Samuel Moore’s Inspirational Music For Acoustic & Electric Guitarists

Welcome to the third in a series of articles designed to offer the guitar player some fresh perspectives on what others find in their music collections to inspire and motivate, with some valuable input from Samuel Moore. Some more about listening to other music for inspiration and motivation – a very neglected part of the learning process.  

Thank you David for giving me this great opportunity to recommend my top five guitar albums. It is worth saying from the outset that my list of recommendations is presented in a chronological format (i.e. the order in which I first came across each recording). This chronological approach has given me a great opportunity to reflect on the musical journey I have been on over the past ten years. In that time I have changed a lot as a musician: from an unproven teenager who wanted to sound like Jimi Hendrix, to a young adult who was in love with blues and jazz music, to the professional flamenco guitarist I am today. It has been a fascinating and at times, an unexpected musical journey, and on the way I have learned many valuable lessons. Perhaps the most important lesson I have learned so far is this:

listening to good music nourishes ones creative understanding and is therefor essential for healthy artistic growth. In much the same way that, from a health perspective, ‘you are what you eat’, in a musical sense ‘you are what you hear’. As such, I have always tried to keep an open mind and listen to anything that has artistic quality, as ultimately, there are only two real genres of music in the world: good and bad.

Jimi Hendrix – Band of Gypsies

• Style: Rock, Blues, Rhythm and Blues.

Writer’s Introductory Comment: This is the album that made me want to become a professional musician. I was in my mid teens when I first heard it and it spoke to me in a profound way.

For the true Hendrix fan this album is a must have. ‘Band of Gypsies’ was recorded live and is therefore more raw, improvised and soulful than Hendrix’s more commercial studio recordings with ‘The Jimi Hendrix Experience’. In short, it shows the maestro’s natural musical brilliance in a very unique context. A Little about the album: ‘Band of Gypsys’ is a live album. It was Hendrix’s first record outside his original group ‘The Jimi Hendrix Experience’. It was recorded on 1st January 1970, at the Fillmore East in New York City with Billy Cox on bass and Buddy Miles on drums. The album mixes rhythm and blues elements with rock and is very spontaneous. Reasons as to why?

• The interaction between the musicians is stunning!
• The unique blend of genres is really special.
• It was recorded live so there is no overdubbing . What you hear is literally what it sounded like on stage: brilliant!
• The spontaneous things that happen within the band make this album magical. The best example being the moment during the first track ‘Who Knows’ when Hendrix has to leave the stage unexpectedly and without hesitation drummer Buddy Miles jumps right in with an improvised vocal solo until Hendrix enters the stage again.

Skip James – Devil got my Woman

• Style: Delta Blues

Writer’s Introductory Comment: When I was in my late teens I became interested in the music that inspired my hero Jimi Hendrix. This naturally led me to the blues. My good friend and former tutor Dave Gardner first introduced me to this album and it changed my life. After first hearing it I spent years trying to be a professional blues musician and even went out to Tennessee, Mississippi and New Orleans for a prolonged period to perform solo.

The first time I heard ‘Devil got my Woman’, the haunting quality of Skip James’ voice and guitar playing made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. We are so privileged that many of the old legends of the delta blues from the 1920s and 1930s were re-discovered and re-recorded in the 1960s. This album is one of the gems of this era or rediscovery and it is heartbreakingly beautiful. Skip’s guitar playing, while simple, is perfect for accompanying his ethereal voice. A true gem that any fan of the blues must have in there collection. A Little about the album: ‘Devil Got My Woman’ is the fourth studio album by American blues singer Skip James. It was released in 1968 and was his last record before his death in 1969. Reasons as to why?

• ‘Devil Got My Woman’ is heartfelt, simple and haunting. Everything you could want from a good blues recording.
• It is a picture perfect example of ‘less is more’. This album is not flash, it is not virtuosic, but it is steeped in all the things that make the blues great. Skip’s music shows us that good music is much deeper than just playing the right notes. His artistic magic comes from deep within him and was forged by his lived experiences.

Kenny Burrell – Midnight Blue

• Style: Jazz

Writer’s Introductory Comment: When I was in my early 20s I came across this wonderful album. At the time I was all about the blues and as such this recording was the perfect bridge for me into the jazz world. The impact ‘Midnight Blue’ had on my life was profound. It eventually lead me to university to study a degree in jazz composition. Many years later I had the great pleasure to speak with Kenny Burrell in person and tell him how much his music meant to me. His humble and gracious acceptance of my compliment remains one of my most treasured memories as professional musician.

