Most underated guitarist?

Started by DaveyO, July 15, 2009, 10:11:47 AM

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Quote from: dgrose on July 16, 2009, 12:58:11 PM
I must be missing something here... names like Zappa, Carlton, Ford, Tommy Emmanuel, David Lindley? How are they under-rated?  :?
They're all recognized as guitar geniuses and/or virtuosos. They're all brilliant players and anyone who has heard their names knows why.
I would think someone like George Harrison would qualify better as "under-rated" because he is so often not thought of in the ranks of "greatest guitarists". Everyone who worked with him said he was a brilliant player (Clapton especially sang his praises) and yet everything he did on record was for the most part very understated and perfectly adequate.
...and...
Isn't Steve Grover a jazz drummer?  
dg
:+1: You're absolutely correct, of course not underrated, actually more like un-discovered, at least in my part of the world those guys are relatively unknown. Do a search on the Tube  for the 5th Avenue Godin Arch-top played by Steve Grover. If he plays drums I didn't know, the man certainly plays a mean jazz guitar.
"To me...music exists to elevate us as far as possible above everyday life." ~ Gabriel Faure

Quote from: Denis on July 16, 2009, 02:07:01 PM
Paul McCartney...

I always thought he was a great fingerstyle player...

I think of him more of an excellent musician, writer and performer than a great guitarist. His bass playing was excellent though. Having said that though, he must be highly regarded by Jim Olson, who gave him with one of his (most sought-after) SJ's, presented to him by Phil Keaggy.

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"To me...music exists to elevate us as far as possible above everyday life." ~ Gabriel Faure

Quote from: bearsville0 on July 16, 2009, 05:18:22 PM
Sorry, sorry...I thought the thread said overrated!
Starting again on that one Bear?  :humour:
"To me...music exists to elevate us as far as possible above everyday life." ~ Gabriel Faure

Jimi Hendrix was once asked in an interview what it was like to be the best guitarist in the world.  His reply:

"I don't know - Ask Rory Gallacher".

Says a lot.

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Yep, Rory Gallagher just might be the winning response here.
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Quote from: Yoyodyne on July 17, 2009, 07:56:45 AM
Yep, Rory Gallagher just might be the winning response here.

Big Guns A retrospective of Rory Gallagher has been released for those interested.
A million miles away....still makes me just close my eyes and listen.

Quote from: rockhound on July 17, 2009, 01:59:14 AM
Jimi Hendrix was once asked in an interview what it was like to be the best guitarist in the world.  His reply:

"I don't know - Ask Rory Gallacher".

Says a lot.


That story has become a legend with a fill-in-the-blank name as Hendrix's answer. I've heard it with Clapton, Phil Keaggy, and now Rory. It was supposed to have been asked on Dick Cavet's late-night show back in the day. I'm not sure if it ever happened though.

Quote from: the creature on July 17, 2009, 11:45:43 AM
That story has become a legend with a fill-in-the-blank name as Hendrix's answer. I've heard it with Clapton, Phil Keaggy, and now Rory. It was supposed to have been asked on Dick Cavet's late-night show back in the day. I'm not sure if it ever happened though.
If I were Hendrix I would've said Phil Keaggy.
"To me...music exists to elevate us as far as possible above everyday life." ~ Gabriel Faure

With slightly different wording, I heard that Hendrix praised Terry Kath. So the circle is complete!
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Quote from: rockhound on July 17, 2009, 01:59:14 AM
Jimi Hendrix was once asked in an interview what it was like to be the best guitarist in the world.  His reply:

"I don't know - Ask Rory Gallacher".



If I was Hendrix I would've acknowledged the compliment and said "You ain't seen nothin' yet. Just hope I don't die before I turn 30."


Quote from: Zohn on July 17, 2009, 01:13:32 AM
Starting again on that one Bear?  :humour:

Sorry Zohn, I couldn't resist. :thumb
If it sounds good, it is good.


Quote from: the creature on July 17, 2009, 11:45:43 AM
That story has become a legend with a fill-in-the-blank name as Hendrix's answer. I've heard it with Clapton, Phil Keaggy, and now Rory. It was supposed to have been asked on Dick Cavet's late-night show back in the day. I'm not sure if it ever happened though.

Yeah, but most people wouldn't call Clapton underrated.  Gallacher, yes. 
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2003 Yamaha RGX420

Is there a difference between underrated and underappreciated? I think there is as few, if any, of those mentioned are actually underrated. Some are less well known, perhaps. Besides, it doesn't matter what he said (if he really did), Hendrix was better than Gallagher and Kath, as good as they were, put together. This is not my opinion. This is observable fact, born out by time. Anything else is pointless revisionism.    :whistling:

Quote from: ducktrapper on July 18, 2009, 06:49:21 AM
...Hendrix was better than Gallagher and Kath, as good as they were, put together. This is not my opinion. This is observable fact, born out by time.

An interesting opinion to be sure, but an opinion nonetheless.
As observable as the answer to "Which is best - apples, oranges or limes?"
What is the qualitative "best" here? Popular? Most famous? Technically skilled? Most musical? What "fact" is being observed and by whom?

dg



"Observable facts" are never nothin more than the consensual opinion of a bunch of observers who consider themselves "experts" in that domain. "Expert" meaning that the members have met some consensually accepted critieria where they have agreed (consciously or unconsciously) to follow the rules and methods of acceptable standards for observing.

And of course there will always be other communities of observers using different standards for observation that will claim the first group is talking out of their collective hole.
If it sounds good, it is good.


"Not everything that counts can be counted; and not everything that can be counted counts." - Big Al
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I wouldn't say underated but many people don't know about Terry Clements. I found this from a review of a concert from 1977:

"Of all the benefit concerts Lightfoot has given over the years one of the most interesting had to be the October 1977 benefit he participated in at Detroit's Olympia Stadium before a crowd of 17,000. The proceeds benefited World Hunger Year which Harry Chapin was directly involved in. The concert consisted of Lightfoot, James Taylor, Harry Chapin and John Denver taking turns doing 2 or 3 songs at a time backed only by Terry Clements. As a testament to Clements' tremendous abilities, he played with each of the headliners with very little time to rehearse and he greatly enhanced each of the performer's sets. Lightfoot said of Clements' contribution, "He's so quick to learn a song that I brought him down to add a little bit of acoustic lead guitar for all of us. He made us all sound better."

I am going to see Gordon Lightfoot next weekend and a big part of the reason is his band including Terry Clements that has remained constant for the past 35 years except for his pedal steel guitarist Pee Wee Charles who now owns a radio station in Ontario. I never get tired of hearing these guys play together. True to form, GL is a humble, gracious and successful performer  who is quick to acknowledge his friend's abilities.

Bob Weir, granted he is no monster solo machine, but he is one if the best rhythm guitarists ever, great use of extended voicings and odd time signatures. His ability to think on his feet, inside the constantly improvising machinery of the DEAD, was no simple task, yet he always pulled it off admirably.

Keagy is amazing, it is truly sad that he has escaped the attention of the general public. One of the most inspired live improvisers I have ever seen.

Patty Larkin one of the greats on the acoustic scene. Perhaps the most unknown Olson player. Catch her live if you can.

A guy named Mark Rossi, who lives in the Miami area. A tremendous player adept at classical, Jazz, and pretty much anything he sets his in depth fretboard knowledge sights on. No one has heard of him, which is almost criminal. 




Oh yeah sorry I forgot to mention Steve Erquiaga. I first heard him with Andy Narrell's quartet in the 70's. Remarkably clean, articulate, picker and driving rhythm player. His last album added a good deal of classical elements.

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Harry Manx is a good one people might not know.
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