To start this thread, I'll nominate Danny Gatton (who the Washington Post called "The Greatest Guitar Player You've Never Heard" and Guitar Player magazine called "The World's Greatest Unknown Guitarist.") Having seen him many, many times in person (RIP), I believe that they mave have understated his prodigious talent. He was an absolute virtuoso in many guitar styles (rock, blues, jazz, rockabilly ...) and coined the term of Hillbilly Jazz for the style that endeared him to many.

I'm curious as to other nominations of guitar players of similar talent levels (admittedly few) who haven't garnered the public recognition they deserve. Also, if you know its name, please share the name of the album that showcases the artist's talents best or where to hear him live if he's still performing.

You were very lucky to hear Gatton live. I've got some of his records.

Denny Freeman is my nominee. He was a mentor to a very young SRV when they played in a great Austin band -- The Cobras. Saw them live a few times. Also played with Angela Strehli and Lou Ann Barton. Beyond just a blues player.

Freeman's bio at:
http://www.dennyfreeman.com/bio.html

Gatton was a huge loss. I have a couple of his releases.

Another is Shawn Lane.

RIP.

http://www.shawnlane.com/

http://www.carvinjones.com/home.html

Guy used to play the club circuit here and just flat can play.

Better known but not nearly as famous as I think he should have been was Rik Emmit of Triumph. Seems nearly forgotten today.

I would have to go with Danny Gatton he was amazing! His old partner for some albums Joey DeFrancesco lives here in Phoenix and does some stuff locally. If you like his stuff see if you can find (Relentless)! Man he and Joey really get with it on that one.

Gatton... Without a doubt the most incredible guitarist I've ever heard.

Trevor Jay: http://www.aor-fm.com/bands/103_xeron.aspx
Worked with him on Jason Graves project, 1999.
Fantastic guitar player and songwriter.

Ross "The Boss" Funichello of the Dictators and Man o War. Great power rock guitarist. Catch him the next time the Dictators hit the road.

Danny Gatton was the first to come to my mind too. He's 6 for 6 so far, so maybe he's not so unknown around here.

Next up I'd say Jimmy Bryant. The first player ever to be hired by the Fender git-tar company.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M_XES449-M&feature=related
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Bryant

Patty Larkin.
honorable mention: Vicky Genfan.

www.pattylarkin.com
http://www.vickigenfan.com/

If we are talking about really truly hardly known guitar players, I would vote Nels Cline (now of WILCO) as being #1. I dont think anyone alive currently can touch his skill and taste

I've got to agreee with Danny Gatton, check out his playing on "Sun Medley" with Delbert McClinton, some scary stuff right there. Sounds like there are several players, but no, it's just Danny. I was lucky enough to see the Danny Gatton tribute show at the Bottom Line here in NYC, which was hosted by the Hellecasters, guests included Arlen Roth, Sonny Landreth, Noel Redding etc. An awesome guitar night for a fallen friend.
Leo Kottke, most of you know of him and he just might be the best guitarist in America. "Mudlark" is a great intro to his music, I'd start with that one.
From one of his live albums: "I am going to demonstrate one of my favorite techniques, I'm going to take a lovely simple melody and drive it into the ground."

Richard Thompson: What can I say? Acoustic, electric, it doesn't matter his control is amazing. British Trad, blistering electric solos, haunting acoustic playing, as the old magazine Trouser Press said "His intro to Calvary Cross is enough to send cocky guitarists Scurrying back to their practice books."
Allan Holdsworth another monster player blessed with supernatural abilities. Band leader, sideman, supergroup member (UK), jazz innovator, it all falls under Allan's perview. Another one who has casually crushed the ambitions of less gifted players.

Among a group of music fans like here on AK, some of these names are very familiar, but when you consider their combined record sales over their entire careers don't equal the sales of one pop record, even giants like these can be considered obscure.

Junior Brown. Whoa, skill. :D

RE: Kottke:

When I was living in Germany, I saw Kottke in ~ 1980 in a Gasthaus (country inn) in the tiny village of Hofbieber (outside of Fulda, itself small enough - famous only for the Fulda Gap where WWIII was supposed to have started :pistols: ). Anyway, it was Kottke alone on a bar stool with a pretty good beer buzz working in front of maybe 20 people. I can remember (like it was yesterday) him saying "I've never played Hofbieber before" as he launched it a mesmorizing set of goodness.:beer:

Unknown or underrated?

