Jazz Guitarists
Louisville, Jazz Guitar at the Gateway to the South
Jazz Guitar Today’s Joe Barth takes a good look at jazz guitar in Louisville.
Kentucky blue grass, horse racing at Churchill Downs, finely distilled bourbons, or a ride down the Ohio River in the Belle of Louisville riverboat are some of the things that Louisville, Kentucky, is known for. Tasteful musical offerings can also be found in the Gateway to the South, including great jazz guitar.
Louisville has a very rich jazz history. Several jazz greats began their musical careers there and then went on to global notoriety as they moved to New York and elsewhere. Then some of them returned to Louisville because of the livability of the city and the surrounding area.
Great jazz musicians have come from the Louisville area, are modern saxophonist Marshall Allen and saxophonist-educator Jamey Aebersold. Aebersold’s Play-A-Longs have sold in the millions and helped countless budding jazz musicians. Pianist John Medeski was born there but grew up in Florida. Smooth jazzers, keyboardist Brian Culbertson and saxophonist Boney James, call Louisville home, as well as the great trumpeter Harry “Sweets” Edison from the Count Basie Band spent his childhood there. Singer Helen Humes was born and raised there until she moved to Cincinnati. Later, Count Basie asked her to join his band when Billie Holiday left. Most famously, vibraphonist Lionel Hampton was born there but grew up in Alabama.
Louisville’s most famous jazz guitarist is Jimmy Raney. Raney was born in Louisville in 1927 and died there in 1995. He moved to Chicago as a teenager, where his career went to new levels. Soon, he was playing in Woody Herman’s Second Herd with the “Four Brothers” sax section that included Stan Getz. His greatest musical moments were with saxophonist Stan Getz in the 1950s.
Playing at a quiet volume, Jimmy’s tone was cool and attractive, yet there was always an inner heat just below the surface. His effortless unison lines with Getz inspired both musicians to soar to new musical heights. Raney also did well following Tal Farlow in the famous Red Norvo Trio. Unfortunately, alcoholism got the best of him during the later part of his life. In his later years, Raney often performed with his son, guitarist Doug Raney. Jimmy Raney’s notable albums are Complete Recordings 1954-1956, 2 Guitars with Kenny Burrell, and Two Jims and a Zoot with Jim Hall and Zoot Sims.
Mickey Baker was born in Louisville in 1925, and though known mostly as a blues guitarist, his book The Complete Course in Jazz Guitar was a beginning point in jazz playing for a whole generation of jazz guitarists. Inspired by Les Paul and Mary Ford, he formed a pop duo with one of his students (Sylvia Robinson) and had a huge hit record, “Love is Strange,” in the mid-1950s.
Born in Louisville in 1915, for Al Casey, music came easily. Starting on violin, then ukulele, Casey took up guitar at fifteen and met Fats Waller three years later, and his life was changed forever. Living in New York City, Casey made over 200 albums with Fats Waller, occasionally taking short solos.
Ron Davidson is busy in many Louisville venues and is a guitarist in the Robbie Bartlett Band as well as in a duo with his flutist wife, Lynette. Pat Lentz is one of the most popular guitar teachers in town, as well as keeping his chops up by gigging at the local establishments. Andrew Rhinehart is known more for his classical work, but is a guitarist who is comfortable in many styles. Jeff Sherman was a busy player and touched many young guitarists through his teaching. Swing ’39 keeps Hot Club Swing Gypsy Jazz alive in the Louisville area and beyond.
Craig Wagner is one of the predominant guitarists in the Louisville area, performing not only jazz but a wide variety of styles. He is a professor of guitar at the University of Louisville and also teaches at Bellarmine University and Indiana University Southeast. He is a member of the popular local group The Java Men.
Dan Worley also teaches at the University of Louisville and is an extremely busy guitarist around town, which includes his jam band, 4th Street Station.
In addition to playing and teaching, Pat Lentz, builds archtops with the skills he learned from luthier Dale Unger of American Archtop Guitars in Pennsylvania. Having one of the best guitar shops in town, Jimmy Steilberg is also a fine luthier with a focus on solid body electrics.
Performance Venues
Stevie Ray’s Blues Bar, www.stevieraysbluesbar on Main Street, is a place for good jazz, good décor, good drinks, good service, and a great time. Howl at the Moon https://home.howlatthemoon.com/louisville/ on 4thStreet is another great place for good food and music. If you like Kentucky pinball with your jazz, then it’s Zanzabar https://zanzabarlouisville.com/about/ on South Preston Street that is the place. Jimmy Can’t Dance https://www.jimmycantdancebar.com/ in the Hotel Genevieve on Market street, is a place for great jazz and high-end cocktails, as is Hell or High Water https://www.hellorhighwaterbar.com/ on Washington street. Known as one of the most swanky spots in town, you’ll find good food and music at the Whirling Tiger https://www.thewhirlingtiger.com/ on Story Avenue. If a wine bar is more your style, then the Canary Club https://www.canaryclub.us/ on South Shelby Street is for you.
University Jazz Programs
The University of Louisville has a great guitar program with both Craig Wagner and Dan Worley teaching there. The UofL also has Stephen Mattingly teaching classical guitar.
Craig Wagner also teaches at Bellarmine University, which has a fine jazz program. Craig also teaches at Indiana University Southeast.
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