is Caleb Quaye, of Hookfoot and the early Elton John albums. Eric Clapton, when asked on NBC TV what it was like being the greatest guitarist in the world, replied that he was not, and that Caleb Quaye is.

who played with Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks. Sublime scat/jazz player:-

hardly ever gets mentioned in guitar hero type discussions. He can play any style, from pop to prog, as well as stunt (e.g. motor bike on Bat Out Of Hell) and also has a great set of pipes. He even recently entered Clapton territory with an album of Robert Johnson covers.

Superb and so self effacing. (Unlike his choice in shirts).

you haven't been paying attention to the blog,have you ?
other undermentioned on here include Richard Thompson and Bert Jansch.

have weedy runt-like singing voices, endearing but it seems to be genetic.

Un example par excellence:

(Ronnie Wood: 1234)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?&gl=GB&hl=en-GB&client=mv-google&v=E2BUcj9B...

- The Dame on Diamond Dogs. Some great playing on this album, he obviously learnt a lot from Ronno. My favourite is the solo on Sweet Thing, but special mention also for Rebel Rebel.

On form, one of the most mellifluous string twiddlers out there; I absolutely adore The Salmon Song. Almost entirely responsible for inspiring all 108 CDs by the Ozrics too, but you can't have everything. Nowadays better known for slider twiddling producer duties.

bloody hell I haven't heard that for years. I periodically look on Amazon for Steve Hillage stuff to replace what I had on vinyl. What I really want is a good compilation but don't seem to be any stuff out there yet. Maybe one day. He also did that brilliant track with the Stereo MC's the name of which escapes me.

...and saying Prince. He always comes up on underrated guitarist polls.

I think James Dean Bradfield from the Manics always gets overlooked. His guitar playing is pretty awesome considering his lead vocals role as well (no weedy voice here).

I read somewhere that Noel Gallagher had criticised JDB for getting the sound engineer to change his guitar sounds during live gigs (instead of using a foot pedal). This coming from a man who stands still throughout a gig, occasionally singing and stomping on his foot pedal to change between settings (slightly distorted and bit more distorted).

who plays with The Cardinals (and was with Laura Cantrell) is a superb player - great mandolinist and also fine on guitar and steel.

Exceptional plank spanker, decent singing voice, knows his way 'round a melody and a fabulous entertainer.

Clive Carroll

Kevin Dempsey

Adrian Legg

Jimmy Rosenberg

Famous at age 8 for his Manouche style playing, a career blighted by drug abuse and family trauma. Here with Robin Nolan (also a fine player). Jimmy takles over at about 2.30 in:-

I'm sure there's plenty of love on this board for the great Barthelemy Attisso, lead guitarist of Orchestra Boabab.

An incredible player.

Of the mighty Blue Öyster Cult. Deft, understated and damn cool.

is Lindsey Buckingham. Check out the Fleetwood Mac Live version of Not That Funny.

Jones, Jones & James - the (un)holy trinity of punk guitarists

Puts pay to the view "Punks Can't Play" - these 3 can, and if I was half as proficient as any of them I'd be content

Do I really need to spell it out?! ;-)

Not so much unlauded perhaps but his career sadly cut short by an accident. I know I am probably preaching to the converted here but anyway, here you go ...

... never knowingly over-lauded...

Bruce Welch

Sensible that is, of The Damned - always overlooked as fantastic guitarist.
Also another overlooked axe genius - Ian Mcnabb

I really dig what he does...

Economical, funky and permanently lodged in my top 5.

John McGeoch (the late) of Magazine. His parts on The Light Pours Out of Me are astonishing.

Lowell George (the late), and a great voice too.

Huw Lloyd on the first Hawkwind record, after which he just disappeared.

Michael Hedges (the late), sublime acoustic player.

Alan Holdsworth, absolutely fluid lines, how does he do that?

The wonderful Peter Green.

Jean-Paul Bourelly, carrying the Hendrix flame.

Ry Cooder, what a player.

Brandon Ross, in Henry Threadgill's band, you need to hear him as well.

