As hard as it is to imagine, in the early part of the twentieth century, jazz guitar players made more use of the banjo than the guitar. Normally used for playing folk, bluegrass and country, musicians found the louder tones of the banjo could stand up to the brass and drums in an orchestra. It may not have been cool, but it did have a bite. The guitar was at that time, largely homemade with poorer sound quality.
Gibson come out with the first hollow-body acoustic guitar that could finally replace the banjo in 1923. A musician could now play a more complex set of chords and provide an interesting rhythm. By the 1930s the banjo was back in the country fold and the guitar was on its way to gaining a solid place in the swing orchestra. It was on the road to coolness.
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.
Benny Goodman recorded the first amplified guitar with guitarist Charlie Christian. In the big band era, this instrument was used in the rhythm section, not for solos. Christian became a recognized name but it was rare in those days for fame to befall on a guitarist. Django Reinhardt became a star. His style was so inventive he could not be denied.
By the 1940s, things were shaken up with the advent of small combos, replacing orchestras. Quartets, trios, sextets and quintets began to dominate. With the development of the bebop style, guitarists were now soloists with name recognition. Kenny Burrell, Barney Kessel, Wes Montgomery were just a few of the players to make their own recordings. By the 1960s, they were famous.
In the 1970s, jazz merged itself with rock and fusion was born. Taking from the playbooks or rock guitarists Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page and Carlos Santana, musicians tinged their playing with distortion and intense amplification. John McLaughlin took heavy metal rock and gave it a jazzy spin. The guitarist was no longer the background of a jazz band. It developed into a powerhouse sound that had no difficulty being heard amongst the horns and drums.
Fusion had its appeal for some but was replaced by a smoother, commercial sound by the 1980s. The wah-wah pedal and the octave splitters were sent packing while jazz continued to merge itself into other genres such as world music, blues, pop and new-age. This clean sound goes right back to Charlie Christian. There is a neo-traditional school intent on playing the cool, lush sound of the early guitarists. Django Reinhardt continues to influence a new generation of jazz guitar players whose Latin style is popular in dance clubs. We have come full-circle. Even the jazz banjo has a growing fan base.
jazz guitar players
Gibson come out with the first hollow-body acoustic guitar that could finally replace the banjo in 1923. A musician could now play a more complex set of chords and provide an interesting rhythm. By the 1930s the banjo was back in the country fold and the guitar was on its way to gaining a solid place in the swing orchestra. It was on the road to coolness.
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.
Benny Goodman recorded the first amplified guitar with guitarist Charlie Christian. In the big band era, this instrument was used in the rhythm section, not for solos. Christian became a recognized name but it was rare in those days for fame to befall on a guitarist. Django Reinhardt became a star. His style was so inventive he could not be denied.
By the 1940s, things were shaken up with the advent of small combos, replacing orchestras. Quartets, trios, sextets and quintets began to dominate. With the development of the bebop style, guitarists were now soloists with name recognition. Kenny Burrell, Barney Kessel, Wes Montgomery were just a few of the players to make their own recordings. By the 1960s, they were famous.
In the 1970s, jazz merged itself with rock and fusion was born. Taking from the playbooks or rock guitarists Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page and Carlos Santana, musicians tinged their playing with distortion and intense amplification. John McLaughlin took heavy metal rock and gave it a jazzy spin. The guitarist was no longer the background of a jazz band. It developed into a powerhouse sound that had no difficulty being heard amongst the horns and drums.
Fusion had its appeal for some but was replaced by a smoother, commercial sound by the 1980s. The wah-wah pedal and the octave splitters were sent packing while jazz continued to merge itself into other genres such as world music, blues, pop and new-age. This clean sound goes right back to Charlie Christian. There is a neo-traditional school intent on playing the cool, lush sound of the early guitarists. Django Reinhardt continues to influence a new generation of jazz guitar players whose Latin style is popular in dance clubs. We have come full-circle. Even the jazz banjo has a growing fan base.
jazz guitar players
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