Jazz recommendations - HELP!

[OfSinsAndShred]

Okay... I'm going to school for guitar next year, so I need to get into jazz. I made it in and everything, but it's obvious that I'm a rock/metal/neoclassical guy and not a jazz guy - I know very little about it. Sure, you can learn the theory, and how the scales and chords fit together, and all that... but I need to learn more about the STYLE.

So I know a few of you guys are into jazz. Recommend me some good jazz guitar albums and the just plain essential albums so I can learn some of the stuff and get a better feel for it! I don't even know where to start, although I hear a lot about Holdsworth and Joe Pass. *shrug* I'm retarded with this stuff.

Thanks a lot for your suggestions.

Rock on.

 

[v01c354nd51gn5]

Pat Metheny = pwn. definately check him out. pretty much any cd of his is worthwhile.

 

[Meedleyx10]

def check out holdsworth and metheny, dunno much aobut Joe Pass.....you def need to check out John McGlaughlin, by his stuff with the Mahavishnu orchestra, and remember when it comes to jazz guitar, it is very easy to focus only on soloing and forget about accompiniment and rythm, which are just as important if not more important than soloing

 

[OfSinsAndShred]

def check out holdsworth and metheny, dunno much aobut Joe Pass.....you def need to check out John McGlaughlin, by his stuff with the Mahavishnu orchestra, and remember when it comes to jazz guitar, it is very easy to focus only on soloing and forget about accompiniment and rythm, which are just as important if not more important than soloing

Yeah... comping is more important, and IMO, a helluva lot harder than soloing. Well, it's hard to do WELL. I really suck at it... I wish I could just chug on a a big D like Sins and Shadows or something.

 

[RobbM]

I suggest you check out the jazz great Jimmy Bruno..http://www.jimmybruno.com/ he is one of the best out there...

 

[the_satanic_rabbit]

Yeah you need to get into fusion first to cross over from the metal world. Frank Gambale and Shawn Lane are both awesome. If you can find MVP (Mike Varney Project) Centrifugal Funk and especially Truth in Shredding, those are excellent, the later having much more jazz.
Alan Holdsworth stuff will be awesome too. I'd say that he's more straight up jazz than fusion. I mean, he plays some sick leads, but does that make it fusion? I have sixteen main of tain and I'd call that definitely a jazz album. I also have metal fatigue, and maybe that's more fusion, but still cool, except for the vocals.

I'd go for Frank Gambale, because even though his sweeps are crazy, I think you can learn the most from him. Holdsworth can stretch his fingers like 18 frets or something rediculous, so it's really hard to play any of his licks without tapping. Shawn Lane is awesome but some of his solos are just way too off the wall to get useful jazz licks out of them. I'd say Gambale is my biggest jazz guitar influence and the one I've gotten the most gratification out of learning from.

 

[OfSinsAndShred]

Thanks, you guys have been a lot of help.

 

[Thornmoon]

Can't forget Al DiMeola!!!!

 

[ElPredicador]

Well, there have been a lot of recommendations around here, but I see that the essential ingredients are missing!!! You definetly have to check out Tribal Tech (Scott Henderson and Gary Willis project, now they play with scott kinsey and kirk covington too). Don't forget also to hear Miles Davis (check out Doo Bop first, that was his last album I think, around 1982 or something like that). Don't forget to check also John Scofield (he has a video called jazz funk guitar... maybe you could check it out), Mike Stern, Weather Report, Heavy Machinery (this one especially to "switch" from metal to jazz, it's a project by Allan Holdsworth and Jens and Anders Johanson), and Herbie Hancock (this guy invented funk).
Worth to check out are also non-fusion ones: Bob Berg, Michel Camilo, Dave Weckl, Chick Corea (Although he has done fusion...), the brecker brothers (mike and randy)...
Well, there are sure a lot out there... the best thing you can do get into jazz is get a friend who loves jazz and leech him the music.

@satanic_rabbit: Allan Holdsworth is too avant garde to be "standard" jazz...

 

[Mr. Shred-ididle]

My favourite guitarists

Allan Holdsworth
Greg Howe (check out Extraction)
Frank Gambale
Brett Garsed (and Uncle Moes Space Ranch)
Scott Henderson (and Tribal Tech)
John Scofield
Pat Methaney
John McLaughlin (and everything he's done)

Non-Guitarists (this is where some really amazing jazz is)

Miles Davis - Coltrain/Kind of Blue era
Miles Davis - Hancock/Shorter/Dejohnette/whatever Era
Miles Davis - 70's electric Bitches Brew era +
all the amazing musos who worked with Miles (many of them are included here and above)
Charlie Parker
John Coltrane
Wayne Shorter and Weather Report
Chic Corea
Gill Evans
Theolonius Monk
Michealle Camilo (or whatever his name is)

Thats just some....theres many many, MANY more. Jazz is one of the most diverse and amazingly complex music out there. Theres just so many elements to it. To be a good jazz guitarist is a lifetime facination, theres just no end to different chord voicings, improvisational concepts, compositional ideas, and jibbi jabba yabba yabba.....endless stuff.

Good Luck.

 

[TekChef]

For classic Jazz style, check out Wes Montgomery and Charlie Christanson. These two guys pretty much invented Jazz guitar. They are not shredders by today's standards, but they have style and taste that will get you into Jazz feel.

 

[NGC 3370]

I didn't read any one elses posts but here is my recomendations for you
Get GHS (Gambale,Hamm,Smith)
Greg Howe
Brett Garsed
Prashant Aswani
Alessandro Benvenuti
Al Dimeola
William Stravato
Chris Poland (the fellow that used to play in Megadeth)
Cyril Achard
These are a few I listen to.
Not very traditional but great nonetheless.
Jazz Shredders are the greatest.