Gatton and Kottke are not unknown, most people into guitars would be familar with both.

--- how about underrated

Camile Baudoin and Dave Malone from the New Orleans Radiators.... One of the best underrated guitar duo in my opinion.... Those guys can play. :yes:

I have seen this gent a couple of times (with Billy Novick)--an incredible talent[s]:

Guy Van Duser: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Van_Duser

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlI0l0uhlo8 A local friend of mine recorded this.

His arrangement of Stars and Stripes Forever is incredible--I've heard Guy play it.

Chet Atkins playing the arrangement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8BDYETDM5c

Unknown or underrated?

Gatton and Kottke are not unknown, most people into guitars would be familar with both.

--- how about underrated

Camile Baudoin and Dave Malone from the New Orleans Radiators.... One of the best underrated guitar duo in my opinion.... Those guys can play. :yes:

I hear ya. Among avid guitar fans, Gatton is not only known, but worshipped. By the same token, he never enjoyed much commercial success (certainly not commensurate with his skills) - probably not even as much as the Radiators. During the time in which I saw him frequently (~1986) he and his band played at a relatively obscure bar on Capitol Hill in DC (Gallagher's Penn St. Station) every Wednesday night. There was no cover charge, but a $5 drink minimum (2-3 beers back then). Admittedly, it was packed. But the running joke was that if somebody firebombed the place while Danny was playing, every good guitar player on the East Coast would be killed as they were on a pilgrimage to observe the master. Still, this was an obscure bar, not the Maple Leaf, Snug Harbor or Tipitina's in NO - not even known to most young DC residents.

Heck, today if you were to ask the average music fan (whatever that is) whether he ever listened to or heard of Danny Gatton, chances are he'll confuse him with Larry Gatlin. Try it at the water cooler at work. I have. You'll be surprised and dismayed.

Robert Randolph

Junior Brown. Whoa, skill. :D

That's just who I was thinking of. Some AKer has a picture of him as their avatar, although you can't see his face, only his "guit-steel" guitar. He is known as the Hendrix of the steel guitar. One night we were staying in Terlingua and a friend who was with us tuned in a station on the clock radio. They were playing a whole Junior Brown album "Guit With It". After hearing the goofiness of "Holding Pattern" we kept listening and man, like, WOW. I was saying "I've never heard acid country before". Truly one of a kind.

Chet Atkins does not qualify as unknown.

Joe Bonamassa
http://www.jbonamassa.com/multimedia.html

I like Leslie West. But I don't know if he's unknown or as underrated as some mentioned here. His Les Paul Junior has some great tone, and West has a tremendous vibrato skill.

Most I meet or know have never heard of Robin Trower, which is very sad.

Leslie West and Robin Trower..what???... They are both extremely famous who's guitar prowess is widely recognized.

If we were playing the obscure baseball player game it would be like you just mentioned George Brett and Robin Yount.

Of course there is Michael Karoli from Can, Harvey Mandel who was in Canned Heat for a while, although best represented from his early solo work and to get really obscure, Georg Waldenius who was in the band Made In Sweden, then Solar Plexus and left after one album to join Blood, Sweat and Tears for a brief stint.

Most I meet or know have never heard of Robin Trower, which is very sad.

Amazing, I would have at least thought someone would have been familiar with him from his work from Procol Harum. Wasn't a song from "Bridge Of Sighs" in a beer commercial back in the 90's?

Arjen Lucassen

http://www.ayreon.com/

my 2 fav are dead, but believe me they count

1-Dimebag Darrell (Pantera)1966-2004
2-Christopher Michael Oliva (Savatage) 1963-1993

Robert Randolf and Junior Brown are not "relatively" unknown -- check out their Austin City Limits shows. Junior is to be seen live -- this amazing sound coming from a guy who looks like Ernest Tub after a bender.

With all the talk of Danny Gatton:

http://www.dannygatton.com/main.html

Gotta respect a guy who played in his band called Danny & The Fat Boys <G> Too bad he couldn't get past his demons, because he sure paid some dues.

Some people may not know he was a fabulous street rod builder/fabricator and would do metalwork with minimal regard for injuring his valuable hands. An original.

Patty Larkin.
honorable mention: Vicky Genfan.

www.pattylarkin.com
http://www.vickigenfan.com/

I was wondering what happened to Patty Larkin. She's from MKE and I haven't heard anything about her in years.

