Listen To:


Selected MP3s of guitar instrumentals, jazz, big band, and classic easy listening from the original vinyl.

Welcome to Guitars & All That Jazz

Welcome to Guitars & All That Jazz

Guitars & All That Jazz was a radio station that webcast via Live365 for 11 years, ending in June 2011. The playlist consisted of guitar instrumentals, jazz, big band, early rock 'n' roll, lounge music and classic easy listening.

I hope to share some of this music with you via this blog. Most of it will be taken from the original vinyl (LPs and 45s) , cassettes and the occasional commercially unavailable CD.

Here's hoping you'll find something to enjoy. Please note files are available only for a limited time.

I urge you to purchase the digital version of the albums featured, either on CD or via download, wherever possible.

Listen to the Music
There are now two music streams. Click the appropriate player to the right.
1. Guitars & All That Jazz: Five hours of the best in jazz, guitars and other instrumental gems. New songs are added weekly.
2. Tiki Shores: Music to sweep you away to a tropical isle, a South American dance floor or a bossa nova on the beach at Rio. About 4.5 hours of classic exotica music, Latin rhythms and bossa nova.
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Thursday, August 16, 2012

Unknown Artist - Sweet Guitar


Here's another anonymous guitar album, presumably featuring a European musician since the CD is manufactured in the U.K.

There's a reason there's no name (or a fake one) attached to most of these albums: They aren't very good and the musicians (in many cases only a solo guitarist) are paid peanuts.

This album is a happy exception in the quality department. It's a pleasant, well-played mixture of the usual pop standards (The Lady in Red, Music of the Night, etc.) and a couple of classical warhorses. Although the backing strings sound electronic, they're not shrill and obboxious like they are on many cheap instrumental albums. Here's a sample track.

Air on a G-String

Sweet Guitar, released in 1996, has long since been deleted, but there are cheap used copies available on several U.K. sites, including Amazon. The album doesn't appear to be available as a download (legal), although one can never be too sure since these anonymous CDs are often endlessly repackaged under different titles and artist names.

Exactly who are the musicians that put together these albums where no credit is given? In the case of Sweet Guitar, we're not even told in which country this album was recorded.

And what is the target market for these recordings? Do you know anyone that sits around waiting to buy a CD where the artist isn't credited? Presumably the manufacturer is aiming at the impulse buyer who doesn't want to spend more than a couple of bucks for background music to accompany the macaroni and cheese entrée.

Still, as Sweet Guitar proves, there are few satisfactory purchases to made from the discount bins.

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