Classical Acoustic Guitar

Wireworm5

Audiophile
If you want to hear a masterful piece of guitar playing, try and get this tune. Even if your not into classical guitar I'm sure you'll be impressed as I am.

Al Di Meda- John Mclaughin- Pacode Lucia-Mediterranean Sundance- Rio Ancho
 
Celedonio Romero's Guitar Music From the Courts of Spain, Mercury Living Presence SR 90296....Incredible dynamics, as only they could do...

Also, a CD called Into Dark from Andrew York, who is one of the LA Guitar Quartet, is one of the best guitar recordings ever..
 
Julian Bream's "Baroque Guitar Recital" is also an outstanding performance... unfortunately, the recording is pretty bad :(

LF
 
In high school there was this guy from Chile. I didn't know him that well but he was good friends with a friend. Years later he put on a recital at our local university which I went to.
Man!! could this guy play the guitar and pan flutes, who knew?? I can only wonder how many undiscovered talents are out there like him.
 
For more of this style...A duo ...Strunz and Farah...They are of.... well......here......From the Musicmatch database........

"Combining elements of Latin and Middle Eastern music (Jorge Strunz is Costa Rican while Ardeshir is Iranian), this acoustic guitar duo's world-jazz fusion style offers an interesting blend of music. Interesting percussion and rhythms from traditional instruments, plus the occasional guest (like India's L. Subramaniam), adds to the blend". ~ All Music Guide, All Music Guide

"With blazing intensity and passion, Their uptempo flamenco sound really vaults way beyond standard fare. Jorge Strunz occupies the left channel, while Ardeshir Farah holds down the right. Visual images abound, conjuring up remote, romantic islands, tropical rainforests and warm, moonlit waters."

A couple excerpts there....as for my take on them ....one word...."FINGERBLISTERING!!!!"
 
Eric Clapton couldnt play his way out of a paper bag....overrated just like Santana...

They are good at image though!
 
Okay I had a chance to sample some Eric Clapton stuff and I wouldn't classify him as a classical guitarist. Liona Boyd would be what I call a classical guitarist.
For the most part I find classical guitar boring, but the song I mentioned earlier. The skill in playing that piece is incredible. Now I don't play the guitar but I can tell you that is complete mastery of the instrument.
Santana has the ability to convey emotion is his style. I only have two of his albums and although I'm not a hard core fan I'd have to say this guy is very good at playing the guitar.
Of coarse there's nobody walking the good green earth that as good as Ritchie Blackmore. He's the #1 guitar god, long live Ritche!! :rockon:
 
Well, if skill and emotion is the criteria, no one is in my opinion and of many is Steve Howe. Its no surprise that he is the only guitarrist voted by his peers as best overall guitarrist 5 years running.

Also Steve Hackett, John McLaughlin and Al DiMeola, and guys who can rock hard, and then play a steel string or nylon spanish guitar with tremendous skill and understanding of the instrument and the music...

Santana has been playing the same riffs and structures for 30 years,,,it gets boring. Look for the guys whose music changes and evolves with time....like the ones mentioned above and Robert Fripp and check out Richard Thompson,,,he destroys anyone with a steel string acoustic guitar.

Most Rock guitarrists arent very good really, but their lack of skill is masked by the power of the "power chords"...
 
LOL..bring it on buddy!!!

Man, I have had such heated arguments over guitar players, I once had an asthma attack after one....well, but I was in the snow all day the day before changing my dead battery...

Cmmon Reel,,,!
 
Well, not to nitpick, but I don't thing the trio of DiMeola/McLaughlin/DeLucia can be considered classical guitar in the "traditional" sense. They are all amazong guitar players though, and I will agree that it is a great cut.

When I think of classical guitar, I thing of performers/composers like Williams, Segovia, Parkening, Sor, Albeniz, Fisk, etc.
 
Originally posted by WhiteSE
LOL..bring it on buddy!!!

Man, I have had such heated arguments over guitar players, I once had an asthma attack after one....well, but I was in the snow all day the day before changing my dead battery...

Cmmon Reel,,,!


I'm not goin' round and round with ya.........and I dont know where the Hostility is comming from!!!....As a matter of fact...I'm in there with there with ya.........Its just that you cant put the label of "Top guitarist" on just one person, as in the case of the Rolling Stone Magizine's poll last year.....