I know some of you guys know who Luther Allison is/was. He was pretty much ignored until late in his life. A great performer.

cubdog

Gatton on top of the list,
also;
Walter Trout,
Sonny Landreth,

I'm going with the OP's original post. Ask anybody if you've heard of these players and you'll get that blank stare. It's hard to draw the line.

Of course many guitarists have heard of theese guys, but popular? I don't think so.

Just two I could recall off the top of my head.

Sonny Landreth



Great slide player, one of the very best I've heard.:thmbsp:

Earl Gray

"Best" guitar player is a tough one! I tend to gravitate toward players who lack technical skill but possess great feeling/passion/innate love of what they are doing on stage. I guess that is why I have to give a vote for Jonathan Richman. Pure emotion comes out of that Silvertone (or whatever he bought at Goodwill prior to the concert).

I was wondering what happened to Patty Larkin. She's from MKE and I haven't heard anything about her in years.

MKE? Was ist das? She's attended Berklee college of music in Boston, lives on the Cape, and is quite popular around here. We get to see her live in small venues about once a year; she's a terrific performer.

I know some of you guys know who Luther Allison is/was. He was pretty much ignored until late in his life. A great performer.

cubdog

I have identically one recording of him; a phenomenal version of the Stones' You Can't Always Get What you Want from an R&B Stones tribute album called Paint it Blue.

Buckethead.

++1......Danny Gatton

Another.....would be Sean Costello.....who died way too young, at age 29.


Steve

Stephen Jay ....


-Mike

I have to go with Charlie (John) Whitney from Family and then Streetwalker---he was underappreciated for his playing and song writing.

Side note: A number of the folks mentioned in this thread have been profiled in the Tonequest Report if you want to read more about them.

Chris Whitley (1960-2005): Extraordinary slide guitarist, singer & songwriter.

Ollie Halsall (1949-1992): Southpaw genius of Patto, Timebox & The Rutles.

Bob Brozman: Bob is fortunately still with us and remains a slide master.

Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya: Lap guitar wizard from India.

Jerry Douglas: No longer obscure, still the best damned dobro bluegrass player.

Another guitarist who never made the radar to the general public is Michael Leonard Mann aka "Hollywood Fats". Heroin took him in his 30s. Focused in the blues, I first heard him in the James Harmon Band. (Kid Ramos is another Harman guitarist that is fabulous.)

Fats' on original vinyl can get pricey, but you can find him on CD. See:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_Fats

~ JERRY REED ~ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni8KBhnebwE)

http://prettysleepy.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/jerry_reed.jpg

Just about any sessions guitarist can lay waste to most stage performers.

They are the best you've never heard of. Most people dont realize that 50% of produced and printed music is not being played by the performer that made it famous. Sessions players learn it and spit it out perfectly for recording in a matter of days.

Kevin Eubanks
Johnny A
Yngwie Malmstein
Red Volkurt

Gatton is so famous in the music industry its not funny. He's even got a set of dual rail humbuckers named after him and they're in re-issue now.


..

walter trout

+1.

Fairly obscure except in Europe and Japan: Gary Moore

Is Rory Gallagher too well known to be obscure?:scratch2:

Steve Morse - solo, Dixie Dregs and now Deep Purple
Mato Nanji - Indigenous
Robben Ford
Walter Trout
Joe Bonamassa +1

Johnny A.
http://www.johnnya.com/music.htm

Pete Kennedy
http://www.myspace.com/petekennedyguitar

Also Shuggie Otis.

Here's another one for ya. I saw this guy at a free local blues fest last year and was favorably impressed. He is Hendrix's brother-in-law (been married to Jimi's sister since 1961). He did play a wicked version of "Hey Joe." He apparently got his start in the 50's with Ray Charles and Willie Dixon. A fine pedigree, I must say. A good enough pedigree that he may be well known to some of you AK'ers. I'd heard of him, but had never seen him until then. Definitely enjoyable, considering the price of admission (free).

http://www.guitarshorty.org/

I don't hear much about Kim Mitchell, but he's very good.

One of my faves, Steve Cropper

Ronnie Baker Brooks....

Just about the best live small venue (Skippers in Tampa) band I've ever enjoyed. This is some rockin' blues.