Saw Traffic in '74 and was awe-struck by how good a guitar player Steve Winwood was.
Some of the above choices are a bit bizarre if we're strictly talking about under-lauded.

is well spoken of, but I am not a fan of Jeff Tweedy/Wilco, so I am not an authority.

Can anyone else supply more info/opinion?

Probably an open secret since his work with the Eagles. Plays a Strat fingerstyle with a thumbpick. One of my favourites.

I was fortunate enough to see him with Rodney Crowell on the "Route 89" tour at the Breedon Bar in Birmingham.

"Darkness, Darkness" is a must-have funk groove stretching out over two albums.

but I'd like to nominate our very own Shane Pacey of this parish, here with his band the Bondi Cigars.

Some quite stunning blues playing here from the man on the left-handed Gibson 335

and well worthy:

Robben Ford - a wonderfully fluid player. His recent psych blues stuff is terrific. Check out the recent live album, Soul On Ten.

Mike Landau - a modern day Hendrix, masterful use of the Strat.

He thought the second line was "always had a hard in my pants" (instead of "always burned a hole in my pants", which referred of course to the first line about never keeping a dollar past sunset).

Good guitar player though.

is an outstanding talent and criminally ignored. Master of the 12 string and a voice like growling whiskey.

Of the great, but largely forgotten, Patto. Olly Halshall is right up there with Allan Holdsworth for the prize of Legato Exponent Extraordinaire, and this from 1971. So ahead of his time. Listen to the solo. Wow.

Played with Desert Rose Band, Elton John, Hellecasters. Also a mean gypsy jazz exponent.

Here are two different examples - Acoustic and Electric:-

Check out Richard Bennett - his resume is unbelievable - well known for Playing with Dire Straits (and everbody else!) . He has the most fantastic tone.

Also Pete Anderson guitarist/producer (Dwight Yoakam etc.)

His 'banjo' run on 'Little Sister' is still stunning.

about the late, great Roy Buchanan these days.

A very regrettable state of affairs.

Andy Partridge? And Dave Gregory for that matter. They had the same polite guitar/wild furry guitar dynamic that Ed O'Brien/Jonny Greenwood have. But Andy is way more technically adept than anyone gives him credit for. See solo here :

On a completely different front, may I also nominate Michael Daves. Unknown guitar teacher in NYC until he made an all-round-one-mic duo record with (arguably) the best mandolin player in the world. His influence results in the best record Chris Thile has made in a while.

(that was my first post. hello everyone!)

Always thought the CTI label was a bit naff really - old jazzers trying desperately to be "with it" in the 70s cutting endless albums that sounded like cop show incidental music. Last year whilst digging around Paul Desmond's back catalgoue discovered this - 19 mins of really lovely music featuring Paul Desmond, Chet Baker and Jim Hall plus Steve Gadd nudging things along nicely. Very much of its time - and very possibly not to many people's taste - but wonderfully noodling.

His restless, inventive contribution's to Gillian Welch's records are utterly central to her, or more accurately, their, sound.

Discovered by Frank Zappa playing in a bar band and recruited as his "stunt guitarist" he went on to play with David Bowie and Tom Tom Club before joining the revived King Crimson.

A decent singer and a good writer too. Here he is with Robert Fripp, Trey Gunn, Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto and Bill Bruford in the "Double Trio" version of the Crims.

And how about Robert Fripp? He's a subject for a separate post, I reckon.

Not everyone's cuppa, possibly because he likes to make some pretty ugly sounds with his guitar as well as beautiful ones.

Astonishing here on Brian Eno's "St Elmo's Fire" from Another Green World.

Step forward:

Jay Graydon, Drew Zingg, Georg Wadenius,Wayne Kratz, Jon Herington - not to mention Lee Ritenour, Denny Dias, Elliott Randall, Larry Carlton, Jeff Baxter and old Walter Becker himself who ain't no kind of a slouch round a fretboard

That schmeer schwaaayang stippled stripe of a solo from "Peg" may be most favouritest bit of sound ever. Take a bow Jay Graydon

... whose brill solo album I just rediscovered on a trawl through the crates in the basement of my iTunes, is a worthy addition to the pantheon of the unlauded ... did some very acceptable fret-fondling for Billy Cobham, too ...

