I’m starving for something new.
I would like to hear some instrumental recordings, preferably featuring guitar. No singing.
I love Joe Satriani’s stuff. And Steve Morse and the Dixie Dregs. And Jeff Beck. I know there must be some more guitarists that have put out some non-singing records.
But I’d like to hear some other stuff too.
Help a fella out here!
John Fahey - phenomenal fingerpicked acoustic guitar. I am fond of “Death Chants, Breakdowns, and Military Waltzes.”
Worship at the altar of Buckethead and pray for his deliverance from the clutches of Axl Rose.
Arlen Roth - Toolin’ Around
Duets with Danny Gatton, Albert Lee, Duke Robillard, Duane Eddy, Bill Lloyd, Brian Setzer, Jerry Douglas & Sam Bush.
I urge you on the strongest possible terms to investigate John Petrucci (of Dream Theater) and his Lines in the Sand website. I tried googling it right now but it’s not responding. Probably being over-hit.
I saw him open for Steve Vai and Joe Satriani at last year’s G3 concert series. He completely blew both of these skilled instrumental guitarists straight out of the water and onto dry land. For the record, I’ve seen Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Larry Coryell, Steve Miller, Eric Johnson, Carlos Santana, Steve Morse and Robert Fripp among others.
Petrucci seamlessly blends together slow ballad, blues, jazz, rock, acid rock, rythym and blues, hard rock and speed metal into a fusion of insanely fine instrumental work. Watching him perform was one of the most intense pleasures I’ve had at a concert. You will not be disappointed with this guy’s music. It is among the finest.
As an aside, if you are not familiar with Eric Johnson, you may wish to investigate his music as well. He is another truly fine instrumental electric guitarist.
Two words…Andres Segovia.
I’ll second the Eric Johnson. And right now I am listening to *Hand Picked[
i] by Richard Betts. Great country-western-swing-bluegrassy 14 minute instrumental.
May I add Leo Kottke, John Renbourn, Davey Graham and Bert (Blackwater Side) Jansch?
We might pause to briefly cornsider Al Di Meola.
PS: Maureen, I saw old AS several times and he truly did kick booteh. As George Harrison said, “He’s the father of us all.”
I saw him at his last concert in Chicago, when he was so frail and creaky that he couldn’t even carry his own guitar out on stage and had to stop and cough a few times in the middle of pieces. He still kicked butt. My guitar teacher once referred to him as “the Michael Jordan of classical guitar.”
That said, if you want to try out more stuff in the classical and/or flamenco vein, try Carlos Montoya, Angel Romero, Otamar Liebert…or if you’re feeling wacky, grab a compilation CD of nuevo flamenco. There’s some neato jazz-influenced stuff coming out of Spain these days.
Some of these have been mentioned before, but my votes are:
Danny Gatton (IMHO one the best electric guitarists ever, but you can’t really compare his style to the speed demon types) - 88 Elmira St. is a good place to start, but really any of his stuff, Paco de Lucia (flamenco), Pepe Romero (classical), Leo Kottke (umm, all his own). None of these are anything like Satriani and that style though, but all are incredible musicians with some great music.
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OK, Maureen, you asked for it. I too saw him on his final tour at the Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco.
As always, there was nothing on stage save a recital bench.
Segovia entered to applause which grew ever more thunderous with each minute. After at least three minutes of a Very Loud Continous Standing Ovation™, the clapping died down and Segovia began to take his seat at the bench.
Before he could completely park his venerable keister, someone in the upper balcony (whom I envy to this very day) shouted out at the top of his lungs;
“THAT’S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!”
Segovia turned his face up with a shocked expression as the man in the balcony continued;
“VIVA SEGOVIA!!!”
This admirable outburst was then followed by another three minutes of solid standing ovation as well.
I only wish I had done the same thing the last time I saw Jean Pierre Rampal.
Dare me and I’ll come back in here to tell you of the only glaring mistake I ever saw him make onstage.
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And while we’re on the topic;
The Four Romeros
Try an incredible rendition of the 3[sup]rd[/sup] Brandenburg Concerto in G, replete with flams and trills,
all played on four guitars!
The first time I heard this I was utterly spellbound.
You might try Lou Reed’s “Metal Machine Music” – it is said to be legendary in its awfulness.
The Antarctica Suite by Nigel Westlake (it’s almost a guitar concerto)
Specifically, the recording by the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, featuring Timothy Kain on guitar. It’s on a CD called Out Of The Blue on the ABC classics lable, probably available at this website.
Or, any of the Swoon Collection CDs from the same site… or anything by the group Sky.
I magine youre probably familiar with Steve Vai’s work. If not, though, check him out immediately. He’s like a more experimental Satriani. “Passion and Warfare” is his finest album, though I love his latest “Alive in an Ultra World” too…though a few of those songs do have vocals.
Stu Hamm is definitely someone you should investigate. He plays bass, but he’s more nimble than most guitarists. I’d say start with his latest, “Outbound” though his first record, “Radio Free Albemuth” is wonderful too.
John Petrucci is awesome, I can definitely agree with that. His work in Dream Thearer is positively jaw-dropping, though the band isnt solely instrumental and progressive rock may not be your thing.
I don’t know what style you are into as I am unfamiliar with the artists you mentioned, but check out Secret of Mana.
Also, try out:
John Scofield, John Mclaughlin. Both on a jazzy vibe, but Scofield’s latest records are quite funk-rocky as well.
My personal favorite: Ernest Ranglin. The man who taught Bob Marley to play guitar, still very much alive and definitely kicking. Great stuff.
If you like Flamenco:
Strunz & Farah
Also get “Friday Night in San Francisco” by John Mclaughlin, Paco De Lucia and Al Dimeola
Check out Gary Hoey, especially his soundtrack for The Endless Summer II* - featuring a brilliant, rock and roll, all electric guitar version of Linus and Lucy.
Eric Clapton’s soundtrack for Rush is particularly brilliant. Half of it is pretty solid blues and Tears in Heaven. The second half is 100% instrumental blues and rock by Clapton and friends.
Welcome to the boards, Araby76. If you are unfamiliar with Jeff Beck, Steve Morse (of Dixie Dregs) and Satch (Joe Satriani), then you have some homework to do.
I saw Dixie Dregs play the Saddle Rack in San Jose. Something tells me the usual cowboy crowd wasn’t quite ready for their Southern jazz, bluegrass and rock fusion. To give you an idea of Morse’s talent level; I watched him work the volume knob of his guitar like an expression pedal, using his little finger, while he was playing! The nerve of the b@stard! Made me want to go home and smash one of my axes.
Satasha, I had the intense pleasure of seeing Strunz and Farah open for Larry Coryell at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall (one of the coziest venues in the bay area). It was back in the 1980s when they were still relatively unknown. They were playing on guitars only without a backup band. It was like watching a pair of caffeinated Al di Meolas get all gonzo.
Then Coryell took the stage and started cranking. My girlfriend leaned over to me and said, “He’s making the same amount of music both of those last guys were!” Yeah, it was a kick@ss show.
I also had the opportunity to see John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu orchestra open for Jeff Beck on his “Blow by Blow” tour. Bill Graham’s organization had (without advance notice) decided to stuff two shows into the same night, which really frosted my wiener. The payoff was that the first show (mine) had the additional treat of seeing Beck and McLaughlin jam as an encore. Yeah, that show whipped butt too.
Try Mice Parade - All Roads Lead To Salzburg
Do Make Say Think - & Yet & Yet, S/T