Not Skippers, but here's a link to Youtube....and you should see his bass player whip it out! Name is Carlton Armstrong...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjQVUhYbBeo&playnext_from=PL&feature=PlayList&p=8FB9D14C88A32971&playnext=1&index=27

I've always liked Mike Campbell from Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers...

Ronnie Baker Brooks....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjQVUhYbBeo&playnext_from=PL&feature=PlayList&p=8FB9D14C88A32971&playnext=1&index=27

Hell ya... +1 Ronnie Baker Brooks is from my neighborhood, we have been watching him since he was a little guy.

Does Bill Nelson (Be Bop Deluxe) qualify?

How about Chicago bluesman Michael Coleman? Much to like here.

One of my fav's has always been the Dutch born Adrian Vandenberg. Originally forming his own band named "Vandenberg" in the early 80's, then later joined Whitesnake in the 1990's when they shot to the big hair hall of fame status.:rockon: Not a huge Whitesnake fan, but loved his early work with both electrical and acoustic. My other choice would be Randy Jackson of "Zebra". You can find a few cuts with him on the 12 string from that group. God I love that sound!

Hell ya... +1 Ronnie Baker Brooks is from my neighborhood, we have been watching him since he was a little guy.

I'd never heard of him until a guitarist-friend urged me to see his show. We brought some friends and it was a blast! He had the place rocking with soul music and blues. Great band, lots of energy, excellent musicianship.

What was it like to see him play as a kid? He was definitely focused.

Plenty of great responses.
Danny's crosstown rival, Roy Buchanan, was a wizard as well. (RIP)
He also took his own life.
Every guitarist on the planet knows him, but not too many other folks unless they are like us. :music:
Junior Brown :yes:
Dave Gonzales of The Paladins is very good, in the Texas style of SRV.
Houndog Taylor (RIP) was very raw and gutsy and a wicked slide player.
Duke Robillard of Roomful of Blues is great.
You have to check out Bobby Radcliff -amazing blues guitar. I think he is the best I have seen that is relatively unheard of. DC boy also.

Good thread, Finnbow. Seems as if only the serious listeners are paying attention....and giving me some insight. We all cannot have heard every great player but of course we want to. Danny Gatton is a good opening move.

Rick

Some of my favorites are:

Albert Lee
Johnny Hiland
Joe Maphis
Bill Kirchen
Buddy Emmons
Ray Wylie Hubbard

Chris Spedding

I’ll vote for Pete Ham of Badfinger. An immensely talented guitarist (not to mention songwriter and singer), he was good enough to play with the likes of George Harrison and John Lennon, both of whom apparently respected his musical abilities greatly. We’ll never know what he was fully capable of, as he lamentably committed suicide in 1975, but he did more than enough in his short life to suggest that he would’ve had a long and very productive career. A true tragedy.

An underrated and rarely mentioned guitar tandem is the duo of Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy. TL had its share of formidable guitar duos, but IMO Robertson/Gorham were the best. They were truly incredible live, and provided some serious guitar pyrotechnic backing for Phil Lynott’s songwriting.

Another tandem that doesn’t get much love is Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner, mostly known for their work with Lou Reed and Alice Cooper. Just listen to the instrumental opening to Reed’s “Sweet Jane,” from Rock and Roll Animal, and if you don’t get shivers up and down your spine . . . well, you better call your local coroner, ‘cause you’re probably dead. :D

Albert Lee
Ray Wylie Hubbard:thmbsp:

And including Hubbard calls to mind Gurf Morlix.

David Grissom -- First heard him with Joe Ely
David Rawlings -- Gillian Welch

Three more:

Greg Spradlin
Phil Brown
James (Jimbo) Mathus

Martyn Simpson

Rocky Hill.

Scott Henderson
Snowy White

Bugs Henderson.

Rocky Hill.

Brother of Dusty Hill, right? I've heard the name but only insofar as Bill Ham getting all guitar players in the region (including RH) under contract to eliminate competition of Billy Gibbons. Dunno if there's any truth to that. Tell me more about the Rock.

guitar wizards past and present - some better known than others

Sol Hoopii
Eldon Shamblin (w Bob Wills)
Eddy Shaver (country dudes, hunt down the "Unshaven" live record)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAnNiJOKZv0
Pete Anderson
Jimmy Nolan (James Brown's rhythm player for decades)
Jimmy Herring (now w the Allman Bros, IIRC)

I'll add some more as I think of them...

