The Greatest Guitarist of All Time.

[Robelinks]

The first time I saw Carlos Santana live was at a "Day on the Green" at the Oakland Colosseum (presented by Bill Graham), a long, long time ago (mid -'70?). 

 

Santana did a 1 1/2 to 2 hour set and was just astounding.  There were some other fantastic bands playing that day, but no one could hold a candle to Santana.  He was so creative and captivating.  Just a stellar performance.

 

The live concerts that Eric Clapton did with Derek and the Dominoes were equally outstanding.  Just spellbinding perfection from beginning to end.

 

The only other live performance I saw that equaled those two was Bruce Springsteen around 1980.  He went non-stop for four hours and just killed it.  I don't know how he could do it, but it was a great show!

[semente]

 

[sphinxsix]

3 hours ago, semente said:

 

This whole BBC documentary (watched it some time ago) is worth checking out, thanks

 

On 7/3/2018 at 12:59 AM, Robelinks said:

The only other live performance I saw that equaled those two was Bruce Springsteen around 1980.  He went non-stop for four hours and just killed it.  I don't know how he could do it, but it was a great show!

That's why some called him the hardest working man in the show business, I think.

[Ralf11]

James Brown was the hardest working man in the show business

 

but that brings up...  Bootsie

[Allan F]

On 6/27/2017 at 12:27 PM, alfamatt said:

I seem to remember reading that someone once asked Clapton what it's like to be the best guitarist in the world & his reply was " I don't know...Ask Prince"

 

An example of why, starting at 3:23: While My Guitar Gently Weeps

[sphinxsix]

On 7/4/2018 at 2:59 AM, Allan F said:

On 6/27/2017 at 9:27 PM, alfamatt said:

I seem to remember reading that someone once asked Clapton what it's like to be the best guitarist in the world & his reply was " I don't know...Ask Prince" 

 

An example of why, starting at 3:23: While My Guitar Gently Weeps

I posted this video on CA some time ago being impressed by Prince's solo, IMO it's very good indeed.

As for Clapton saying " I don't know...Ask Prince" - I don't know - did he really valued him so highly or maybe this sentence referred to some Prince's claim that he was the best guitarist in the world..

(it's not that I depreciate him as a guitarist)

[Sonic77]

Neal Schon of Journey and Neil Giraldo husband of Pat Benatar, are a couple of my favorite players, besides all the ones already mentioned.

[sphinxsix]

Don't want to start another thread. Could be interesting for guitar music fans.

 

 

[HIFI]

Eric Johnson 

 

Joe Satriano

 

 

[Ralf11]

Dr. May  may be worthy of consideration

[bos]

Rory Gallagher

[Sal1950]

Pink Floyd - Pulse - Comfortably Numb

AKA,  The Worlds Greatest Guitar Solo.

One poster called it   "The moment God picked up a guitar and began to play"

 

[sphinxsix]

1 hour ago, Sal1950 said:

The moment God picked up a guitar and began to play

I understand that for the first time a vote goes to God.

I like it

[AnotherSpin]

4 hours ago, Sal1950 said:

Pink Floyd - Pulse - Comfortably Numb

AKA,  The Worlds Greatest Guitar Solo.

One poster called it   "The moment God picked up a guitar and began to play"

 

 

Joe Walsh went this route in Hotel California earlier

[fas42]

This Aussie 12 year old might send out a few ripples ...

 

 

[sphinxsix]

Slightly but not entirely OT. I mentioned Guthrie Govan's name on this thread. Here is his tribute to 20 guitarists including many heroes of this thread. Written and recorded for the Winter 2005 edition of UK Guitar magazine 'Guitar Techniques' best players according to a readers poll:

Best chord voicings - Eric Johnson, Best use of capo - James Taylor, Best strumming - Pete Townsend, Best use of E-Bow or sustaining device - The Edge, Best vibrato - BB King, Best string bending - David Gilmour, Best finger picking - Mark Knopfler, Best hybrid picking - Albert Lee, Best tapping - Eddie Van Halen, Best palm muting - Al Di Meola, Best sweep picking - Yngwie Malmsteen, Best speed, Best alternate picking, Best string skipping - Paul Gilbert, Best pinched harmonics - Zakk Wylde, Best use of an effect - Tom Morello, Best legato - Satch, Best fretting hand reach, Best use of harmonics - Steve Vai, Best use of slide - Sonny Landreth, Best feel - Jeff Beck, Best timing - John Scofield, Most creative/experimental player, Best use of whammy bar, Overall winner - Jimi Hendrix. 

