It’s worthwhile every now and then to take a listen to some different guitar players. In America in 1976 it was estimated that there were appromiately 16 milion who owned a guitar. Thirty years later we could only guess how many guitarists there are now, and many people will know an unknown guitar player of exceptional standard.
Here’s a few players that you may not have heard of if you have mainly listed to to mainstream music and I have listed some albums that are worth exploring. We all get a bit musically dry and some new input can send us off on a new direction, even if the albums have been around for a while.
Michael Hedges – Aerial Boundaries, Breakfast in the Fields
Alex de Grassi – Slow Circle (“hint hint - I’d love this for Christmas, I only have a vinyl”)
Pierre Bensusan – Intuite
Tim Sparks – One string leads to another
Pat Metheny- One quiet Night (on baritone acoustic)
Ansgar Dalken – Llaneza
The albums listed above are worth exploring because each of them in some way has some sort of beauty about it.
Wheras I can also find incredible enjoyment in listening to Tony Rice, Mike Marshall, Chet Atkins and Russ Barenburg.
It’s very healthy to listen to and appreciate players of all different genres and not get stuck in a tiny musical box.
tommy emmanuel, doyle dykes; the current masters, ushering in the next generation of genuinely gifted & GIFTING geniuses in acoustic guitar
Thanks Mark
I’ll check out Doyle Dykes.
i’m very familiar with Tommy Emmanuel. I used to watch him play acoustic guitar duets with his brother around about 1980, it’s been fascinating to watch him develop over about a 30 year period. I was going to buy a polytone amp in the early eighties and Tommy was in the shop and he did a test drive with my gold top Les Paul, he played George Benson’s tune Affirmation. a memorable moment. A very good guitar player then and still.
Any great players, send them my way.