Brother of Dusty Hill, right? I've heard the name but only insofar as Bill Ham getting all guitar players in the region (including RH) under contract to eliminate competition of Billy Gibbons. Dunno if there's any truth to that. Tell me more about the Rock.


If you like the late Eddy Shaver (who I thought about listing), you'll appreciate Rocky Hill. I've heard the Ham story, don't know if it's true, but Rocky, Dusty, and Frank Beard had a Texas Power Blues trio in the 1960s called "The American Blues", that just flat makes ZZ Top sound like the musical lightweights they are (IMHO), and it was all based around Dusty's playing. American Blues put out two mediocre studio LPs, signed nationally, and then Rocky went into a drug hole.

Rocky had a couple of nice solo LPs in the 80s and 90s. Texas Blues guitar.

Tommy Bolin

Eric Johnson
Paul Gilbert
Pete Huttlinger
Pat Donahue
Steve Hackett (known only to REAL Genesis fans)
Adrian Legg
Eric Schoenberg
Kaki King

Gatton on top of the list,
also;
Walter Trout,
Sonny Landreth,

I'm going with the OP's original post. Ask anybody if you've heard of these players and you'll get that blank stare. It's hard to draw the line.

Of course many guitarists have heard of theese guys, but popular? I don't think so.

Just two I could recall off the top of my head.

YES!! Add Sonny to the list. Seen him live. AMAZING.

Earl Hooker...

Unknown?
Died young- check
Primarily session musician- check
Looked up to by Muddy Waters, Ike Turner, and Hendrix- Umm....not sure if this means he's unknown or not....

Well, there was was this glue-sniffing kid who went by the name "Catfish" I use to hear in the late '60s. Always carried a Telecaster-clone around with him, with a stethoscope that he taped to the back so he could hear himself play. He was VERRRRRY GOOOD!


...and probably dead now.

Some of my favorites are:


Bill Kirchen
Buddy Emmons


:yes:

Bill Kirchen is GREAT!!

I've always liked Mike Campbell from Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers...

Seconded.

Bill Kirchen is GREAT!!

Bill Kirchen is from the Ann Arbor & was guitarist for the original Commander Cody & The Lost Planet Airmen. Famous for his guitar on the hit "Hot Rod Lincoln".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Kirchen

Here's some more of my favorites:

Deke Dickerson
Johnny Burnette
Sonny Burgess
Charlie Feathers
Joe Ely
Junior Brown
T-Bone Burnette
Roger Creager
Joe Henry
Gary P. Nunn
Jerry Jeff Walker
The Flatlanders / Butch Hancock & Jimmie Dale Gilmore

Paul Burlison: Yeah, he's the guy playing that wicked and crazed-fuzzed distorted rockabilly guitar opening to "Train Kept A-Rollin'" by the Rock and Roll Trio (him plus Johnny and Dorsey Burnette). Very influential.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Burlison

His '97 solo LP is worth hunting down.

Bill Kirchen is from the Ann Arbor & was guitarist for the original Commander Cody & The Lost Planet Airmen. Famous for his guitar on the hit "Hot Rod Lincoln".



also Grammy nominated 2001, not in wik article

Ross Childress of Collective Soul. I've seen him a couple of times; he's living proof that less is sometimes more. Exceptionally precise, talented guitarist who never got enough attention.

Ulf Wakenius

Bill Kirchen is GREAT!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMLTQaEYdoc

Amazing, simply amazing!!

Why isn't this guy more famous?

Heard this number on the radio last year but never knew who it was until I checked him out on youtube. Thanks for solving that puzzle!

I was blown away driving along and had to ask my wife to shut the hell up while I listened to this amazing guitar virtuoso. She enjoyed it, too!

His knowledge of guitarists is absolutely stunning.

Thanks again. I sent my friends a link to that and can't wait to hear back.

Rick

I know some of you guys know who Luther Allison is/was. He was pretty much ignored until late in his life. A great performer.

cubdog

Yep. He was my avatar a couple of times, and may be again in the future.

How about Jerry Douglass?? I think he plays in Union Station. I got a CD of his from Strawman at one of our SMAC swaps and it's very impressive.

I'll give a nod to Danny Gatton too. I've got his Elmira Street Cd and it's a real treat :thmbsp:

Anyone ever heard of Hawaii's Willy K.?
Yeah, I didn't think so.:tears:

Oh, well - Ron.