Best Unknown Guitarist
 

My 1st week back at work for a full week after taking a couple of days every week during bird season....and I'm bored already....So... Here's a question bound to elicit a few different opinions and perhaps turn a few guys on to some great players. For the guitar players onboard...no voting for yourselves! One of my favorites....the late Danny Gatton, nicknamed "the Humbler" for his penchant for putting a few guys in their place while "headcutting"! :humpty:

Here's a link to Gatton Mp3's including my favorite Gatton tune the classic "Harlem Nocturne

http://www.dannygatton.com/av.html

Link Wray and John Cale(velvet undergound) - seen both of them at the old Living Room.
They could really jam

You stole my vote. As I have said on these posts before. Without a doubt. D G .I will say this though I started listening to Greg Howe last year and he is pretty incredible. I have his latest album and it is pretty impressive stuff, although most would not find it very toe tapping, it is a very technical playing style.

Not sure how "unknown" he is but the past few years I have gotten into Tim Reynolds

man, this thread has been beaten to death before!

You know who is the most unkown, known guitarist? Les Paul.
99.9% of guitarists never heard him play!

Les is in his 90's and still at it....a living legend!

He's living in a case in my attic:doh:

give this here a listen, its obviulsy lip synched, but realize this recording is ALL Les Paul and Mary Ford, no drums, no bass. Les recorded multiple layers of guitar at different speeds to get the bass sound and layers of guitars. All his recordings were in his garage, with multi track players he made and invented. check out his solo in this clip! absolute brilliance. this guy played more things on guitar than any rock player has in 50 yrs. Those that know would admit it too.
Les is THE most underrated player in this day and age, 50yrs ago he was a household name.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYlG7...eature=related


I met Les at the Iriduim in NY and he signed my Les Paul box set. The coolest thing is that his signature matches the headstock on my Gibson perfecty!

Wow...
Nice commercial in the middle Jim, show that to the wife.... :D

Great tone in the second song!

Pretty unknown from Brazil. He's done some nice work with Eric Gales (another pretty unknown to most people).
Mauro Hector

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtcU9...eature=related

listen to this one.
remember, one guy, thats it, made ALL the sound you hear. Multiple layers of guitars. No computers, no fancy guitar effects (he invented a bunch of those) and recordered with low budget gear, he made. Insane!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiJZDg3RT6s

Pretty unreal Jim..
Gales is a great one was well...
Check Youtube for Hector and Gales doing red house...

I like this stuff, played it for years, but its wank. against a very basic structure, he can plan tons of wanky scales and ideas. Can you hum a melody from his playing, what sticks in your head? Prof M, what was it Zappa always said widdly wee wee or something when it comes to wanking players. It doenst impress me. I do like it though!

then theres the blues, everyone knows SRV, Clapton, BB, Clapton
How about magic sam or otish rush? ever hear these guys? Sure, you've heard Zeppelin try to play this...
yess saah....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy2tE...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsXK2...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoXI1zZbGIc

les paul is unknown?? :huh:

how about mimi fox??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3Thb...eature=related

john scofield :smokin:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isKY6...eature=related

eb, do you know anyone that has a Les Paul record? I've been around hundreds of guitar players and rarely have players actually heard him play, all know the guitar, but never heard the man.

I love Mimi Fox, that the style I love. In SF, my wifes company had their Christmas party at the museum of modern art and she played. I sat by myslef for 2 hours, drank and watched her play. It was my own concert!

she is a big student of the man....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyjQv52Nzno

good point Jim. Not many own a record, but Les Paul has been immortalized by Gibson..

Joe Pass is great. Mimi is almost too good..id like her to take a Valium and hear her play.

howz about taj?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mVWW...eature=related

andy laroque, king diamond's guitarist.

RIJimmy Here's a little Otis Rush and friends for you

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXzFPcpzB2Y

Jack White
Jim K

so many greats so little time. I am always hoping that I never run out of hearing someone new. Joe Pass is pretty hard to beat.

RI Jimmy you will like this little interview Steve Via did about joining Frank Zappa's Band. Frank was not easily impressed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6cplMM3d_Q

Thanks PM, a buddy showed me that while demosntrating his iPhone. Pretty wild! Did you ever hear Steve Vais Flex-able record? It was right after his Zappa days and very low tech and Zappa influenced. Not for the average listener, but cool. I will search you tube for the tune "Junkie" one of the cooles solos ever from SV.

got it
Junkie off of Flexable
Corny song, get the jist of it and skip to 2:55 for the solo. I used to listen to this thing over and over, probabaly one of my favorite solos of all time. Talk about a sense of humor!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OaLbZh_vl4

Saw Vai at lupos a few years ago.
good talent, but it is not a concert or album I'd listen to over and over.

They had some kind of guitar center promo w/ a local player on stage... he kind of treated her like a jerk and tried to upstage her... came across as an ass, I thought...

When I listen to that type of solo I think of Alan Holdsworth. He was the first one I heard doing that stuff. I got his album IOU in the early 80's and was blown away. Pretty unheard player too. I have someone, Canalman:wave:, trying to get some Lp's into cd s for me of Holdsworth. Like i said before this Greg Howe guy is pretty fantastic. If you like that style you won't be disappointed.

Guy I used to hang with, Jim Pigg. Hear a tune and would play it better. Had an unGodly gift for guitar and I've never heard anything like that since. Didn't want fame or fortune, just played for fun.

When I think Holdworth it always brings back memories of this guy, Hugh Ferguson. Hugh who grew up in Hingham was one of the 1st guy's I've ever heard play "tapping" style well before EVH became popular. He was a Holdsworth devote. Some may not like the "fusion" style but his mastery of the guitar is amazing for a self taught player. Hugh subed in for me for a year when motocross misadventures claimed the tip of my left hand ring finger and turned my pinky into a pretzel. (Not a good career move!) His brother Pete was a Santana clone; quite a talented family. http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...65352056395202