 

 

 

[Allan F]

On 7/8/2018 at 6:03 AM, sphinxsix said:

As for Clapton saying " I don't know...Ask Prince" - I don't know - did he really valued him so highly or maybe this sentence referred to some Prince's claim that he was the best guitarist in the world..

(it's not that I depreciate him as a guitarist)

 

The story about Clapton replying, "Ask Prince" is apparently not true: FACT CHECK

[sphinxsix]

15 hours ago, Allan F said:

 

The story about Clapton replying, "Ask Prince" is apparently not true: FACT CHECK

To me it sounded quite unbelievable from the very first time I heard it which took place here on AS. It's not that I don't respect Prince as a guitar player but it was actually hard to imagine Clapton pointing in this direction.Thanks! 

[sphinxsix]

I'm very happy to announce that without any doubt the winner guitarist according to CA/AS community is:

 

                

 

(especially since I had promised myself to stop posting on this forum if he hadn't proved to be the obvious winner since the very beginning of the thread )

[beetlemania]

Quote

Written and recorded for the Winter 2005 edition of UK Guitar magazine 'Guitar Techniques' best players according to a readers poll:

It's missing "best use of stillness/silence between the notes": Peter Green. Some early Peter Green leaves me yearning for the next note. For me, evokes a very compelling emotional connection to the music.

[sphinxsix]

It's 50'th anniversary of Hendrix death today, would he live he'd be 77 now..

Some musicians' memories of him from the today Guardian: 

 

'Colourful, vibrant, sensual!' Stars on Jimi Hendrix, 50 years gone

 

 

 

[57gold]

Not sure if he's been mentioned, but the player who has made the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up, playing passionately musical electric guitar solos, the most frequently is Derek Trucks.  You may have seen EC bow to him in the "I am not worthy" gesture when he smokes a Dominos tune.  Or, if you check out this video, where the guy with the sweetest and most recognizably beautiful electric guitar tone that has ever graced this planet, BB King, says that Derek playing the blues "is the best I have ever heard it."  And Derek blushes.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4zapXPrWt0

 

Attended multiple EC, Santana, Jeff Beck, Eric Johnson, Di Meola, Metheny, Scofield, Mike Stern, Bill Frisell...performances, and loved them all, but Derek has on multiple occasions has left me speechless with his musicality, melodic lines, swinging timing all working perfectly in the context of the tune. See his band when they come to town after the pandemic passes if you are an electric guitar fan.

 

Have to say that the jazz players like Metheny, Sco and Stern bring more complex harmony to the table and are masters that exceed the musical depth of any of the rock and blues players on the planet.  (IMHO, the shredder metal guys have significant technique and sometimes theory in their work, but after listening to and appreciating their fretboard mastery, generally not interested in listening to their songs again.)

 

I guess, I'll qualify my response, the player I'd most want to not miss if he came to town that is playing today, is Derek.  That being said, I'd be buying tickets to a performance of any of the guys mentioned about.

[sphinxsix]

Here's the proof that the winner of Audiophiles' Greatest Guitarist thread not only revolutionized the language of the guitar but also invented hip hop in 1969 

Just heard it for the first time, the single is out on Celluloid.

 

 

[firedog]

56 minutes ago, sphinxsix said:

Here's the proof that the winner of Audiophiles' Greatest Guitarist thread not only revolutionized the language of the guitar but also invented hip hop in 1969 

Just heard it for the first time, the single is out on Celluloid.

 

 

 You do realize that kind of vocalizing had been around for awhile before that: even Muhammad Ali was doing it in the early 60's with his poems/verses - and he didn't invent it. 

Simply was part of black culture and whites weren't very aware of it. I'm sure there's a study somewhere outlining the development. 

 

That said, one of the great things about Hendrix is that even his bad stuff was good. All those posthumously released tapes that he never meant to see the light of day - even much of the failures and noodling is pretty interesting and worth listening to. Simply really talented. It's a shame we didn't get to hear what he could have developed if he hadn't died so young. 

 

 

 

 

 

That said

[barrows]

58 minutes ago, firedog said:

Simply really talented. It's a shame we didn't get to hear what he could have developed if he hadn't died so young. 

So so true...  whenever I listen to Hendrix I must say it is hard not to be saddened to think about what could have been had he survived the tumultuousness of youth.  When one listens to the more R&B (and even some jazz) approaches of the Band of Gypsys, it seems inevitable that Jimi Hendrix would have eventually stepped out beyond the blues and into the more open ended world of jazz.  Given the connections between him and Miles Davis, it also seems inevitable that they would have made some music together.  No one knows where this could have gone, but musically, it is not hard to imagine a stretching of music in ways which just has not happened, given Jimi's natural talents and desire to grow.  How about the Charles Lloyd/Jimi Hendrix Experience!  Just dreaming...