"Accessible" jazz guitarists for the beginner?

[TommyMambo]

Kenny Burrell, Grant Green

[arthur rotfeld]

Originally Posted by TommyMambo

Kenny Burrell, Grant Green

Those are good choices too.


A lot of people are naming great jazz guitarist or favorite ones.

Take a look at the OP's criteria.....


Pat Metheny just isn't a good choice. Certainly he's another one of my true favorites, but his jazz playing (say on Q&A) is tough for a beginner to make sense of. Sounds great, but it's not at all "easy to understand."

[DaveinLondon]

[aeolian]

Originally Posted by mondaythursday

Howard Roberts's Color Him Funky and Howard Roberts Is A Dirty Guitar Player might be an excellent introduction to jazz for somebody who is into rock and blues.

How I wish someone had played me one of these records back in the late '70 when I thought Alvin Lee was as far as you could go. Back in early '70 when I was learning hard rock, I had the opportunity to study with the same guy that taught Charles (Icarus) Johnson. He lived in the same town and I was going to high school with his son, who could play some basic versions of some jazz standards. Lots of folks said I should take lessons from "Kurt's dad" but I blew it off. I didn't get it at the time. Until a few years later when I heard Charlie. Too late, I was already set in my ways.

Those HR recordings will reach a rocker with the dirty tone and bluesy phrasing in a way a Tal Farlow or Johnny Smith recording will sound like dry jazz stuff and turn them off. At least it did to me at the time.

[dlguitar64]

Originally Posted by Scott Miller

Players that also played blues are pretty accessible: Bill Jennings, Oscar Moore, Billy Butler.

Charlie Christian is also reasonable to learn; you could spend a long time on Charlie Christian.

Definitely not Wes.

I disagree-Wes is the most melodic jazz guitarist ever and melody is where its at