Tasteful, wonderful phrasing and space. Late of Diana Krall's trio. Not sure what he's doing now.

Thought I'd link an ensemble piece to show his skill, rather than a solo clip (though they are very good)

Also have to agree on Dan guitarists with Sheev (above). The Youtube segue of six different guitarists versions of the 'Peg' solo is worth a listen. Zingg I like, but his other stuff that I have seen is a bit OTT. Jon Herington is probably my favourite (notwithstanding the much more famous and wonderful Larry Carlton).

played on so many hits - including 'Drift Away'

This is how he played the into to Billy Swan's 'I Can Help'

Dan of the Black Keys is victim of being born in the wrong era.

Had he been around during the early Fleetwood Mac/Yardbirds era, he'd be considered a great.

Saw the Key on Friday in Nottingham - he can riff and solo with the best of them.

This bloke replaced Richard Thompson in Fairport. What more recommendation could be needed?

I love those reverse bends he does toward the end where one string is bent up and at the same time another is pulled down. That's so hard to do and keep in pitch.

All that bending behind the nut stuff he does is cool beyond words, too.

Oh, and he makes a mistake at 32 seconds. You can tell because he raises his eyebrows.

George "bad" Benson

Mike Stern's no slouch either

...could play a bit.

(El Paso - Marty Robbins)

And a man once lauded in his column in The Word by Mr Hepworth:

Mickey Green - The Pirates (both with and without Johnny Kidd)

Davel Wendels - Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers

and also (as mentioned on another thread), Janis Ian.

Both underrated players.

1. Johnny "Guitar" Watson - allegedly Zappa's favourite guitarist. Often played on average material, but usually provided great guitar playing - check out "Ain't No Justice" by the Temptations, which shows what can be done in 30 seconds of exciting and tasteful guitar.

2. Papa Diabate & Sekou "Docteur" Diabate - Check out "Guitare Seche", one of the all-time great acoustic guitar albums, displaying swirling and delicate African guitar melodies from Guinea to wonderful effect.

3. Derek Trucks - one of the best of the later rock breed, soulful and succinct.

4. Kelly Joe Phelps - Acoustic wunderkind, scintillating on blues, but ever better when he drifts over into jazz - check out "Slingshot Professionals" where he veers (successfully) into "Astral Weeks" territory.

And kudos for the previous mentions of David Lindley, Robert Fripp, Dave Rawlings, Buck Dharma Roeser, Richard Thompson and Ernest Ranglin - all of whom are legitimately up there in the plank spanking firmament.

Jeff - redlines the Laud-o-Meter.
Joe - not even a flicker. He's les couilles du chien. He's all over the place once you start looking, but plays up a freaking storm on Joe Farrell's "Upon This Rock".

Arlen Roth

Bill Harkleroad (Zoot Horn Rollo) - you don't have to be good to be great.

Since I first saw him on a televised late night jazz show from the Coconut Grove, I've loved this guy's Latin-inflected style. 2 Excerpts here. Also check out the amazing Anthony Jackson on bass and Harvey Mason on drums.

Steve Lukather is no mean player, but put along Ritenour, he seems a bit one-dimensional. Make up your own mind.

Edited - put same link in twice!!

Frank White, Sheffield legend, played twin neck gibson on Dave Berry's Crying Game. Was set to be the first white artist on Motown, signed to Fantasy (EMI) career never really got going. Shez Sheriden, from Sheff, in the Richard Hawley band and can out play him with one hand.

Well known to the cognoscenti perhaps. Although, not in the Page, Clapton, Lee vector of fame - he displays a similar talent

Mr Albert Lee: A Masterclass it says and a Masterclass it is

Give it up for Howard Roberts, people. A virtuoso jazzer who rebelled against his record company's demands for elevator music with two of the most extraordinary "guitar" albums ever committed to vinyl - "Equinox Express Elevator" and "Antelope Freeway", both now happily available on one fun-packed CD.

No matter what you're expecting, it's unlikely to be this. Oh - and at some point during "Equinox" he casually invents shred guitar and moves right along like it's no big deal. This is music for crazy peoples!

