Recommend me some jazz guitar tracks and albums please

xSkarloey

I used to listen to a load of jazz when I was in my late teens/ early 20s, but it was mostly all horn players. 

Now my son has started learning the sax I have got back into listening to jazz again, but I want to fill in the gaps in my listening by getting into some jazz guitar. 

My preference is for swing, bop, hard bop and 60s experimental. Above all I love stuff that (in the most general sense) swings. 

I've heard loads of different players here and there over the years and know lots of names, but what I'm after are pointers to specific tracks and albums that you think I'd enjoy and that will enable me to get to know jazz guitar music better. E.G. Grant Green's a name I know, but where would you recommend I start with him? 

I also know Django Reinhardt's music pretty well, but there's such a load of stuff out there that any personal recommendations for standout albums (e.g. Electric Django) would be much appreciated too. 

I don't mind the later 80s/90's stuff, but I have generally found the chorus-dominated sound of that era a bit annoying. Again, if anyone can recommend an album that I should sit down and give a chance to, then I'm all ears.  

Fire away

Jalapeno

Kenny Burrell - Midnight Blue
Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane
Wes Montgomery - The Incredible Guitar, and Smokin' at the Half Note
Grant Green - The complete Sonny Clark Quartets
Jim Hall & Bill Evans - Intermodulation, and Undercurrent
Jim Hall & Pat Metheny
Charlie Hayden & Pat Metheny - Beyond The Missouri Sky
Johnny Smith - Moonlight in Vermont
Anything by Charlie Christian, and Django, they started it

beed84

Asking a similar question to a previous guitar tutor years ago, he said: "If it's jazz and they've got a guitar in they're hand, they're gonna be good." 

Here's a few to start you off with.

First you mentioned Grant Green.  His album Idle Moments is probably a good an album as any.

Kenny Burrell Midnight Blue is simply superb, and the track K Twist is just so groovy.

One of my guitar favourite guitarists, regardless of genre is George Benson.  He just blows me away.  An album that really swings is It's Uptown.  I could listen to it all day.  The George Benson Cookbook is also another great jazz album.  And you've got to listen to the track On Broadway live.

Pretty much anything by Joe Pass.  Honestly, if I could play like Joe, I wouldn't leave the house.

There are loads of other great jazz guitar albums out there.  Hopefully these will get you on the right track. 

Blueingreen

Some good mainstream recommendations already given.  I'd add Concierto which is probably my favourite Jim Hall album.

Of the recent players the one that blows my socks off is Kurt Rosenwinkel.  I saw him in Berlin last month.  I know this will sound a bit OTT but I honestly think that for the first time in my life there's a jazz guitarist who's on the same level as the very best horn players and pianists.  He doesn't have as broad a range as the likes of Metheny and I've no doubt there are more virtuoso players (although his technique is staggering) but his musical imagination is amazing.  Don't take my word for it, here's Robben Ford  talking:

if you're not aware of a guitarist by the name of Kurt Rosenwinkel, this guy is an astonishing guitar player and my favorite that I have heard in years. This guys harmonic sense is so developed, that I listen to him play...it's jaw dropping to me how sophisticated and at the same time very soulful this guy plays, beautiful sound, everything. I admire that tremendously and it makes me just a little sad that I'll never be able to play like that, but again I've made my choices, I'm a blues player."

Picking an album is hard because I have a playlist of his music that I listen to over and over but have never paid  much attention to album names.  There are two main types of album, a more traditional (but still hugely imaginative and cliche-free) treatment of standards and his own compositions which usually feature a much more treated guitar sound and a fair bit of electronica.  Try Intuit for the former and The Next Step for the latter.

GuyBoden

One of the best Jazz Guitarists at the moment is Martijn van Iterson. Yes, I was shocked too, there seems to be more to guitar playing than just playing pentatonic riffs.

xSkarloey

A nice mix of suggestions here. Many thanks all.

Fretwired

Jalapeno said:

Kenny Burrell - Midnight Blue
Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane
Wes Montgomery - The Incredible Guitar, and Smokin' at the Half Note
Grant Green - The complete Sonny Clark Quartets
Jim Hall & Bill Evans - Intermodulation, and Undercurrent
Jim Hall & Pat Metheny
Charlie Hayden & Pat Metheny - Beyond The Missouri Sky
Johnny Smith - Moonlight in Vermont
Anything by Charlie Christian, and Django, they started it

The list above plus:

Philip Catherine
Larry Coryell
Ulf Wakenius
Lee Ritenour [late 90s onwards and before this he was jazz rock fusion]
Jesse Van Ruller
Jeff Golub
Rene Thomas
Ronny Jordan
Paul Brown

koneguitarist

Looking outside of Jazz circles a little is an album of jazz standards covered by Steve Miller, lovely arrangements and tones throughout.

viz

Obviously jazz samba.

bigdawg

Sonny Rollins - Alfie, obviously Sonny Rollins is a sax player but the guitar work by kenny burrell is fantastic..

frankus

I think most guitarists should listen to more non-guitar music ... certainly in Jazz... but if you're going to listen then

Ted Greene (Danny Boy is a great one)


Jim Hall (especially with Jimmy Giuffre)


EARLY George Benson (especially Summer of 42)


LATER Ronny Jordan (Heaven is my personal favourite)


John Scofield - Uberjam (awesome). (I like: I break for monster booty and Uberjam)


There are loads more but I figured I'd share the ones that make me feel - if they inspire you've got the brains to go down the relevant rabbit holes

Rocker

Not a guitar album but inspiring: Jazz at the Pawnshop

Megii

Some favorites of mine have already been mentioned, but I would have to add Barney Kessel to the list - not sure what's available at the moment album-wise, but I always liked his version of Autumn Leaves for one thing:

Another great jazz guitarist I like is Emily Remler (sadly no longer with us) - all her albums are great (though some a bit hard to get hold of now), and there is lots of great stuff also on http://www.allthingsemily.com - some terrific live recordings in the "Unpublished" section, plus transcripstions, recordings of old lessons she gave etc. etc. - all very useful for the learning jazz guitarist.

Jimmy Raney - another great jazz guitarist, just to add a further name.

beed84

+1 for Uberjam.  Amazing album. 

xSkarloey

Thanks again everyone. I think all these will make a nice summer of listening.

Much appreciated.

Skipped

Jalapeno said:

Kenny Burrell - Midnight Blue
Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane
Wes Montgomery - The Incredible Guitar, and Smokin' at the Half Note
Grant Green - The complete Sonny Clark Quartets
Jim Hall & Bill Evans - Intermodulation, and Undercurrent
Jim Hall & Pat Metheny
Charlie Hayden & Pat Metheny - Beyond The Missouri Sky
Johnny Smith - Moonlight in Vermont
Anything by Charlie Christian, and Django, they started it

Great post. I am gonna check out all of these.

I hope none of these guys are using a wound third because I hate that.   :-S


)

Jalapeno

They all are probably !

Barney Kessell's comping to Julie London's Cry Me a River - it basically set the bar, and pretty high it is too !

Fusionista

+1 and a wisdom for that. Julie London's voice has never IMO been better accompanied.

luscombe

This show features some of the best jazz ever.....

luscombe

Sorry the link wouldn't attach. it's worth waiting for though!

ArchtopDave

Emily Remler - Firefly, Catwalk, Transitions, East To Wes

Jim Hall and his modest Trio -   Good Friday Blues

Tal Farlow

Martin Taylor

Ike Isaacs - Intimate Interpretations

and for something a bit different,  Bill Frisell