TOP 10 Best Jazz Guitar Solos That Will Inspire You (+ 10 Licks)

TOP 10 Best Jazz Guitar Solos That Will Inspire You (+ 10 Licks)
Home > Django Reinhardt > Top 10 Best Jazz Guitar Solos ( + 10 Licks)
Top 10 Best Jazz Guitar Solos (

+ 10 Licks)
written by Dirk Laukens
n a recent forum post, we asked our readers to

I name their favorite jazz guitar solo. And, as you
might imagine, we got a varied response to that
tough question. As readers struggled to pick just one
solo that they would rank as their all-time favorite, a
short-list of tracks began to emerge that would end up
becoming the top 10 best jazz guitar solos laid out
http://www.jazzguitar.be/blog/best-jazz-guitar-solos/[11/19/2017 10:21:01 AM]

below.
You may or may not agree with this list, so feel free to read
through and then post your own top 10 list in the comments
below.
As well, besides a video of each of the recordings on this

list, there is a lick transcribed from each solo for you to
check out.
So, without further ado, here they are, the top 10 best jazz
guitar solos as chosen by the readers of JGO.
1. Wes Montgomery – Besame Mucho
The most popular jazz guitar solos, as chosen by our

readers, is Besame Mucho by none other than “The
Thumb” himself, Wes Montgomery.
Taking a fresh look at this tune, by playing it in 6/4 rather

than the traditional 4/4 time, Wes’ solo is energetic,

sophisticated, and full of classic Wes vocabulary.
The transcribed lick contains a favorite structural

approach that Wes often used in his jazz guitar solos.
The first bar contains “melody 1,” a short line that is

played over the Ebm7 and F7b9 chords.
From there, bar two is a slightly altered version of

melody 1, changed to outline the new Bbm7 and
Gm7b5 chord changes.
The lick then goes into a new melody, “melody 2,” as

Wes completes the four-bar phrase.
While this might not be his most famous tune, this solo has
one over the hearts of jazz guitarists around the world.
Check out the list below to see if your favorite Wes solo
made the top 10.
Lick [starts at 2:30 in the video]

Other popular Wes Montgomery solos (in order of

popularity):
Impressions
4 on 6
Round Midnight
Airegin
West Coast Blues
No Blues
Caravan
The Days of Wine and Roses
D Natural Blues
2. Joe Pass – Django

Number 2 on the list of top 10 best jazz guitar solos comes

from Joe Pass.
Joe’s recording of Django appears on his album, “For

Django,” a tribute to the legendary Gypsy jazz guitarist.
This is a fiery solo, full of double-time licks, where Joe is

on top form during his creative and intense improvisation.
In the transcribed line below, you’ll find a number of

idiomatic Passisms that you can study further in your
practice routine.
The first is the Fm9 arpeggio in bar 1, running down

from the third to the third of the underlying chord, Ab
to Ab.
From there, you’ll see Joe using a C augmented

triad over the C7 chord in bar two, another
characteristic Pass sound that is found in many of his
solos.
Lastly, Joe borrows a page from the John Coltrane

playbook as he uses the 1235 interval set to outline
the F7, Bb7, and Eb7 chords.
From there, he resolves the lick in typical Joe

fashion.
Check out the list below to see if any of your favorite Joe
Pass solos made the top 4 as suggested by our readers.

Other popular Joe Pass solos (in order of popularity):
Summertime
Night and Day
Joy Spring
3. Pat Metheny – Bright Size Life

A top 10 best jazz guitar solos list wouldn’t be complete

without including at least one Pat Metheny improvisation.
Pat has long been at the top of the jazz guitar world, and it
all began with his groundbreaking recording, “Bright Size
Life.” His solo on the title track to that album is often
considered one of Metheny’s best-recorded
improvisations. It also helped to have Jaco and Bob
Moses by his side as he navigated these fun to play, and
creative, chord changes.
The lick below is taken from a live recording, and features

a number of characteristic Metheny sounds.
The triplets that start the line are a favorite of Pat’s,

where he runs up a scale using a series of three-note
groupings.
Notice the E-D-E-E pattern in bar three, which is

heard in the original recording of Bright Size Life, and
many of Pat’s other recordings as well.
Metheny may have accomplished an enormous amount

over his career. But, it all stems back to his first recording
as a bandleader, and Bright Size Life is one of the most
memorable solos on that memorable recording.
Check out the list below to see if your favorite Metheny

solo made the top 5 as chosen by jazzguitar.be readers.

Other popular Pat Metheny solos:
Are You Going With Me
Phase Dance
Lonely Woman
James
4. George Benson – Breezin’

George Benson has had one of the longest and most

diverse careers in jazz guitar history.
Getting his start playing hard-driving bebop, pushing Wes’

accomplishments on the instruments to the next level,
Benson then moved into the smooth jazz world as he
expanded his musical horizons. While some disapproved of
his switch in musical focus, as indicated by the fourth most
popular jazz guitar solo on our list, fans the world over have
embraced Benson in all his forms.
The lick in the “Breezin’” example is played in the typical,

energetic Benson style. Full of triplets, 16th notes, and
short rests to break up the phrases; this line encapsulates
the energy that has made Benson a favorite among fans for
over half a century.
Check out the list below to see if your favorite Benson

solo made our readers’ list of top 6 George Benson guitar
solos.

