Battle of Guitars

Read About This Recording

Because the guitar was originally acoustic and recording equipment from the early days had a difficult time picking it up, its role was largely taken by the banjo until the late 1920s when recording quality had greatly improved. Before the electric guitar was developed a decade later, the guitar was mostly utilized as a rhythm instrument except in rare occasions when it was featured in a small group by one of its few virtuosos such as Eddie Lang or Django Reinhardt. Obviously that situation has changed since then and it has been many years since anyone complained that guitars are not loud enough!

The four-CD box set Battle of Guitars has a strong sampling of jazz guitar recordings from the 1920s up to nearly the present day. Featured in loosely chronological order are such masters as Lang, Reinhardt, Oscar Moore, Charlie Christian, Les Paul,

Billy Bauer, Jimmy Raney, Johnny Smith, Barney Kessel, Herb Ellis, Tal Farlow, Laurindo Almeida, Charlie Byrd, Baden Powell, Paulinho Nogueira, Jack Wilkins, Larry Coryell, Jim Hall and Kevin Eubanks. The music ranges from classic jazz to swing, bop, cool, Brazilian, hints of fusion and modern jazz, giving listeners a strong overview of the guitar and its place in jazz history.

-Scott Yanow

Contents

Imported from Europe!

CD 1 (TT: 62:03): Eddie Lang: Goin' Places; Doin' Things; Dinah; Sweet Sue, Just You; Django Reinhardt: Lady Be Good; Ultrafox; Honeysuckle Rose; My Melancholy Baby; H.C.Q. Strut; Rhytme Futur; Oscar Moore: Liza; Black Spider Stomp; Riffin' in F Minor; Doug-rey-mi; Charlie Christian: Flying Home; Seven Come Eleven; Gone With What Wind; The Sheik of Araby; Les Paul: I Can't Believe You're in Love With Me; Stardust; Subterfuge; Honeysuckle Rose.

CD 2 (TT: 73:45): Les Paul: Coquette; At Sundown; Melodic Meal; Billy Bauer: Out on a Limb; Interlude; Retrospection; Jimmy Raney: Lee; Yesterdays; Minor; Body and Soul; Johnny Smith: Sometimes I'm Happy; Where or When; Nice Work If You Can Get It; Moonlight in Vermont; Barney Kessel: Strike Up the Band; Vicky's Dream; Salute to Charlie Christian; What is There to Say; Herb Ellis: I Want to Be Happy; Tea for Two; Lover.

CD 3 (TT: 75:04): Jimmy Raney: Signal; On the Square; 'Round Midnight; Stella By Starlight; Motion; Tal Farlow: Have You Met Miss Jones; My Old Flame; Strike Up the Band; Chuckles; How Deep is the Ocean; Barney Kessel: 64 Bars on Wilshire; A Foggy Day; On a Slow Boat to China; I Didn't Know What Time it Was; Jeepers Creepers; Laurindo Almeida: Speak Low; Atabaque; Charlie Byrd: Um Abraco No Bonfa; Baden Powell: The Girl From Ipanema.

CD 4 (TT: 75:43): Laurindo Almeida: Toccata; Paulinho Noqueira: Aria Na 4 A Corda; Baden Powell: Samba Triste; Jack Wilkins: O Grande Amor; Daily Double; My Foolish Heart; You Must Believe in Spring; Streets of Rio; Larry Coryell: Vera Cruz; Misty; St. Louis Blues; Better Git Hit in Your Soul; Jim Hall: Skylark; Kevin Eubanks: Model A.

Includes 20-page book.

Additional artists:

Marcio Montarroyos, Chet Baker, Lew Soloff, Bob Milikan, Byron Stripling, Trumpets; John Clark, French Horn; Keith O'Quinn, Trombone; Dave Taylor, Bass Trombone; Matt Finders, Tuba; Benny Goodman, Clarinet; Jimmy Dorsey, Clarinet/Alto Sax/Baritone Sax; Lee Konitz, Chris Hunter, Donald Harrison, Alto Saxes; Bud Shank, Alto Sax/Flute; Donald Harrison, Alto Sax/Soprano Sax/Tenor Sax/Vocals; Stan Getz, Gosta Theselius, Richard Elliot, Tenor Saxes; Bob Cooper, Tenor Sax/Oboe; Arthur Schutt, Rube Bloom, Frank Signorelli, Nat King Cole, Fletcher Henderson, Jimmy Atkins, Count Basie, Lennie Tristano, Hal Overton, Sanford Gold, Oscar Peterson, Sonny Clark, Arnold Ross, Gerald Wiggins, Hampton Hawes, Clyde Williamson, Eddie Costa, Albert Dailey, Sir Roland Hanna, Ted Rosenthal, Mulgrew Miller, Dan Heyman, Pianos; Luiz Avellar, Mark Sherman, Keyboards; Joseph Reinhardt, Eugene Vees, Roger Chaput, Pierre Ferret, Billy Bauer, Jimmy Raney, Johnny Smith, Barry Galbraith, Carl Berry, Romero Lubambo, Chuck Loeb, Guitars; Dori Caymmi, Guitar/Vocals; Joe Tarto, Louis Vola, Wesley Prince, Artie Bernstein, Emmanuel Soudieux, Ernie Newton, Clyde Lombardi, Arnold Fishkin, Red Mitchell, Bob Carter, Ray Brown, Eddie Safranski, Red Mitchell, Harry Babasin, Teddy Kotick, Monte Budwig, Oscar Pettiford, Harvie Swartz, Nico Assumpcao, Eddie Gomez, Basses; Nick Fatool, Al Spiedock, Frank Isola, Morey Feld, Don Lamond, Elaine Leighton, Shelly Manne, Nick Stabulus, Chico Hamilton, Joe Morello, Vinnie Burke, Stan Levey, Akira Tana, Billy Cobham, Jimmy Madison, Dave Weckl, Zach Danziger, Drums; Lionel Hampton, Vibes; Ted Moore, Monica Millet, Tiao Oliveira, Bashiri Johnson, Percussion; Joe Venuti, Stephane Grappelli, Josette Dayde, Violins; The Quintet of the Hot Club of France; Nat King Cole Trio; Les Paul Trio; The Hampton Rhythm Boys; Stan Getz Quintet.