Why is the guitar so perfect for the blues, and so awful for jazz?

[Rabrrrrrr]

I've been listening to a lot of blues and jazz today, and realized that I've heard very little guitar jazz that was interesting, but I can listen to a screaming electric blues guitar for hours. In fact, I find words annoying - JUST GIVE ME THE GUITAR! Yeah, John Scofield and a few others do guitar jazz, but it's all that light jazz stuff, or new agey, or not real serious jazz (as I define jazz). Pat Metheny has done some good stuff, but he's the odd man out.

The jazz I really like is horns and woodwinds. Though the bass guitar (or bass fiddle) is essential for jazz, and percussion (and the more the better!), the electric guitar sounds crappy. Imagine Sun Ra or Coltrane with an electric guitar. Can't be done. Imagine the Allman Brothers or T Bone with clarinets and saxaphones. Can't be done.


Blues: has to be either harmonica or guitar, and the harmonica is interesting only for a while.

Jazz: Saxaphone is the top dog, then trumpet. Benny GOodman was rocking on the clarinet, but I don't know if I could handle a couple hours of free jazz clarinet from anyone else.

So why is the guitar so perfect for the blues and rock, and even country, and so many other musical forms, but just doesn't cut it for jazz?

I'm dumbfounded that the king of instruments should have a musical form to which it is not suited.

[lenidog]

1. You obviously have never listened to Robert Fripp, Andy Summers or

Django Reinhardt play jazz.

[Rabrrrrrr]

9. No, I *love* Fripp! I don't think of him as jazz, though, even though

I know he does some.

Django is the bomb! But that's way long ago...I was considering more the electric guitar.

[lenidog]

11. I did not realize you were talking about electric guitar

Then I have to agree with you.

[Rabrrrrrr]

12. Yeah, I wasn't at all clear on that

Sorry for the confusion!

[lenidog]

16. I should have figured it out for myself. I couldn't see anyone saying

that acoustical guitar can't be jazzy. On your real premise you are right it works for rock, country, blues but just not jazz. Now I don't listen to modern jazz all that much (I am old school) but hwat I have heard that has had electric guitar just doesn't sound right.

[FizzFuzz]

2. I'm not too knowledgable on jazz

but I really liked Stanley Clarke (well, he played bass) alot, and Herbie Hancock (wait, I'm being dumb he plays keyboards if I remember correctly)---I haven't listened to jazz lately, I must admit I have obsessive phases and I'm in a banjo-roots bluegrass obsession right now.

Al DiMeola, I remember I liked him.

I had a New York Jazz Quartet album that I loved years ago, but don't have a record palyer so haven't been able to listen to it for a million years.

edited to add: :hi: hi Rabrrrrrr how ya doin?

[tishaLA]

3. Joe Pass

is all I need to say.

But I could add Herbie Ellis, Wes Montgomery, et al.

[ladjf]

4. I think you've got some serious listening to do.

[miss_kitty]

5. Barney Kessel, Bucky Pizzarelli, his son John

Les Paul. I think you just don't like that style of jazz. I am not thinking hard here, so I am leaving a lot out...

Edited to add: what post 3 said

[Rabrrrrrr]

10. That is likely the problem - I just don't like the style so much

Like I said in the original post, guitar jazz tends to be light jazz or new agey or easy listening. And I can't listen to guitar for a long time like I can the other forms of jazz.

Though I will say I have never heard of three guys you mentioned. Les Paul of course I know! Great player. As are John Scofield and Bill Frissel, but I just can't listen to them for a long time; I don't find them compelling.

[Telly Savalas]

17. Not necessarily...

Organist Jimmy Smith would frequently have a guitarist in his combo, and that shit smoked.

[pinto]

6. check out Django and the Hot Club of Paris...

[mitchum]

7. Bill Frisell, James Ulmer, Sonny Sharrock

[Rabrrrrrr]

13. Bill Frisell - great player, but can't sustain my interest

I had a chance to hear him at the World Financial Center (the Wintergarden? The big enclosed space with the palm trees) doing a sound collage last year, a free concert, soon after it reopened after being repaired from the 9-11 attacks. Then I forgot about it and failed to go - heard it later on the radio. Wonderful! Wish to hell I had remembered to go.

I had some older Frissel CDs from the 80s, and while they were good - and he's a brilliant guitarist - they wore thin after a while.

[punpirate]

8. Explore Charlie Christian...

... Django Reinhardt, as others have mentioned. Also, early Wes Montgomery. Later stuff a bit more commercial. John McLaughlin. Maybe Chris Strandring, if you can find his albums. Kenny Burrell. Chuck Anderson.

Cheers.

[Liberal_Andy]

14. Ever try Tony Motolla? Or Larry Carlton (Crusaders & LA Express)

But you're basically right, There's a lot more horn in jazz.

[kodi]

15. lil' child, its 'cause a guitar and your heart both got strings.

.

[Floogeldy]

18. You have a perception problem

The guitar is a perfect jazz instrument.

B-)

[Ann Arbor Dem]

19. Another vote for Sonny Sharrock and Blood Ulmer and a few more:

Larry Coryell
Marc Ribot
John Ambercrombie
John Scofield
Hiram Bullock
Charlie Hunter
Grant Green
Kenny Burrell
Charlie Byrd
Wes Montgomery