I'd generally class Mark as a usual suspect (often mentioned, quite righty, as one of the all-time greats) but it's great to hear this rendition of Telegraph Road. One of my favourite Dire Straits tracks
Paco De Luca - I was unfamiliar with his work until these two videos. Definitely going to check him out more as I think that he's an ace guitarist. That's the sort of thing that I hoped people might share so really happy to hear those. Two rather different tracks as well
Prince, for me, is another usual suspect but that was a clip that I had never seen before. Great line up, great playing. He really was a genius.
Really grateful that you shared those with us.
I wanted to share my own videos, which I will do, but there is a lot being posted here and I want to get through these and listen to everything that people have kindly posted before doing mine. Really pleased that there seems to be an appetite for this topic
And the great Richard Thompson. This is from a live songwriters circle. Suzanne Vega and Loudon Wainwright III look a bit uncomfortable knowing they have to follow this performance.
Duane has always been one of my favourite guitarist and this is a cracking track. One of Boz's best songs.
I was going to share Terry Kath as one of my "not the usual suspects" but you beat me to it!. I might share a different track though anyway as I love early Chicago and he was a great, great player. You also picked the track that I would have shared!
You can't beat a bit of Richard Thompson. Not a video that I'm familiar with and great to hear it. Vincent Black Lightning is also a top three Thompson track for me so nice to hear this version
I'd generally class Mark as a usual suspect (often mentioned, quite righty, as one of the all-time greats) but it's great to hear this rendition of Telegraph Road. One of my favourite Dire Straits tracks
Paco De Luca - I was unfamiliar with his work until these two videos. Definitely going to check him out more as I think that he's an ace guitarist. That's the sort of thing that I hoped people might share so really happy to hear those. Two rather different tracks as well
Prince, for me, is another usual suspect but that was a clip that I had never seen before. Great line up, great playing. He really was a genius.
Really grateful that you shared those with us.
I wanted to share my own videos, which I will do, but there is a lot being posted here and I want to get through these and listen to everything that people have kindly posted before doing mine. Really pleased that there seems to be an appetite for this topic
Thanks for thoughts, looking forward to seeing your selections. Pace de Lucia described by Keith Richards in an interview ""You say I'm a guitar legend, you don't have a clue. There are only two or three guitarists who can be considered legendary, and above all of them is Paco de Lucía". Prince, I thought, is one of those artists who sometimes isn't known/appreciated for his guitar work (but probably preaching to the wrong audience).
I'd generally class Mark as a usual suspect (often mentioned, quite righty, as one of the all-time greats) but it's great to hear this rendition of Telegraph Road. One of my favourite Dire Straits tracks
Paco De Luca - I was unfamiliar with his work until these two videos. Definitely going to check him out more as I think that he's an ace guitarist. That's the sort of thing that I hoped people might share so really happy to hear those. Two rather different tracks as well
Prince, for me, is another usual suspect but that was a clip that I had never seen before. Great line up, great playing. He really was a genius.
Really grateful that you shared those with us.
I wanted to share my own videos, which I will do, but there is a lot being posted here and I want to get through these and listen to everything that people have kindly posted before doing mine. Really pleased that there seems to be an appetite for this topic
Thanks for thoughts, looking forward to seeing your selections. Pace de Lucia described by Keith Richards in an interview ""You say I'm a guitar legend, you don't have a clue. There are only two or three guitarists who can be considered legendary, and above all of them is Paco de Lucía". Prince, I thought, is one of those artists who sometimes isn't known/appreciated for his guitar work (but probably preaching to the wrong audience).
Just writing a piece on my first selection. Just got distracted by a music session with my wife though so will probably start writing again tomorrow.
On Prince - you’re probably right in that, for the general public, his guitar playing probably goes unrecognised but he was a genius guitarist.
Looking forward to checking out pace. If Keith says so, it must be true!
That’s a great shout. I have that album but haven’t played it in quite some time. Really great guitarist. Hadn’t appreciated that he dies so young and in such tragic circumstances. Very sad
A real guitar hero of mine even before I got to meet him.
During his life (1941 – 2021) British guitarist Michael released a staggering 58 albums, and he definitely qualifies as a cult hero in my book. Very hard to pin down his style. Jazz definitely, folk, in its widest sense but he picked up influences from his extensive travels, particularly being influenced by American performers but it also went the other way with Michaels influence went much wider, for example, Thurston Moore, cited him as an inspiration in the formation of Sonic Youth
Chapman however evolved his own distinctive style of playing as you’ll hear on the attached videos. (See post below)
Contemporaries of Michaels were performers like John Martyn, Mick Ronson (who Chapman played with) and Roy Harper and he was much admired by the legendary BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel.
After his heyday, or atleast relative success, Michael never sold shed loads of albums but his influence on others was immense. Both Ryley Walker and Steve Gunn worked with Michael in his later career.
I saw Michael play live several times, the best performance being upstairs at the Union Chapel, probably around 2017 / 2018. The most memorable was in 2016 though. It was a mates 60th birthday and we got Michael to play a house gig for him. I ended up being assistant sound engineer and Michael driver. The stories that he had were brilliant and he was very professional. No alcohol before or during the gig. Once it was over though, he imbibed a fair bit. Great bloke. Great musician
Last edited by Johnnyo on 12/21/2025 09:13; edited 1 time in total
There are some phenomenal female guitar players out there, most definitely fall into the category of this post. One of the absolute best is Samantha Fish.
I think that her albums are fine but it’s when you see and hear her play live that you really appreciate what a phenomenal guitar player she is. Having said that her album with Jesse Dayton is well worth checking out
A great (predominantly) blues, but I’d also argue heavy blues artist, Having said that she also brings elements of rock, a smattering of country and a bit of funk into her playing.
Fish has cited Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tom Petty and the Rolling Stones as her influences.
There’s a story that in 2013, Fish was called up on stage to play with a sceptical Buddy Guy who was so impressed with her playing on the guitar, he declared with a beaming smile to his audience, "When this kind of shit happens, I'll play all night!” That pretty much sums up my feelings of seeing Samantha play live.
She kicked off her set with Kick Out The Jams and never let up. She’s kick ass brilliant and incendiary. She just doesn’t let up for the entire gig. Love her and love her playing.
Going to post videos separately as I'm struggling to find decent quality recordings and wanted to get this up on the thread
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(probably my favourite contemporary guitarist)
(from another world)
(a little shout for Prince, very underrated/overlooked)
