Musical Heroes

[The_Veg]

This one was inspired by the recent pair of music-favourite threads.
I suspect that not only are we all music fans, but that there are a few players among us. So for those who play an instrument, who are your heroes:
1) on the instrument you play, and
2) on another intsrument, and
3)why for each of the first two questions?

If I know y'all like I think I do, I'm expecting to be blown away by your answers.

[Cliffy777]

I like to play (at) the drums. Not very good, but I make a lot of noise.

1. Drummers I admire: Stewart Copeland (formerly of The Police, now he does a lot of screenplay stuff and performs with symphonies as a "percussionist"). Neil Pert - never got to see Rush live, but that fella plays an awfully big kit and manages to use all of them drums. Chester Thompson - has played with lots of folks from Zappa to Genesis to innumerable sessions. Ever hear he and Phil Collins do their drum duet in the Genesis days? Still gives me goose bumps and gets me dancing like a fool. Man, I love to dance to drum solos.

2. Geez - where to start. There are so many musicians I admire. Depends on what day it is. I am actually stumped as to who I should be listing here. (Wow, you got me to shut up!)

Good thread dude.

[knary]

I don't play. :(
But my wife is a violinist. :)
Sadly, a decent violin costs as much or more than a new BMW. :(
But it's more than worth it. :)

[Gnome]

Harmonica,
Bob Dylan
John Denver, (Yea, so what) he was good
bunches more

[GSAnderson]

I recently got my grandfather's 1935 wood-body National Resonator guitar playable again, and am learning to play. The thing sounds so sweet - rich, woody. It's the guitar us grandkids used to abuse when we were up at Grandpa's house. We had no idea how old it was.

http://www.provide.net/~cfh/trojan.jpg

Right now I'm listening to a lot of Son House, Muddy Waters, Bob Dylan and other wooden music.

[trmptrmrk]

I like all these music threads... great to hear people so positive and passionate about music!

I've found that other players mostly influence my tone quality and sense of melody. So here are some players I listen to/study to improve my own playing.

1) trumpet players:
wynton marsalis - full sound and very lyrical
chet baker - lyrical solos
miles davis - lyrical solos
jon faddis - great tone for lead passages (and it's fun to listen to high notes!)
dizzy gillespie - unique tone and major creative influence in american music
jim manley (st louis) - great tone - also gave me the best lessons i've ever had

2) charlie parker - another major creative influence on music
coltrane - still some of the most progressive music ever played
ornette colman - ditto

[basketcase]

or the booger on the coat lapel for this one.

I don't have any musical "heros."

Having worked in a vocational setting for many years in which music was an integral part of the weekly work, I can't stand dealing with musicians and their pouty, self-absorbed attitudes.

My favorite musician joke:

"Have you heard how tempermental musicians are?"

"Yeah! 90 percent temper, and 10 percent mental!"

:stick

hardeharhar ... duckin' and runnin' for cover

[BradfordBenn]

I play Guitar.

My favorite guitarists are The California Guitar Trio (www.cgtrio.com) Go see them on tour, now! Paul rides a BMW. Tell them you know me.

My other favorite is Soundscapes; favorite performers of those ... Fripp and En. No Pussyfooting.

With all these musicians... you would think we could get a jam band going.

Now the requisite joke....

Why are mic checks always, "Check 1, 2, Check 1, 2"?

Cause everyone knows we lift on three.:clap

[jgr451]

Drums.Lots of heroes.But Jimmy Page is the greatest!!

For all rounders(drummers who can sing and arrange and compose) Phil Collins and Don Henley. John Bonham.Gene Krupa.

[The_Veg]

I'm an electric bassist. I claim all the usuals such as John Entwistle, Geddy lee, etc., and a few others. Jack Cassidy (Jefferson Airplane) is on my list, as is Noel Redding (Hendrix). John Paul Jones had certain drive to his playing that just grabs me a certain way. Take Jones and Redding and Cassidy and roll them into one and you'd probably have the playing style I once dreamed of. I give Sting a lot of credit for his use of upright basses in rock music twenty years ago. Stanley Clarke, pure class! Paul McCartney was the pioneer of lively melodic bass lines. Bernard Edwards (Chic and anything else Nile Rogers did) for his HUGE groove!

For other instruments I have to mention drums as I'm a rhythym-section guy. Neil Peart stands helmet and shoulders above the rest. A true percussionist in the rock world, and as cerebral as they get. Stewart Copeland too, even though I haven't heard him strike a skin in about twenty years. Phil Collins/Chester Thompson, especially when they play together.

I have guitar heroes too but there are so many guitarists to choose from so it's nearly pointless. But Dick Dale definitely comes to mind.

And all this is just what I thought of shooting from the hip in an early not-yet-fully-awake state. List may change later!

[beemerron]

Keith Moon, Willie Nelson, Charlie Watt, Stan Getz, Jack Bruce, Phil Manzanerra, James Osterberg, George Clinton, Chrissie Hynde, Lou Reed, Van Morrison, Dr. John, Stephen Grapelli, Jimi, Johnny Thunder, Ray Davies, Lyle Lovette and Art Lyzak.