Since the days of Eddie Lang and Lonnie Johnson, guitars have been an integral part of jazz. Before plugging in, guitarists were either part of the rhythm section a la Freddie Green being the pulse of Count Basie’s Orchestra for 50 years, or they were soloists in small intimately swinging groups like the Hot Club of France. While New York and Europe tend to boast about being the guitar Meccas of the world, LA has nothing to be ashamed of, thank you. Here is a short list of living masters of the axe, and why you need to see them at the local clubs.
1) Larry Koonse-one of THE most in-demand artists around. You can find him at The Blue Whale or Vitello’s almost every night. Lithe, clean and creative, he can go from bossa to elliptical in seconds flat
2) Barry Zweig-was the guitarist for the Dinah Shore Show for years. Knows every song ever recorded by heart. Russell Malone considers him the best out there. Any arguments?
3) Robben Ford-founder of The Yellowjackets is one of the masters of bluesy rock and bluesy rockin’ jazz.
4) John Pisano-at one time part of Sergio Mendes’ Brasil ’66 and Herb Alpert’s Tijuana Brass as well as on countless sessions with guys like Bennett. Has a gig every Tuesday at Lucy’s 51 in Toluca Lake. Miss seeing him and you’re missing a major LA landmark
5) Mundell Lowe-lives a bit outside of LA, but if you ever get a chance to see the master of lyrical subtlety, don’t miss it. He’s got harmonic ideas like a Mensa institute.
6) Graham Dechter-newest kid on the block, and a protégé of John Clayton. His two albums are Bunsen Burners. If you’re Wes or Benson fan, you’ll be drooling by the second song of a set.
7) Chuck Loeb-Warm toned guitarist with a gentle sense of swing. Always playing somewhere, and underappreciated
8) Grant Geissman-a session cat for years (guitarist on the all time worst movie-Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!), he not only was part of the rhythm of Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, but he’s put out 3 hot albums of his own. A real master.
9) Jim Fox-A gent from Ventura County that sticks to the studios, but if you ever see him play, you’ll be watching a master that makes it look too easy to be true.
10) Anthony Wilson-The chick singers LOVE having this guy in their bands. Krall, Peyroux, you name it. He can swing, rock, jam and go out into the stratosphere. Every gig he does is an artistic adventure, and each cd is different from the rest.
11) Lee Ritenour-this LA studio cat has been putting out some HOT albums lately, and he still makes it out locally when not touring around. His latest gig with Mike Stern at Catalina’s was a guitarists dream!