[Controversial] Why is there not any great US guitarists?

AmundLauritzen · March 2013

You got to take into account how many of the great european players who are accompanied by their family. You can bet they were exposed to the music at an early age and the parents played a huge role in their musical development. Diknu is accompanied by his father, Gismo by his father, Joscho too.

The American culture is different. There is Julian Lage, who is a prodigy who learned to play at an early age. I don't know what category you'd place him in. But again you have someone who learned to play early and whose father played a huge part in it.

I think the simple fact is this: gypsy jazz is overlooked in the US. Americans take great pride in their bebop based jazz because it IS their cultural heritage. Maybe some take offense to the european twist to it? Then again, there are many guitarists in the US who love jazz manouche so I don't think cultural "pride" plays any significant role except maybe for a few close minded people.

I think gypsy jazz is still too underground for it to blossom outside gypsy camps and other smaller communities. It's huge in France and Holland, but take Norway for example: You can count the gigging gypsy jazz bands(of any significance) on one hand.

Stastistically, when someone picks up the guitar or bass, first they have to be the kind of person to choose jazz over rock. How many do that to begin with? Then they have to choose gypsy jazz and devote enough time to it to excel. Again, there will be very few accomplished players who didn't grow up in a community where their family or friends play gypsy jazz.

I'm learning this style on my own. I started in my twenties, which makes it even harder. I think a lot of people are in that boat, and I don't think it matters much if they're American or European. Once you know you''ll play this music, you'll try to learn it. There are people from all over the world who love this music. The circumstances are what can hinder development, or at least make it harder and require more willpower than if one is surrounded by the music like the gypsies and folks in certain parts of France.

That doesn't mean those who grow up in a musical environment don't have to practice as much. But they do have the opportunity to get to play with other musicians from an early age, which I believe plays a huge part in motivating them to keep practicing.

Just some thoughts

lezard · March 2013

Michael Bauer wrote:

. Shit, other than Peter Green, Europe never produced a great blues guitarist, either (Do not, I repeat, do not say the name Eric Clapton with a straight face.) That's probably most of it. Our great players play rock, country, jazz, blues, and r&b. I think that's most of it.
mind.

Ahem...Rory Gallagher....

Michael Bauer · March 2013

Ahem...not!

rimm · March 2013

Rory was amazing. I guess you don't know any of his stuff. 8)
oh and there's

Henry McCullough
Gary Moore
Paul Rodgers
Snowy White
Alvin lee
Keith Richards
Eric Clapton
Nigel Mooney

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppIJugUQcWE
etc etc etc .

Anyhoo, back to what to hold stimers on with. And by the way, Happy St patricks day

Jazzaferri · March 2013

I really love Henry McCullough's playing.

anthon_74 · March 2013

AmundLauritzen wrote:

Stastistically, when someone picks up the guitar or bass, first they have to be the kind of person to choose jazz over rock. How many do that to begin with? Then they have to choose gypsy jazz and devote enough time to it to excel. Again, there will be very few accomplished players who didn't grow up in a community where their family or friends play gypsy jazz.

Actually, as I said before, I believe it's often in fact those who choose ROCK that are more likely to gravitate over to Gypsy Jazz than those who choose, say bepop. I have been very open with people that I am NOT a Jazz fan, I am a Gypsy Jazz fan. I personally experience bebop to be boring brainy music, decent as background, but never compelling enough to warrant my full attention. I would rather put on an old Bowie or Beatles album than miles davis or Charlie parker anytime. I've only begun to open my mind to other forms of Jazz because of Gypsy Jazz.
in other words, My feeling about Gypsy Jazz is it's a great bridge to jazz for rock musicians.

Anthony

Michael Bauer · March 2013

I like all those guys, but I can't imagine anyone saying they are great "blues" players. More blues rock. Nothing wring with that, or any of them, but what they play isn't really quite blues.

Listen, I am totally addicted to British Blues, and I still listen to that stuff as much as anything. But Peter was the only one, I think, who was a great straight-ahead blues player. Almost all the rest did the odd great song, but all were as much rock as blues. Clapton gets his own category: boring.

kevorkazito · March 2013

lezard wrote:

Michael Bauer wrote:

. Shit, other than Peter Green, Europe never produced a great blues guitarist, either (Do not, I repeat, do not say the name Eric Clapton with a straight face.) That's probably most of it. Our great players play rock, country, jazz, blues, and r&b. I think that's most of it.
mind.

Ahem...Rory Gallagher....

For sure the pride of Ireland. Happy St. Patrick's Day!