitar with Chet Atkins. Listen closely, and you'll hear the jazz influence in Jerry's guitar style. He is simply incredible. We'll miss you, Jerry.

Joe Pass on the Archtop Guitar

2008-06-16T15:33:00.000-07:00

Joe Pass is easily one of my guitar heroes. This guy could do it all. He played with Sarah Vaughan, Frank Sinatra, Joe Williams, and Louis Bellson among others. He recorded the first record on the Concord Jazz record label with Johnny Mathis. Walking basslines, melodies, counterpoint - he was the George Van Eps of 6-string guitar! Furthermore, he recorded several albums with the greatest jazz vocalist of all time, Ella Fitzgerald. There is something magical about hearing Joe Pass and Ella Fitzgerald perform together. Their duet of strings and voice is something that no one else can even come close to. If you don't have any other their albums or his albums, grab one today. They are spectacular.

Lenny Breau & Chet Atkins? Holy Crap!

2008-06-12T22:35:00.000-07:00

This is a match made in heaven for me. These are two of my favorite guitarists of all time. Now I just need to figure out where to get this album. Lenny Breau and Chet Atkins - who would have known? I guess I'm a little slow.

The Wrecking Crew of 1960's Los Angeles

2008-06-10T19:36:00.000-07:00

For those of you who do not know, the Wrecking Crew was a group of musicians in LA in the 1960's. These guys could play anything, and they practically did. They were know as "first call" musicians, and they played on every type of film score, television show themes, and advertising jingles. Phil Spector and Brian Wilson used the Wrecking Crew for several classic songs.

Several guitarists, including Glen Campbell, Barney Kessel, Tommy Tedesco, Al Casey, Carol Kaye, Billy Strange, and Don Peake, were members of the Wrecking Crew. Glen Campbell went on to become a famous singer/guitarist. Hal Blaine, the most recorded drummer in history, was also a feature member of the group. There is a documentary about the Wrecking Crew. Check it out here: http://wreckingcrew.tv

Bucky Pizzarelli and his Benedetto 7-String Archtop Guitar

2008-04-23T05:28:00.000-07:00

In 2003, I had the privilege of seeing and hearing Bucky Pizzarelli play a private concert in Texas. As much as I was awed by his amazing playing, I was equally awed by his Benedetto 7-String archtop. Bucky Pizzarelli was inlayed in bridge, so I'm guessing this is his custom-designed, signature model.The concert was amazing, and I went home wanting a Benedetto 7-string archtop guitar. Of course, if you want a Benedetto guitar model, you better have $30,000 in your pocket. I can dream, can't I?

Archtop Guitar Neck with Serious Inlay

2008-01-29T21:33:00.001-08:00

The other day I was searching around Google for archtop guitar makers, or luthiers as they are sometimes called. As you know, I'm a fan of jazz guitar, specifically 7-string jazz guitars and 7-string archtop guitars. There were several that I saw. Buscarino, Ribbecke, Foster, Benedetto, Devoe - all of these guys make beautiful and stunning instruments. However, I'm still sticking to an earlier post. Foster Guitars down in New Orleans seems to craft the perfect archtop guitar. Jimmy is a seven-string player, and he obviously likes his instruments to look good and sound good. If you need proof, check out the neck inlay on his 7-string Royale model:

Folks, that is the perfect inlay. It really doesn't get any better than that.

George Van Eps - I've Got a Crush on You

2007-09-27T15:46:00.001-07:00

I don't know of many videos recordings of George Van Eps. Enjoy the master of all things 7-string guitar as he treats us to I've Got a Crush on You.

Barney Kessel Played a 1950's Kay Guitar

2007-09-26T13:51:00.000-07:00

Barney Kessel, a first-call guitarist in the Wrecking Crew, at one point played a solid body 1950's Kay guitar. This thing was awesome. Barney played with the Oscar Peterson Trio, and how he survived those tempos still remains a mystery. I came across this guitar as I was browsing vintage guitars. It seems that Eastwood Guitars has made a duplication of the Barney Kessel 1950's Kay guitar. Eastwood Guitars has put the Airline brand name on the guitar, but it looks like a very close remake of the original solid body jazz guitar that Barney Kessel played. Man, Barney Kessel was a tremendous player.

My Favorite 7-String Jazz Guitarists

2007-09-12T19:15:00.000-07:00

When it comes to 7-string guitar players, George Van Eps is the king of all. By far. No questions asked. He literally invented the concept of 7-string jazz guitar by drafting the specs for the first 7-string archtop with the luthiers at Epiphone back in the 1940's. George Van Eps had so much talent, imagination, and ingenuity, I doubt his skills will ever be matched. There are a few that come close. To name a few of my favorites: Bucky Pizzarelli, John Pizzarelli, Howard Alden, Ron Eschete, Lenny Breau, Jimmy Bruno, Victor Baker, Alan de Mause, Howard Morgan, Ted Ludwig, and Jimmy Foster. There are many more, but these are my favorite 7-string players.

Archtop Guitars in New Orleans

2007-09-10T20:35:00.000-07:00

So I finally started a blog. It's really just going to be a place where I talk about guitars. Archtop guitars, electric guitars, acoustic guitars, jazz guitars - these are my favorite things. For my first post, I want to let you in on a little secret I discovered in New Orleans. I heard about some amazing hand-made guitars that are custom built by a luthier named Jimmy Foster. I have seen some of his guitars on eBay, and they look amazing. However, when I visited his website, I noticed that Jimmy Foster is also an amazing 7-string jazz guitarist, as there are several recordings of Jimmy playing one of his custom 7-string archtop guitars. While the traditional jazz guitar has 6-strings, Jimmy plays jazz guitar with an extra string: a low A. This allows him to play bass lines in the style of George Van Eps and Bucky Pizzarelli. He's got several models, including archtops, solid body electric guitars, and acoustic guitars. There are several well-known guitarists who play Jimmy's guitar, and Paul Simon is one of them. Jimmy even took the time to make some videos of himself making a guitar. It's pretty cool to see all the different tools that he uses. Anyways, take a minute to check out his site: www.fosterguitars.com