If you are a blues guitarist who wants to get into jazz, a jazz player who wants to hear something washed in the blues, or simply a lover of good music who wants to relax whilst appreciating something special, ‘Midnight Blue’ is defiantly the album for you. The great Jimi Hendrix once remarked “Kenny Burrell, that’s the sound I’m looking for”, when you hear this album you can clearly see why! A Little about the album: ‘Midnight Blue’ was recorded in 1963 and features: Kenny Burrell on Guitar, Stanley Turrentine on tenor saxophone, Major Holley on double bass, Bill English on drums and Ray Barretto on conga. It is one of Burrell’s best-known works for Blue Note Records. Reasons as to why?

• The blues infused nature of Burrell’s guitar phrasing is a delight to hear. It is sophisticated, beautiful and moving. Also, the richness of Burrell’s chord melodies are to die for, just listen and you can’t help but love them.
• From swing arrangements such as the tow tapping ‘Midnight Blue’, to Latin influenced tracks such as ‘Chitlins con Carne’, and even heartfelt solo showcases, such as ‘Soul Lament’, this album really is a five-course meal in musical brilliance and subtle artistry.

Juan Martín – Live, En Directo

• Style: Flamenco

Writer’s Introductory Comment: Unique musical traditions, forged in the fires of adversity and the lived experiences of ordinary people manifest themselves across the globe. In America the most notable examples of this are the blues and jazz, but on the other side of the Atlantic in Andalucía (Spain) one of the best examples is the great flamenco tradition. In the early 2000s I first came across this wonderful genre and it changed my life.

‘Live, En Directo’ was the first Juan Martín album I ever heard and upon hearing it, I knew instantly that this was the man I wanted to learn how to play flamenco from. Juan would later become my one to one flamenco guitar teacher and a good friend and for this reason ‘Live, En Directo’ will always have a special place in my heart. However, this is a very personal reason for selecting this album for my list, there are of course many other reasons why you should check out this recording, namely: the true measure of a flamenco guitarist’s artistry is whether he can play well in the context of a traditional flamenco ensemble: guitarist, singer and a dancer. This album is without a doubt my favorite example of this type of ensemble on record! It is also a brilliant snapshot of Juan’s musical quality and pure flamenco at it best, you should listen to it is as soon as you can! A Little about the album: In the autumn of 2003 virtuoso guitar legend and composer Juan Martín toured the UK with his flamenco company.  ‘Live, En Directo’, a double CD was recorded live in a single take, in a single concert during that tour. In it Juan Martín captures the electrifying essence of pure flamenco. Reasons as to why?

• The beautiful melodic playing and driving rhythms that Juan brings to everything he touches.
• The variety of flamenco palos (song and dance forms) showcased in this recording gives the listener a perfect example of what proper flamenco should sound like when played by a master in the context of an ensemble. It is moving, profound and above all, exciting.

Sabicas – Flamenco Puro

• Style: Flamenco

Writer’s Introductory Comment: As a musician, if you decide to take a genre seriously, you should immerse yourself in the recordings of the great masters of the past. When I decided that flamenco was the direction I wanted to go, I did exactly this and soon came across this wonderful album by the flamenco legend Sabicas.

‘Flamenco Puro’ is without a doubt my favorite solo flamenco guitar album! Many of the ideas we now regard as ‘classic flamenco’ have their origins in this recording. Bear in mind that back in the 1950s each track on this album would likely have been recorded in one take, this makes Sabicas’ flawless performance on ‘Flamenco Puro’ astonishing! While the most noticeable trait of ‘Flamenco Puro’ is undoubtedly Sabicas’ virtuosic brilliance, for me the real magic of this album is more subtle. Specifically, Sabicas’ effortless ability to constantly develop and reinvent motifs in different melodic, rhythmic and harmonic contexts. Check it out for yourself, it is breath-taking! A Little about the album: ‘Flamenco Puro’ was recorded in 1959 and is one of Sabicas’ most celebrated albums. It has subsequently been re-released on CD and is rightly regarded by many as essential listening. Reasons as to why?

• The sophistication of Sabicas’ compositions and falsetas is breath-taking.
• The brilliant virtuosity of Sabicas’ playing. It really shows us that practice makes perfect.
• The stunning tone Sabicas’ gets out of his guitar sets a high benchmark for all guitarists, regardless of what genre they specialise in.
• The humbling fact that ‘Flamenco Puro’ has gone on to inspire almost every flamenco guitarist since.