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Instrumental
music with a guitar emphasis
Instrumental music is typically not too popular commercially. Though
some of the best musicians perform in this environment. We will be
expanding this section
Stop back
for updates.
Jeff Beck
Roy Buchanan
Dixie Dregs
Danny Gatton
Django Reinhardt
See Also:
Chet Atkins
David Grisman
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Jeff Beck |
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Both of
the instrumental Jeff Beck albums displayed to the right, Blow by Blow and
Wired are
excellent. Moving from his blues based roots displayed with
the Yardbirds and his own bands, Beck forged new territory
with this pair of records, sort of fusion music with elements of jazz,
funk, rock, and traces of blues.
The material on both of these albums include
several covers which are among the strongest songs. Beck's remakes are totally unique
and only borrow the melody while he adds some excellent musical vibes over them.
On Blow by
Blow, they include a stunning version of the Beatles "She's a
Women." In addition, two Stevie Wonder songs, "Thelonius"
and "Cause We Ended As Lovers" are performed The
latter being
a tribute to Roy Buchanan, a guitarists guitar player.
Besides the covers, Blow by Blow includes excellent
original material where "Freeway Jam." tops the
list.
Beck's follow-up to Blow by Blow, Wired,
was another
monster. While the album may not be as strong, moving from an
grade of A + to an A is no disappointment.
On Wired, they perform "Goodbye
Porky Park," a Charles Mingus cover, where Beck really shows
how to build a solo without having to play fast, where he places emphasis in the right places, and hits just the right
notes, at the right time.
Jeff Beck is an extraordinary guitar player
and these two albums display him at his best. His approach to
soloing and compositions can be quite intense. As a result his
style is not accessible to all. Perhaps that is why he did not
receive the commercial success that his Yardbird counterparts
Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page enjoyed, because he is just as
good. If this type of music is your taste, these albums are a
treasure and are top shelf material.
Beck's
one disc compilation, The
Best of Beck, is not a replacement for these classic
albums. However, for a curious or casual fan, it does include
some of the better highlights from each. It also gives an overview
of his material with his first band that features Rod
Stewart and some of his other bands, both instrumental and
with vocalists.
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Blow by Blow |
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Wired |
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The Best of Beck |
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Roy
Buchanan |
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Roy
Buchanan's is one of the most innovative guitar players with
a blues rock focus that I have heard, as well as seen perform.
His music is not all instrumental, but that is when he is at
his best. It is also how he started. Besides, it is
obvious that vocals were always secondary.
There is a superb Roy Buchanan career retrospective
entitled Sweet Dreams: The Anthology, which includes
unreleased material, six live tracks, and an assortment
of his best songs from his albums. The unreleased material
includes "Dual
Soliloquy," a twelve minute solo guitar piece recorded in
1972, and two live covers songs, "Hey Joe," and C.
C. Ryder."
The liner notes of Buchanan's Sweet
Dreams: The Anthology written by Colin Escott describe his
playing brilliantly. "Roy clearly knew the value of
playing few notes with frightening precision, but could also
spit out notes like bullets from a machine-gun at double or
even quadruple time without sacrificing a sense of order. He
had refined his touch so that he could isolate overtones by
playing one string with a pick, simultaneously brushing that,
or another string with his fingernail. His trademark, though,
was the searing note that spun up out of silence as he hit the
string, bent it and cranked up the volume."
Buchanan has three live releases and we
first suggest American Axe: Live in 1974, preferably as
a complement to Sweet Dreams: The Anthology. Though, if you are looking
a less expensive single disc introduction to Roy Buchanan, this delivers the
goods, and would be our strongest recommendation. This
live album includes a few unreleased songs that Buchanan performed
live.
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Sweet Dreams: The
Anthology
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American Axe: Live in 1974
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Dixie Dregs
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Dixie Dregs is one of the most talented set of
musicians. They are led by guitarist Steve Morse who was
voted best overall guitarist by guitar player five times and has
won six Grammy nominations.
The Dixie Dregs album What If is an
excellent album that demonstrates their excellence and diversity.
The soloist typically receive the lion share of the credit in
bands, but
this rhythm section smokes.
The Dregs typical instrumental diversity is
showcased on What If. They venture into rock with
"Take It Off The Top," fusion with
"Odyssey," bluegrass with "Gina Lola Breakdown,
and classical with "Little Kids."
If you are looking for compilation of Dixie
Dregs material, they have two greatest hits releases,
which do not overlap. The 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best
of the Dixie Dregs is from their first three albums taking
three songs from their debut, Freefall,
four songs from What If, and four songs from their half
studio and half live, Night
of the Living Dregs.
Information about the Dixie
Dregs / Steve Morse DVD.
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What If |
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The Millennium Collection: The Best
of the Dixie Dregs
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Danny
Gatton |
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Danny
Gatton was named the "Worlds
Greatest Unknown Guitarist" in
1989 by Guitar World Magazine that lead to a
record deal with Elektra records.
His 1991 release 88
Elmira Street is
an excellent display of the immense talent of Danny
Gatton.
This quote from the albums liner notes
describe his playing brilliantly, "Gatton fired off
screaming blues licks, echoplexed rockabilly lines, fluid jazz
octave passages, finger twisting steel-like string bends,
cascading artificial harmonic fills, mercurial right hand
banjo rolls, funky B-3 organ riffs, and Heineken beer bottle
slide, often within one solo!"
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88 Elmira Street
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Django Reinhardt |
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Django
Reinhardt is one of our favorite guitar players, and we offer
extensive coverage including a complete list of his sessions
from 1928 - '53 and a list of discs from each of them. To
the right is a strong single disc compilation of Django with the Hot
Club of France. Our stronger recommendation
are three items below. Not one, but all. The box set is
sold in two packages at very reasonably prices. Plus Nuages
1953 offers his jaw dropping electric performance from March '53.
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Quintette du Hot Club de
France: 25 Classics 1934-1940
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The Classic Early
Recordings in Chronological Order Vol. 1, Part one of a
box set at very low prices, five discs, 1934 - '39 |
Paris
and London: 1937-1948, Vol. 2: The second part of the JSP box
set, four discs, incredible music, bargain price. |
Nuages 1953 - Django's
last two sessions, extraordinary. Our favorite Django
session, 3/10/53. |
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