Michael Newman on Sheffield if you can find it. Some say the best acoustic guitar sound ever recorded. Elliot Fisk plays Scarlotti on Mark Levinson Recordings. Not really acoustic, but Michael Hedges, Ariel Boundaries on Wyndam Hill, Gittarr Kvartetten on Opus 3 and Berkley Guitar on Tomkins Square records. All great recordings AND great music. All too rare, unfortunately.
@pilrem -- Yeah, Sir John a Lot, by John Renbourn is certainly a candidate. Saw him live a couple times, too. One of my major acoustic guitar influences. Have his songbook.
To get more specific on Richard Thompson, the album Strict Tempo!, which is acoustic guitar with Dave Mattacks on drums, is very well recorded and seems pretty reasonably priced on Discogs.
Slaw -- Saw John Fahey perform at McCabes in Santa Monica. I might have mentioned this already but he might be my single biggest influence in any of the instruments I play. His performance that evening, though, was simply terrible. Clumsy, disconnected. He seemed singularly unhappy to have to be performing live.
This is where a Qobuz subscription can come in handy. Search and audition before you buy the album. One point from me imo streaming can sound very good but for some reason or another drums always sound better on albums. There is a full ness that digital just can’t replicate.
Just one song, but Emerson, Lake and Palmer's "From The Beginning" is my go-to acoustic guitar song. "The Sage" from their Pictures At An Exhibition Album is excellent, as well.
+1 on Bruce Cockburn. No one has mentioned Jorma Kaukonen! The first Hot Tuna album on RCA is a RtDF. Others…Mississippi John Hurt,Today! on Vanguard, David Bromberg with Norman Blake “The Boggy Road to Milledgeville”. Doc Watson on Vanguard.
Not sure about vinyl, but The Wailin’ Jennys get amazing guitar sound on their records and the vocals are sublime.
Octave Records vinyl has quite a few acoustic guitar selections. Some of the best vinyl in my collection. Outstanding recordings, vinyl mastering and pressings. I use them as my vinyl reference recordings.
Jose Neto…..Mountains and the Sea. If you can find it, it’s worth it. Extremely well recorded. The John Renbourn Sir John a lot of is another good recommendation. The Michael Hedges stuff can be fun, but I’ve found the recordings to be a little bright and overly processed sounding.
Mickey Baker “Blues and Jazz Guitar”. Mostly acoustic and he is joined by Stefan Grossman who produced the lp. Excellent. Acoustic Alchemy for jazz-pop genre but excellent recording and strong melodies. Leo Kottke of course. Jorma. Larry Coryell made a couple lps with Phillip Catherine that are pure acoustic duos. Andy Summers made a couple of stunning acoustics guitar duo CDs , but I have looked high and low for these on vinyl to no avail. Any of the Brazilian masters lps are easily found in used record stores, i.e. Laurindo Almmeida solo or w/ Charlie Byrd. John Abercrombie and Ralph Tower (ECM label). I love acoustic guitar and will follow this thread. Keep em’coming!
Yazoo Records made wonderful compilation albums of those beautiful 78s made by the likes of Charley Patton, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Mississippi John Hurt, Skip James, Bo Carter, Skip James, Blind Willie McTell, Scrapper Blackwell and others.
Their sister label, Blue Goose, is another good source for vinyl in this vein.
Not sure about best vinyl sources but Son House is awesome.
Lightnin’ Hopkins. Leadbelly.
Unfortunately can’t speak to vinyl pressings with any specificity, but nobody beats Django Reinhardt.
Leo Kottke’s an amazing player
Bert Jansch is wonderful
I think Chet Atkins is a god but a lot is he and his gorgeous Gretsch, not acoustic.
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