Acoustic Guitar Music (1 Viewer)

[Will Pomeroy]

Can somebody suggest some good acoustic guitar music? I'm looking for something well recorded...

I know this is a vague question, but just through out your answers and i'll sort threw them,

Thanks.

 

[Phil A]

A lot of things are good. One that comes to mind off the top of my head is a live circa 1980 recording (available on SACD too), 'Friday Night at San Francisco' featuring:

Performers
Paco de Lucía : Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic)
Al DiMeola : Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic)
John McLaughlin : Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic)

 

[Richard Olson]

Leo Kottke - My personal favorite is "Guitar Music"

Rich

 

[Lee Scoggins]

Good one Phil.
For a Brazilian-flavored sound, try anything by Badi Assad on Chesky Records. Solo is particularly good.

 

[Mike Broadman]

Will, there was a thread about this recently. Do a search for it.

Check out Tony Gabelle's album Native of the Rain.

NP: Miles Davis, Live at Carnegie Hall, CD

 

[Dennis_H]

California Guitar Trio is a group of excellent musicians as well. Their styles range from Bach and Beethoven to surf music to covers of Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and Yes' 'Heart of the Sunrise' all on acoustic guitar. Their originals are beautiful also. Start with Pathways for a wide representation of their work, but you'll end up getting them all... You can get the CDs online through amazon or cdnow, but I've only seen them occasionally in stores. Borders usually carries them though. Their website for sound samples is www.cgtrio.com

 

[Mike Broadman]

Yes, duh, how could I forget the CGT?! I have all they're CDs (except the Christmas one) and saw them open for the Flower Kings. Lots of fun.

 

[Jan H]

Ralph Towner is my personal favorite. If you are interested in beautifully textured playing, on both nylon 6-string, and acoustic 12-string, Towner is outstanding. Try "Anthem, "Ana", or "Solo Concert", or his work with the band Oregon.

 

[Michael_T]

Some of my favorites are:

Jorma Kaukonen - Quah
Jorma Kaukonen - Too Hot Too Handle
Any album by Michael Hedges

And lately I have been getting into:
John Williams - The Magic Box (a classical guitarist playing African folk music - all acoustic).

 

[Bill Leber]

Jack Johnson - Brushfire Fairytales
Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds - Live at Luther College

The Jack Johnson CD is my current favorite and consists of acoustic guitar, electric bass and drums (plus one song with Ben Harper playing slide guitar). Dave and Tim Reynolds is just the two of them with acoustic guitars - highly recommended double disc.

 

[Matt Stryker]

are you looking for something with vocals or just guitar? For just guitar Kottke is hard to beat. For with vocals, I recommend Ellis Paul (very highly), Dave Matthews/Tim Reynolds, and Tony Rice.

 

[Lee Scoggins]

John Williams - The Magic Box (a classical guitarist playing African folk music - all acoustic).

Michael,
Good recommendation. The Super Audio version is amazing from a sonic standpoint as well.

 

[Chris Madalena]

The Assad Brothers, Sergio and Odair, have a wonderful classical cd. It's called "Sergio & Odair Assad Play Rameau, Scarlatti, Couperin, Bach" It's amazing!!!

 

[JonZ]

John Fahey

 

[John Beavers]

I have a large collection of acoustic guitar CDs. Some of my favorites are Armik, Jesse Cook, Luis Villegas, Craig Chaquico, Laurence Juber and Johannes Linstead.

 

[Zane Charron]

Geesh, where to start. How about Michael Hedges, my personal favorite and second only to Leo Kottke in most afficiondo's eyes. I think 'Taproot' is his best sounding album, though I know fans who don't care for the larger production instead of just straight-miked acoustic guitar. I would also pick up 'Breakfast in the Field' and/or 'Aerial Boundaries' (generally considered his best album).

Others include Leo Kottke, Pierre Bensusan, Will Ackerman, Alex de Grassi, Billy McLaughlin, Don Ross, Chris Proctor, Laurence Juber, Bert Jansch, and John Renbourn.

A good bet might be to pick up a few compilation CDs like Acoustic Guitar Highlights or on of the Guitar Sampler CDs from Windam Hill. That way you can decide which players you like and buy their full albums.

Another great way to get a variety is to buy some of the acoustic guitar sheet music books. I have one from Mel Bay called 'Fingerstyle Guitar 2000' that comes with THREE discs packed with acoustic guitar music. It's relatively cheap as well. Good Hunting.

 

[Andrew 'Ange Hamm' Hamm]

Phil Keaggy's Acoustic Sketches is great. I'm also a big fan of Steve Hackett's Bay of Kings, though it's awash in reverb.

NP: Yes - Drama

 

[Mike Broadman]

How about classical? Bach is probably the composer who has the most music transcribed and interpretted for guitar.

Paul Galbraith has a double CD of Bach's solo violin sonatas and partitas. Good stuff.

NP: Frank Zappa, Playground Psychotics, CD

 

[Jeremy Stockwell]

Also Phil Keaggy, but "Beyond Nature" or "Lights of Madrid"

I haven't heard "Acoustic Sketches" but all of Phil's work is good.

JKS

 

[Mark_Waldrep]

As a guitarist myself, I agree with the postings for both classcial and non-classical recordings. I was especially intrigued by the mention of Laurence Juber as he called me the other day after hearing and complimenting me on the project we just completed with Peppino D'Agostino a superbly talented acoustic finger style guitarist. Peppino sent one of the DVD-Audio/Video discs to Laurence, who I have met several times. I was planning on calling Laurence, but he beat me to it. Actually, I went down to the Santa Monica pier that Friday night to hear him play with a blues band. He wants to make a project together and I thought I would survey the group regarding interest.

BTW I had dinner in Amsterdam with the percussionist that played on Peppino's DVD, Juan van Emmerloot. We auditioned the disc at his studio...although only in DTS (he doesn't yet have a DVD-Audio player). I believe this is the first solo acoustic guitar recording actually made at 96 kHz/24 bits. Remember, I used no EQ, no artificial reverb, no compression or limiting and mixed it in stereo as well as 5.1. I'd welcome comments...as a guitarist, I'm pretty proud of it. We recorded it in December of 2000...Peppino was about ready to give up on us...but he absolutely loves the sound.