During the early part of the twentieth century, the stringed instrument used in the jazz repertoire was not the guitar, but the banjo. Then as now, folk, country and bluegrass used the banjo for its timbre. But jazz guitar players found that it had a tone and presence able to compete with the horns and drums.
Gibson came out with the first acoustic guitar in 1923 that replaced the banjo. This hollow-bodied instrument allowed the musician to play more complex chords and its tone was able to stand up to the brass, so to speak. By the 1930s, the banjo was relegated back to the country and the guitarist found a proper niche within the band.
The electric guitar was invented in the 1930s. This amplified invention was capable of being heard amongst the horns and drums. Swing, bebop, hard-bop, fusion or mellow, the guitar now had a place in the band. Over time, its presence would expand. Its players earned name recognition.
Charlie Christian was the first to record the new amplified guitar with The Benny Goodman Orchestra. This proved the exception and not the rule. It still, for the most part, played a background role; in the rhythm section. Django Reinhardt was the first to have big-name recognition. His style was too inventive to take a backseat in any orchestra.
Things began to change when trends moved away from full orchestras into smaller combos. Here the guitar was given its due. Kenny Burrell, Barney Kessel, Wes Montgomery and Joe Pass became recognized names as bebop developed and became the style from the late 1940s to the 1960s. They went on to record as soloists.
By the 1970s, a new style, fusion, came to the forefront. In this, the jazz guitarist took up the proclivities of rock guitarists and turned up the volume. Inspired by the blues-styles of Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck, jazz would take heavy metal and give it its own twist. John McLaughlin was the most prominent practitioner, but others followed. Like their rock counterparts, they made full use of all the tricks and distortion amplification could provide. It shrieked and hollered in the spotlight.
Jazz guitar players today have a smoother style, often combined with other musical genres. Gone are the wah-wah pedals and the octave splitters. Instead, a mellow sound has made it more commercial, less confrontational. This elegant style goes right back to Charlie Christian. The Latin-infused bop of Django Reinhardt is still being played especially in dance clubs. Stringed instruments in the jazz context have come full-circle with a neo-traditional school attempting to keep the clean, lush sound of the early guitarists. Even the banjo is making a comeback with many online sites dedicated to it.
jazz guitar players
Gibson came out with the first acoustic guitar in 1923 that replaced the banjo. This hollow-bodied instrument allowed the musician to play more complex chords and its tone was able to stand up to the brass, so to speak. By the 1930s, the banjo was relegated back to the country and the guitarist found a proper niche within the band.
The electric guitar was invented in the 1930s. This amplified invention was capable of being heard amongst the horns and drums. Swing, bebop, hard-bop, fusion or mellow, the guitar now had a place in the band. Over time, its presence would expand. Its players earned name recognition.
Charlie Christian was the first to record the new amplified guitar with The Benny Goodman Orchestra. This proved the exception and not the rule. It still, for the most part, played a background role; in the rhythm section. Django Reinhardt was the first to have big-name recognition. His style was too inventive to take a backseat in any orchestra.
Things began to change when trends moved away from full orchestras into smaller combos. Here the guitar was given its due. Kenny Burrell, Barney Kessel, Wes Montgomery and Joe Pass became recognized names as bebop developed and became the style from the late 1940s to the 1960s. They went on to record as soloists.
By the 1970s, a new style, fusion, came to the forefront. In this, the jazz guitarist took up the proclivities of rock guitarists and turned up the volume. Inspired by the blues-styles of Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck, jazz would take heavy metal and give it its own twist. John McLaughlin was the most prominent practitioner, but others followed. Like their rock counterparts, they made full use of all the tricks and distortion amplification could provide. It shrieked and hollered in the spotlight.
Jazz guitar players today have a smoother style, often combined with other musical genres. Gone are the wah-wah pedals and the octave splitters. Instead, a mellow sound has made it more commercial, less confrontational. This elegant style goes right back to Charlie Christian. The Latin-infused bop of Django Reinhardt is still being played especially in dance clubs. Stringed instruments in the jazz context have come full-circle with a neo-traditional school attempting to keep the clean, lush sound of the early guitarists. Even the banjo is making a comeback with many online sites dedicated to it.
jazz guitar players
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