Free Republic

Even the very best jazz guitarists rarely receive the attention of the genre’s horn players, so give it up for the 50 best jazz guitarists ever.Even the very best jazz guitarists rarely receive the attention and plaudits that the genre’s horn blowers – saxophonists and trumpeters, in particular – receive. Perhaps that’s because, traditionally, the guitar, which superseded the banjo in jazz rhythm sections, was primarily perceived as a supporting and accompanying instrument rather than a viable vehicle for solo improvisation. Another reason why the spotlight didn’t fall on jazz guitar players in the music’s formative years was that...

Decades after his death, Wes Montgomery’s keen ears and boundless imagination still bowl over jazz aficionados and newbies alike.If jazz seems too impenetrable and intimidating to get into, dig this. Wes Montgomery, arguably its greatest guitarist, couldn’t read music, didn’t know theory, and didn’t understand his instrument’s electronics. He also strummed exclusively with his thumb, an idiosyncrasy that would make any music instructor run faint. But with the possible exception of Jim Hall, any jazz guitarist with an iota of self-awareness genuflects to him as the greatest to ever do it. Decades after his death, his keen ears and boundless...