Which guitarists have great rhythmic nous or grace ?

[Chris P]

Jimi Hendrix
John Perry says :

To invert the popular wisdom, Hendrix was a supreme rhythm guitarist who happened to play exquisite lead guitar. In any case, his work often disposes of the distinction between lead and rhythm.

my additions:

King Sunny Ade
Viv Albertine
Leo Nocentelli
all the top Flamencistas
Jimmy Nolen (James Brown)

[Adam Blake]

Viv Albertine??
Nice one!

[Chris P]

yep a slight curve ball but it's true isn't it. Musicianly chops don't enter into it. Viv had it, any number of widdly gods don't !
Adam I was hoping in the light of your really interesting insiders list of guitar solos - thanks a lot - that you might post some food for listening and thought here on guitarists with an exquisite or original rhythmical touch

[Chris P]

Jimmy Nolen from Wikipedia :

Born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Jimmy “Chankâ€

[Rob Hall]

James Brown's cover of "Honky Tonk", pts 1 & 2, features on a good number of compilations that I have done for people over the years. The reason I love it is Jimmy Nolen's rhythm guitar, which just rides over the groove like a pebble skimming the surf.

Another great example of the art of the rhythm guitarist is Freddie Green on Count Basie's "Li'l Darlin'" - his steady strum holds the whole thing together with a fragile pulse that is the very definition of swing.

[Dayna]

The guitarists for Gipsy Kings

[Chris P]

good call !

as I remember hearing it : Gipsy Kings were in their dressing room for their biggest London gig at the time (maybe 1989), someone came in "hey Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton are in the audience" reply(disinterested tone): "yeh ? well let us know if Paco de Lucia turns up"

[Ted]

Eddie "Chank" Willis - from numerous Motown records.

Is Chank some kind of guitarists nickname?

TW

[Charlie]

James Brown's cover of "Honky Tonk", pts 1 & 2, features on a good number of compilations that I have done for people over the years. The reason I love it is Jimmy Nolen's rhythm guitar, which just rides over the groove like a pebble skimming the surf.

Another great example of the art of the rhythm guitarist is Freddie Green on Count Basie's "Li'l Darlin'" - his steady strum holds the whole thing together with a fragile pulse that is the very definition of swing.

Without detracting from these words of praise for the great Jimmy Nolen, spare some for the man who played guitar on the original Honky Tonk by Bill Doggett, I think he was called Billy Butler. But I can't match your description of a pebble skimming the surf.

So glad you brought Freddie Greene into this, Rob - I can still recapture my amazement at his technique of seeming to play a different chord shape for every rhythm stroke when I saw the Count Basie Band at the Newcastle City Hall around 1960.

[Adam Blake]

Adam I was hoping in the light of your really interesting insiders list of guitar solos - thanks a lot - that you might post some food for listening and thought here on guitarists with an exquisite or original rhythmical touch

Thank you! Well, apart from the likes of Curtis Mayfield, Steve Cropper, Bobby Womack, Jimmy Nolen and all those great reggae guitarists who have provided a million staccato chops to a million reggae riffs in Jamaica over the last 45 years or so - I'd like to mention Mary Restrepo of the Detroit Cobras for reviving many of those punk rhythm guitarist's traditions that Johnny Ramone's bludgeon-like barred E and A shapes had all but obliterated. In a similar vein, I'd like to nominate John Lennon for his sterling rhythm playing on "All My Loving" and "I'm Happy Just To Dance With You", not to mention his magnificent combination of lead and rhythm guitar on the live version of "Get Back". As a musician friend of mine put it recently, The Beatles really knew how to play their instruments properly.

Who else? Mac Rebennack is a superb rhythm guitarist but he hardly ever touches it these days, preferring to stick to piano. The thing is, any decent guitarist can play rhythm - it's an essential part of the job. Hence Hendrix's disgust with Clapton's shortcomings. Mind you, B.B King is famous for not being able to play rhythm so, go figure...

[Dayna]

I think from what I've heard of Tinariwen, their guitars sound good. At least I know I like one song so far, Al Chetin.
Are they good? I don't know really.
What I've heard of Son De La Frontera is good too, but that's Flamenco too, I think.

[Rob Hall]

Surely we should have Chuck Berry in the list somewhere?

[Adam Blake]

Of course we should. I love his lead playing so much that I sometimes overlook how wonderful his rhythm playing was/ is.

[Des]

What about whoever played the intro to Shaft?





















What was the question again?

[Adam Blake]

Yeah, who DID play that intro?