Here's a fine review from Amazon which says it all much better than I could:

"ANTELOPE FREEWAY is a state of the art recording which combines music and stunning stereo sound effects: utilized at points as Harry Partch-like tuned percussion samples, and at other points like Firesign Theater radio cross-fades and comic interludes.

A real dog yummy for your stereo, this ultra-dynamic recording is intended to be played LOUD, and to fill the stereo soundstage with dimensional ambiance and sonic paintings, alternating between a heavy jazz-blues feel and echoplexed ballads.

Critics didn't know what to make of ANTELOPE FREEWAY when it was first released, and the DOWNBEAT critic launched a preemptive strike and nuked it with a rating of 1/2 stars out of a possible five. Me, I have always found this tongue-in-cheek recording to be funky and soulful, witty and earnestly engaging...and yes, SWINGING. Howard Roberts couldn't NOT Swing if you held a gun to his head.

Roberts' playing and conceptual outreach is seriously underrated on both of these recordings (ANTELOPE FREEWAY and the follow-up EQUINOX EXPRESS ELEVATOR), even by some of his most fervent fans--finally released on CD for the very first time as a single entity in a 2-for-1 format, which allows listeners to follow the progress of stylistic evolution of Howard Roberts emerging concept, circa 1970-1972, and to enjoy the muisic both in an uninterrupted suite format as it was originally intended, as well as to pull out individual tracks.

Roberts' playing always had a very strong blues component, and if you look through his recorded output, he also had a very mischievous sense of humor. ANTELOPE FREEWAY and EQUINOX were experimental recordings, made at the hippest LA studios with the most able and adventurous musicians, who, accustomed as they were to working on the L.A. studio scene, were certainly liberated by these formats; these recordings are also among the earliest to deploy the then emerging 16-track/2-inch recording technology, so the ability to create a multi-track collage of sound effects and music, in the manner of a free form radio shows of that era (a la Firesign Theater), let alone the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix, is part of the motivation and the charm of ANTELOPE FREEWAY. Roberts and collaborators Ed Michel and Bill Szymczyk's portrayal of two truckers making their way through the late night radio dial on "Five Gallons Of Astral Flash Could Keep You Up For Thirteen Weeks" is brilliant satire of trends and tastes, particularly when the truckers unexpectedly stumble over some freak-out avant garde jazz. "What the hell?"

Additionally, not only is the playing visceral in an edgy jazz-fusion manner, but as we have pointed out, it is a most compelling aural document--a very progressive recording and mix. And for such a blues-drenched be-bopper as Howard Roberts, the use of guitar effects, such as a stereo-panned Echoplex on the ballad "Dark Ominous Clouds", and an Energy Bow (for its limitless sustain) on "Sixteen Track Fireman" (let alone the bloom and bite of over-driven amplifiers) are not mere gimmicks but natural extensions of Roberts' own style and knowing nods to the younger generation of emerging LA guitarists, influenced as they then were by Clapton, Hendrix, Beck and Townsend.

From 1972 (not released until 1975), the follow-up to ANTELOPE FREEWAY, EQUINOX EXPRESS ELEVATOR, doesn't aspire to be nearly as experimental, but if anything it is a more accomplished, forward thinking set of collective improvisations and sophisticated ensemble arrngements, functioning not so much as solo features, but as an ever-evolving series of interconnected motifs, whose use of a dual-electric keyboards/dual-drum set-and-percussionist format certainly references the collective ensemble concept of Miles Davis' BITCHES BREW, even if it does not outright emulate the trumpeter' stylistic devices.

EQUINOX is a bold, original attempt to liberate jazz musicians from the narrow confines of standard song form structures (not that there is a damn thing wrong with those structures), and while ANTELOPE was more consciously a fusion recording, EQUINOX is Roberts' very personal attempt to define a fresh ensemble approach for himself and those progressive musicians like himself who often found themselves hemmed in by the commercial expectations of being successful Hollywood Studio musicians. In particular, the great drummer John Guerin distinguishes himself as both an improviser and composer, as does keyboardist-producer Dave Grusin, who never sounded so edgy."

Doyen of shimmering six string soulfulness.

THE session guitarist. Played on anything and everything.. We all have heard his work, even if we don't know it.

Lucinda's axeman (Dig that cool guitar!)