My man Delancey Leathers knows from guitar. Which is why I’m throwing his picks into this “supplementary” post. Who is this mysterious Mr. Leathers, you ask? It’s best that I don’t reveal his true identity, but I can say the man is capable of six-string sorcery that most mortals can only dream of.
Anyway, here’s his list.
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I’m gonna use Rolling Stone’s foccacta list as the definitive mainstream model but also take into account the thousands of debates I’ve had with actual guitarists over the years.
Here are my top 10 underrated guitarists, in no particular order:
1. Django Reinhardt
How this guy is not on the RS list completely blows my mind. He’s the gypsy Jimi Hendrix and he did it all with two fingers. A complete natural with total command of the instrument, super inventive ideas and phrasing, and so influential there are legions of “hot clubs” all over the world that play the music he pioneered. Before Django the guitar wasn’t even taken seriously in jazz. He deserves to be in Rolling Stone’s top 5 and he’s not even on the freaking list.
2. Manuel Gottsching
Ashra‘s Blackouts is flat out one of the coolest guitar albums ever recorded. Every guitar player I know that hears it is blown away by its tastiness and innovation. The guy gets no credit or recognition. Whether he’s freaking out psychedelically in the early days of Ash Ra Tempel, or blazing electronic trails with his later stuff, he’s a true original and an innovator.
3. Les Paul
He’s on the RS list but he needs to be higher up. I’m not gonna regurgitate his credentials. He’s underrated because most people don’t understand what he actually did or how he did it.
4. Pat Martino
The best hard bop guitarist out there. His solos are like fast flowing melodic water. [Editor's Note: Hey, I picked Pat, too!]
5. Scotty Gorham and Brian Robertson
Thin Lizzy baby! You can’t just list one since the awesomeness of one depends on the presence of the other. (Honorable mention to any of the other second guitarists in Lizzy.) [Ed's Note: Hey, I picked them, too!]
6. Frank Black and Joey Santiago (the Pixies)
Another package deal. They are a beautiful Gibson-Fender/lead-rhythm marriage.
7. Adrian Belew
Stunt guitar mastermind. Might have the coolest guitar resume of all time.
8. Gary Lucas
The last of the Beefheart guitarists. Everything he does on the instrument is interesting.
9. Joe Pass
The Pride of New Brunswick, NJ. Another jazz Jedi that gets no love from the non guitar playing world. He transformed the guitar into his own personal piano.
10. Lowell George
An under appreciated slide guitar wizard and a great songwriter. The Little Feat name has been ruined by the bozos that carried it on after he died in 1979, but the albums where he is the main man have some sick guitar work… plus he punched out Mickey Hart. [Ed's Note: I've been saying that we're long overdue for more Lowell appreciation. Glad to see him on the list.]
BONUS:
Erkin Koray
Turk-Psych guitar wizard.
I’m going to add Mike Keneally to this list. Aside from being Zappa’s final stunt-guitarist, and Vai’s sideman for years, Mike has written some of the best avant-garde pop/rock/jazz/out there shit I’ve ever heard.
Also, what about Nels Cline?
Nels is a personal fave, but since joining Wilco, he’s not entirely underrated anymore.
I’d actually like to strike Kim Thayil and replace him with James Mankey, who was in Sparks back in the day, but most people know from Concrete Blonde. Now, Concrete Blonde’s stuff has NOT aged well, by any means, but his solos are really something else. He doesn’t use a pick, and he’s got this whole Robbie Krieger-meets-Jeff-Beck thing going on, with Krieger’s psychedelic dinner jazz phrasing, and Beck’s super-precise whammy bar use.
I’d also LOVE to add Jesse Ed Davis, the massive Native American guitarist who played with Taj Mahal, John Lennon, Harry Nilsson, Jackson Browne, etc. His licks on “Doctor My Eyes” always make the hairs on my neck stand up.
You must not have listened to any Little FEAT since Lowell died. I agree Lowell was probably the heart of the band but the other musicians are also top rate and don’t deserve to be called Bozo’s As someone who’s followed them, and hung out and supported them both before and after Lowell’s death, I can say Pull yer head out of your butt and do some listening instead of yakking about something you obviously have no clue.
Chris. I agree with two things you said: (1) “Bozos” was a bit harsh, and (2) the other dudes in LF are top notch musicians. I wish them well and don’t begrudge their right to make a living.
Having said that, I own several of the post-Lowell albums and saw them live in the Shaun Murphy era. I find the albums to be unremarkable and the show made me feel like I stepped in audio doo doo. I stand by my opinion that they have marginalized the Little Feat name with the activities of the past 30 years.
More bodies on the pile:
1) Lindsey Buckingham
2) Kaki King
3) Earl Slick
Dude, I totally agree with Buckingham and Slick (now there’s a name for a group!), but I gotta protest the Kaki pick.
I think she’s actually OVERrated. Everything she does that’s “cool” or “tricky” is essentially ripped off from Michael Hedges. I’ve seen her live, and her stunt technique ain’t even that great. Plus, she plays Ovation guitars, which should be considered a crime against humanity. Or at least a crime against tone.
I think Kaki’s playing is more percussive in nature than Hedges – Hedges took a different approach to melody instrumentation, but Kaki’s playing is more tribal in nature – more chaotic!
And, yes, Ovation guitars sound like tin can music boxes.
Add Jack Palance and Grace Jones in there and you get Buckingham, Palance, Grace, Slick.
I have no idea how I forgot this, but John Squire goes high, very high, on my list. I need to go throw away my baggy jeans and hollowbody now.
Id have to say David Mrava. His work back in the early 90′s ruled.
Don’t know what he’s doing these days. If I had to bet, he’s a blues guy now, remember
Reading in a interview he was doing a blues/ jazz outfit in SoCal.
gottsching is awesome. ive been listening to New Age of Earth a lot lately. great record.
and his E2E4 is a proto-techno masterpiece.
two other underrated guitarists IMO are:
jim hall
BEN MONDER (the headiest jazz guitarist around)