For me they would be Steve Howe, Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Bill Nelson, Steve Hackett (the most emulated), and Steve Morse (maybe not exactly prog, but certainly has the chops). By distinctive I mean you know who it is the moment you hear them. My list is in no particular order as I consider them all pretty incredible. Who would be on your list?
Fripp and morse for me.
The've both had the same sound forever.
no tunes, no dynamics, no nosebone
Fred Frith
"please do not understand me too quickly"-andre gide
Gilmour, Fripp, Lifeson, and Howe.
Last edited by Adrian; 09-06-2014 at 04:07 PM.
Derek Bailey
Oh, and Holdsy
no tunes, no dynamics, no nosebone
Chris Spedding
Last edited by walt; 09-06-2014 at 05:29 PM.
"please do not understand me too quickly"-andre gide
As noted, Fripp, Morse, Holdsworth.
I would add Phil Miller http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Miller
and Adrian Belew
Last edited by markwoll; 09-06-2014 at 03:53 PM.
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."
-- Aristotle
Nostalgia, you know, ain't what it used to be. Furthermore, they tells me, it never was.
“A Man Who Does Not Read Has No Appreciable Advantage Over the Man Who Cannot Read” - Mark Twain
While both Bailey and Firth are incredible guitarists, and both are highly experimental, neither are prog. But really, who cares?
I'm not lazy. I just work so fast I'm always done.
I'm in agreement with the OP - I'd also agree with Adrian Belew. I'd add Alan Morse, Paul Bremner (Brems) from IZZ and Jeff Beck - who IS prog cuz he was prog before there WAS prog.
Rothery!!
Bailey and Firth are not prog, but Belew, Morse, Spedding, Nelson and Holdsworth are. Interesting.Originally Posted by Dana5140
Last edited by Jay.Dee; 09-06-2014 at 03:27 PM.
Fripp, Gilmour, Holdsworth
Ian
Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on progrock.com
https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-a...re-happy-hour/
Gordon Haskell - "You've got to keep the groove in your head and play a load of bollocks instead"
I blame Wynton, what was the question?
There are only 10 types of people in the World, those who understand binary and those that don't.
To name some others
Terje Rypdal
Steve Hillage
Ed Wynne
Peter Wolbrandt
Roger Trigaux
Ollie Halsall
Paolo Tofani
Franco Mussida
Martin Barre
Eino Haapala
Glenn Phillips
Zappa
So many...but I'll just mention two: Mike Holmes, Mirek Gil.
Pierre Vervloesem
"please do not understand me too quickly"-andre gide
Andy Latimer, Hackett, Gilmour and the very under rated Roger Hodgson
Frith's work with Henry Cow, Art Bears, Aqsak Maboul, (some) Massacre, some solo records (Gravity and Speechless) and The Science Group - are more distinct and defining avantgarde-progressive rock than any other guitarist mentioned here. Of course, the general 'new music' audience knows him primarily as the most creative free improviser on the planet (at least post-Sharrock), so I'd still see your drift.
As a guitarist for several decades myself, I no longer seem to get much out of folks like Hackett, Howe or Fripp, and I never really liked the playing of Lifeson. My picks for most distinctive progressive rock "guitar tone" would be Glenn Phillips (of Hampton Grease Band and solo), Ollie Halsall (with Patto and Tempest in particular), Phil Miller (espec with Hatfield and National Health), Andy Latimer (Camel), Manuel Göttsching (Ash Ra Tempel), Michael Jones (Man), Corrado Rustici (Cervello, Osanna, Nova, John G. Perry) and Max Sunyer (Iceberg).
Contemporary guitarist in the progressive/avant-garde/contemporary jazz borderland that I'd place way above 99% of the "usual" players are Mick Barr, Raoul Björkenheim, Kazuhisa Uchihashi, Nels Cline, Jim O'Rourke, Kido Natsuki, Tsuneo Imahori and Hedvig Mollestad.
"Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
"[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM
I love his solo at the end of "Goodbye Stranger."
I always found it interesting that he started out as Supertramp's bass player, then moved to lead guitar, and then became just as well known for his keyboard work on songs like "The Logical Song." Nowadays he only plays keyboards and 12-string acoustic, and it seems he's given up electric guitar altogether, at least in live performance. I wonder why.
Phil Miller was mentioned --- he is to me - very distinct.
Zappa will always be my favorite guitarist - ever - for some reason though - I don't think of him as a prog guitarist.
Definitely Howe who inspired so many but few could sound anything like him. He was the first to come to mind. I'd add Fripp and Hackett for the sounds they were able to create and both of their techniques. I don't consider Jeff Beck to be prog like arabicadabra but I do consider him to be one of the most unique guitarists ever. Zappa was pretty unique but just as a soloist, not so much in his rhythm guitar playing unlike what Howe could do in a song. One other that no one has mentioned yet is Ian Crichton of Saga. He added a harder edge to Saga's music while playing clean riffs at astounding speed.
Steve Rothery is pretty distinctive, he's developed quite a unique sound and style over the years.
David Torn
Snakefinger
John Etheridge
David Rhodes (as sideman only)
Franco Fabbri (Stormy six)
Brian Godding
Holdsworth, Phil Miller, Fripp, Zappa, Frith, Keneally, Martin Barre, Hillage, Franco Mussida, Tim Smith, Howe, Gottsching, Rypdal
O L D F I E L D
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