IMHO.....the term "the top guitarist" can't really be realised..because at any given moment, that choise can change with who your talking to at that time . I personally don't have a favorite. ( I play guitar, mostly Smooth Jazz, and a lot of people say that I should be doin' it fer a livin" but thats beside the point.) Anyway, I personally have about 10 to 15 guitar players that would be in 1st place.....about 20 to 30 in second place...20 to 30 in third place ...and ...so on and so on....Just depends on the mood I'm in at the time...(he said depends!!..lol..) Then there are about 1,000 in last place. But as to give a "1st place" to just one artist is impossible to do. Dave, for instance, has a different favorite than Alan...Alan has a different favorite that wireworm.. Wireworm has a different favorite than ?.....and Thor....well, we still dont know about him...lol......just kiddin' but you can see where I'm comming from ..I hope. It just ain't worth gettin worked up over,

As for the lists.... the nutheads that made up those lists are gettin paid to turn in something to the editor..and make them selves look good ...but thats another story...

Well, I can't think of anything more to ramble on about, so I'll leave off there.....
 
Reel,,,No hostility whatsoever,,,I thought you were gonna rant because I downplayed Clapton and Santana...But I know its all in fun...sorry it came across that way...

I know its a subjective issue, but musical skills and playing skills are not so abstract,,,,the thing is to remove oneself from the fact of liking their music or not...

The ability to play many styles well, many types of guitar, to do overdubbing work that is good, those are all things that show the players musical and playing ability.

Most rock guitarrists only float in one environment, but some guitar players are musicians first, guitar players second, and then the genre comes in third...regardless of subjectivity, to me those guys are simply better guitar players. I never agree with polls by magazines, they are inherently flawed, but in the 70's there were polls by peers, and winning 5 times running has never been even approached....IMHO the guitarrists that are musicians first take the notch,,,,

My list with no order in mind...

Allan Holdsworth
Steve Hackett
Steve Howe
Robert Fripp
Richard Thompson
Andy Summers
Adrian Belew
Steve Morse (and I dont like his music)
Andrew Latimer (Camel)
Al Dimeola
John McLaughlin
Larry Coryell

Think of what they all have in common,,,,they are masters of many styles and instruments and their work constantly evolves...

In my other list are the guys who play well, but to my ears always sound the same....kinda pigeonholed...

Santana
Clapton
Van Halen
Steve Vai
Brian May (has only one sound)
David Gilmore (who's solo works is just Pink Floyd without Waters)
Guy from U2

Think of their playing in their beginning, thru their heiday, and nowadays....Its still the same sound, same riffs, scales, basic melodic structures...etc etc...
 
Hey!! Where's Ritchie, you left him off your list of greats. Blashemy!!
I have listened to cuts with Deep Purple with Steve Morse and Satriani and Tommy Bolin. These guys just don't have it .
I have listened intently to many others and there is nobody, nobody as good. And he can write too!:)
 
LOL...I left him out on purpose, because I havent listened to Deep Purple in eons!!! But I dont think he does the kind of multidemnsional playing that I was referring to....

In regards to Steve Morse,,,,and maybe others,,hard to judge the guys only by the work in the groups....lots of limits imposed,,,Morse (Who's music I dont really care for) has chops, plays different styles, he is a good guitar player, just not as creative in his writing...

To be honest, writing for straight ahead rock isnt as hard as trying to put together good guitar for jazz-fusion or prog rock.
Thinks of the some of the 70's super bands like Genesis, Yes, King Crimson, Camel, etc....all the guys are basically virtuosos in their respective instrument, and for one of them to stand out, speaks millions of the guy...

Fe: Allan Holdsworth managed to shine in envirionments with Bill Bruford, Jeff Berlin on Bass, John Wetton on bass with BB on drums, same can be said of Fripp and Howe,,,,I think its deserving that we go back and listen again to some good 70's rock and appreciate how far ahead some of these guys were.

Go get Yes's Relayer (even if you dont like it, follow the instruments and what they are doing, and you will know what I mean)..:D
 
Getting back to the original topic, I really enjoy Eliot Fisk's recording of Paganini's Caprices. And I still will if anyone feels compelled to critique its flaws for me. I used it to check out speaker placement in my liviong room. That and Dark Side of the Moon.

Regarding the judgement of guitarists in other genres, if I enjoy the songs I'll forgive a lot in terms of the guitarist's technical ability, and if the song leaves me flat then even the best playing makes no dent in my consciousness. And I am a guitarist.

http://www.cornerband.com/html/bandPage/bandPage.asp?band_id=1033665

Hell yeah I'm a rock hack. We each have our own preferences, and my taste is that I'd rather air-punch than nod knowingly any day.
 
You don't need to go back to the 70's to hear Ritchie. His has re-emerged as Blackmore's Night. Which is more like folk music. They are real popular in Europe. Not every song in a keeper but there are a number of excellent songs.
Some Ritchie Blackmore purists have deserted him for leaving the rock scene. I however like his style and would enjoy anything he plays.
What it comes down to in the end, is their own style. Satch for example has his style and is very good in that context. But when he tried to fill Ritchie's shoe's after he left Deep Purple in 93, failed miserbly.
Ritchie's style is my benchmark for evaluating guitar players. Some have come close but no one has surpassed him. :)
 
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