Four Inspirational Guitarists

If there is one single guitar player who has successfully and deftly spanned a full spectrum of genres and playing styles it is, Israeli born virtuoso, Oz Noy. The first lesson we can eagerly take from Noy is his seamless integration of jazz, funk, blues and modern R&B within, both his music and his approach to the instrument itself. For a first dive into the land of Oz; take a listen to his work with trio ‘Ozone Squeeze’.

Another thing which strikes you about Noy is the honesty in his playing; he is not setting out to impress us guitar players - every element of his playing has a musical root and projects integrity. Whether it is vocal-led, or his instrumental work; Noy challenges the expectations we have of a guitar virtuoso by placed groove and timing at the fore of his playing (perhaps a throwback to his beginnings as a drummer). If we have any doubt as to the importance of this approach, we should also consider the simple employability of the guy - having supplied guitar for Toni Braxton, Justin Timberlake, in addition to Jazz legends such as Dave Weckl and Bill Evans.

With a career which began as a prolific session player (both in his native Israel and following his relocation to New York in 1996), Noy’s words of wisdom certainly should command our attention. A common thread within his interviews is his bedrock knowledge of jazz, which he insists will give any guitarist the tools they need to survive whatever musical situation is thrown at them. Once again, he is a big exponent of dedicating a generous portion of your practice time to your rhythm playing and timing in addition to seeking out as many opportunities to play live as possible. He also states that his achievements on the guitar were hard-won and does not categorise himself as natural.

It is odd that this gentleman rarely finds his name included in those, now ubiquitous, ‘best guitarist of all time’ style polls as his playing has left legions of acoustic players eternally in his debt. So why is Tony Rice so special? There is a case to promote this man as, not only the greatest bluegrass player the world has ever seen but the greatest acoustic player ever produced - his flat-picking and mind-blowing technique (which can be witnessed in his earlier 1970s performances) were so far ahead of it’s time that it almost seemed out of place within its musical surroundings. His enduring relevance is simply due to the fact that he set a benchmark which has yet to be bettered! Let’s jump into a great example of Rice’s jaw-dropping bluegrass playing ‘Wayfaring Stranger’ - note his fluency and try not to take your eyes of his right hand!

What is of particular interest to the guitar players of today is Rice’s assimilation of jazz, blues and country within his playing. There are moveable shell voicings, dizzying cascade runs which utilise open strings to link phrases and modern-sounding ambient chords which can easily be found in any modern R&B/neo-soul guitarist’s playbook. His performance of the piece ‘Manzantia’ is a perfect showcase of these elements of his style.

You can also note his incredibly musical use of grace note pull-offs and chromatics to give fluency to his solo passages. It is no wonder that the world reacted with such awe to his playing and he remains a source of inspiration to this day. It is well worth digging a little deeper into the archives and discovering more of Tony Rice’s videos and recordings, but hopefully, this has given you a good starting point.

The Australian virtuoso Garsed gained acclaim, initially, during the 1980s supplying guitar for Aussie megastar John Farnham who penned the anthem ‘You’re The Voice’ and melodic rock duo, Nelson. Even then, Garsed’s playing displayed an elegance and melodic grace which went against the grain of his hair rock peers. From the 1990s through to the present day, Brett’s playing has been characterised by the liquid fluidity of his hybrid legato technique. He very much falls into the fusion category of player, but with a leaning that is more rock than fusion.

There has most definitely been a ‘passing of the torch’ from Alan Holdsworth and it is no surprise that Brett cites him as a chief influence, but, and dare I say it, Garsed’s playing proves more accessible - both harmonically and contextually. His super-light touch and consistent attack are the cornerstones of modern legato. You can also hear deep rhythmic interest within his lines as he showcases his incredible time feel and mixing of rhythmic subdivisions. Check out this live version of ’Spheres of Influence’ to get a full appreciation of both his level of control and fluid delivery.

Brett Garsed, much like the previously mentioned Tony Rice, seems to rarely appear on the radar of the broader guitar community; yet his enduring influence and continuing musical activity should place him alongside the biggest names instrumental music. Want to see how he matches up with the fusion luminaries we know and love? Check out his work on the ‘Centrifugal Funk’ album. The track ‘Hey T Bone’ gives us the opportunity to hear Garsed play toe to toe with fusion heavyweight Shawn Lane. The album also sports some trade-offs with fellow Aussie fusion master Frank Gambale.

Despite the obvious fire and chops at his disposal, Garsed is a master of the pop-based melody and states that his recent developments on the instrument have pushed his playing more in the direction of originality than technical progress. This serves as a reminder of the eternal need for developing ideas around a central and catchy melody.

Perhaps his strong sense of melody is transitional from his love of slide playing, and he has often stated that, given the choice, he would happily give up fretted playing and revert a slide only existence.

Here we have a player who unapologetically falls into the camp of a ‘guitarist’s guitarist’. Wayne Krantz is very much speaking directly to us guitar players (whether intentionally or not!). If you’re not familiar with Krantz’s work, then his background and affiliation with artists such as Steely Dan and Michael Brecker should give you context. He is very much steeped in the jazz cross over the genre, with his personal style growing from a Pat Metheny and Mike Stern root.

What makes Krantz unique is a harmonic and rhythmic richness which doesn’t come from standard jazz theory. He, himself, admits to striving to sound completely original rather than emulating anyone or group of players. How did he do this? The simple answer is restriction as a basis for practice; through limiting aspects such as the range of notes or position available to him. The result is lines and phrases which come from a purely rhythmic origin - giving you a perfect example of how far a guitarist can stretch even the most simple musical idea using an original time feel and rhythmic playfulness. Let’s get a feel for this approach through this live solo from his 1990 performance with the ‘Leni Stern Band’. Note his use of rhythmic motifs and themes.

Despite his busier playing, Krantz retains subtly and feel. There’s an overriding notion that everything has its place and makes sense. Krantz himself, states that his inspiration comes from harnessing ‘the spirit’ of jazz when improvising. His entirely progressive approach and philosophy towards guitar is captured in the pre-performance interview/demo from his 1999 Marciac Jazz Festival appearance.

It is also worth noting Krantz’s approach to chord-based playing which is more ‘structure’ than shape-based; often capturing the mood or sound of a mode through syncopated double stops and intervallic clusters.

Perhaps an opportunity to hear Krantz at his finest is with the supergroup trio ‘The Ringers’.

So there we have it, a healthy dose of ear food and perhaps a reminder that, in amongst the noise and pressure of our pursuit, we often neglect the important need to simply stop and listen for a while.