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Recommended Listening; Links
Charlie Christian
Mary Osborne
Django Reinhardt
Snoozer Quinn
Eddie Lang
Carl Kress & Dick McDonough
Blind Arthur Blake
Doc Watson
Recommended Listening; Links
Charlie Christian
Mary Osborne
Django Reinhardt
Snoozer Quinn
Eddie Lang
Carl Kress & Dick McDonough
Blind Arthur Blake
Doc Watson
Charlie Christian is, arguably, the most influential jazz guitarist of all. For biographical information, visit Jazz Guitarist Charlie Christian. View the guitar made famous by Charlie Christian, the Gibson ES 150. (Photo from "Gibson Electrics" by Andre Duchossoir ©1981).
"I don't look at it as playing a guitar. I try to make my guitar sound like I think a saxophone should."
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"I don't look at it as playing a guitar. I try to make my guitar sound like I think a saxophone should."
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One of the formidable players from the 40s is a woman named Mary Osborne. Unfortunately, she is not a well known guitarist but could swing with the best of them. Read her obituary in the New York Times.
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There wouldn't be enough room on the page to talk about the great gypsy guitarist, Django Reinhardt. Just go to this biography: http://www.redhotjazz.com/django.html posted by Joseph Dinkins (contains soundclips). This French website, about-django.com, has video clips of Django and The Quintet of The Hot Club of France as well as outstanding proponents of Django's style.
Learn about the Selmer (Maccaferri) guitars that were made famous by Django Reinhardt.
This CD features Django's later work:
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Learn about the Selmer (Maccaferri) guitars that were made famous by Django Reinhardt.
This CD features Django's later work:
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There were many accomplished jazz guitarists in the 1920s and 30s. Two of the outstanding players were New Orleans based Snoozer Quinn and his successor in The Paul Whiteman Orchestra,
Eddie Lang who also had a duo with violinist, Joe Venuti.
Please visit this website devoted to Snoozer Quinn.
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Two pre-eminent soloists were Carl Kress and Dick McDonough.
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Please visit this website devoted to Snoozer Quinn.
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Two pre-eminent soloists were Carl Kress and Dick McDonough.
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Blind Arthur Blake was a blues musician from the 1920s who influenced many guitar players both blues and jazz alike. His playing style was unique, interesting and quite sophisticated. There isn't much known about him but his recordings were plentiful and are still available. Click here for a brief biography. Download free mp3s by Blind Blake at www.publicdomain4u.com. In his short but prolific career he managed to record 110 complete published sides.
Not to get too far off the topic of jazz but when I was a kid just starting to play the guitar, one of my biggest influences and favorite players was Doc Watson, a first-class acoustic flat picker and exponent of country blues and bluegrass. I'm sure there are many jazz players out there who were, and still are, avid listeners of his music.
