History Of The Guitar In Jazz by Norman Mongan

Norman Mongan’s seminal work ‘THE HISTORY OF THE GUITAR IN JAZZ’ first published in 1984, is now considered as THE reference work on the subject, ascritics and guitarists have lined up to heap praise on this exceptional book, prefaced by the legendary Barney Kessel.From Blues to Bebop – from Fusion to Free – here is the story of the musicians who created a place for the Jazz, a chronicle of the masters of the instrument who forged a multitude of jazz guitar styles.

From Johnny St Cyr, Lonnie Johnson, and Eddie Lang; to Teddy Bunn to Oscar Aleman and Django Reinhardt, to rhythm master Freddy Green, to electric guitar pioneer Charlie Christian, to Oscar Moore. Barney Kessel, Bill De Arango, to Jimmy Raney,Johnny Smith, Sal Salvador, to the Octopus Tal Farlow, Herb Ellis, Kenny Burrell, to the Thumb of Wes Montgomery, to Jim Hall, Joe Pass, George Benson, Pat Martino, Louis Stewart, to Jimi Hendrix and beyond; his disciples John McLaughlin, Larry Corryell, Mike Stern, Alan Holdsworth, and many others, they are all here in the remarkable volume.

The book also includes over 25 transcriptions of historic jazz guitar solos, over 100 rare photos, and an exhaustive discography of hundreds of jazz guitar recordings. A special Guitar Portraits section contains photographs of the instruments that inspired the great guitarists from the Blues to the present.

“The History of the Guitar in Jazz” is truely a journey to the soul of the jazz guitar, that has inspired a new generation of guitarists and jazz fans since its publication. A French edition was published by Editions Fillipacchi in Paris in 1986 to great critical acclaim.