Other popular George Benson solos:
Take 5
This Masquerade
California Dreaming
Stella by Starlight
Seven Come Eleven
5. Charlie Christian – Swing to Bop

Known as the father of modern jazz guitar, it’s no surprise to

find Charlie Christian on a list of top 10 best jazz guitar
solos.
The solo voted to our list by readers, “Swing to Bop,”

showcases the melodic control, harmonic understanding,
vocabulary, and creativity that propelled Christian to the top
of the jazz world early in his career. Though he left this
world at a very young age, Christian helped to shape the
future of jazz, and influence almost every great jazz
guitarist that came after him in one way or another.
The longer, Bebop influenced lick in the example below is

characteristic of Christian’s sophisticated, yet bluesy and
melodic, approach to soloing.
With a number of chromatic notes, scales and arpeggios,

this line reflects the cool, and bebop-based sound that
made Christian the first major figure in modern jazz guitar.
Check out the list below to see if your favorite Christian

solo made our reader’s top 4 list of solos.

Other popular Charlie Christian solos:
Stardust
Flying Home
Rose Room
6. Pat Martino – Just Friends

Pat Martino stormed onto the jazz guitar scene at a very

young age. Before many other players could drive a car, or
even grow facial hair, Martino was already making a name
for himself as a top-level jazz guitarist.
Though he’s recorded many memorable solos, Just

Friends remains as a fan favorite, and is considered
essential transcribing by jazz guitar educators the world
over.
The lick below showcases a number of characteristic Pat

Martino soloing concepts.
First, is the opening bar, which starts on a high A for

a quarter note, then runs down the underlying scale
from there, a line heard commonly in this era of
Martino’s recordings.
In the C7 bar, you’ll notice the Bebop scale being

used, C-B-Bb-A, to create a bit of tension and release
over that chord.
In the A7 measure, there’s an A7 arpeggio starting

from the 3rd of that chord, C#, which is an arpeggio
approach Martino loves to use in his solos.
Lastly, the use of D melodic minor over Dm7 is

showcases Martino’s understanding and usage of

classic Bebop vocabulary.
Check out the list below to see if your favorite solo made
our reader’s list of top 5 Pat Martino improvisations.
Other popular Pat Martino solos:
Sunny
Impressions
How Insensitive
Footprints
7. Jim Hall – You’d Be So Nice to Come Home to

A member of the cool jazz scene, Jim Hall made his name
in the jazz world by eschewing speed and chops for a
melodic approach to soloing. Though he did posses the
chops to play double-time licks, and at fast tempos, Hall
preferred to leave space, work melodies, and experiment
with textures and colors in his solos.
It’s no surprise to see Jim’s solo on “You’d Be So Nice to

Come Home To” on this list of top 10 best jazz guitar solos.
The performance is one of Hall’s best on record, featuring
his strong rhythmic and melodic approach to improvisation
throughout the tune.
The lick below reflects Hall’s melodic approach, as he

develops melodies across the phrase, leaving space and
letting each note breathe as he plays over the changes.
Check out the list below to see if your favorite Jim Hall solo
made our reader’s list of top 7 solos.

Other popular Jim Hall solos:
I’ve Got You Under My Skin
Concierto de Aranjuez
Body and Soul
My Funny Valentine
Autumn Leaves

Blue Bossa
8. Django Reinhardt – I’ll See You in my Dreams
Consistently voted as one of the best jazz guitarists of all

times, Django Reinhardt’s name has long been
synonymous with Gypsy Jazz guitar.
Ranked as the 8th best jazz guitar solo of all time by our
readers, “I’ll See You In My Dreams” is a classic Django
improvisation.
The solo builds in intensity, contains a strong rhythmic

feel, and brings out Django’s penchant for developing
melodic phrases over the course of his solos.
In the lick below, you’ll see just such a melodic line.
Here, the line is built off of a single phrase, which is

played in the first two bars as a statement, or call,

and then the response is played in the second two

bars.
After the call, the line is resolved and then Django

moves on to other ideas in his solo.
It’s this level of organization and melodic control that have

kept Django’s name near the top of the list of greatest jazz
guitarists for decades since his passing.
Check out the list below to see if your favorite Django solo
made our reader’s list of top 5 improvisations.
Other popular Django Reinhardt solos:
Nuages
All of Me

Minor Swing
Honeysuckle Rose
9. Kenny Burrell – My Favorite Things
While it’s not surprising to see Kenny Burrell on a list of the

top 10 best jazz guitar solos, what might be surprising, is
the solo chosen…
With a long and successful career, Burrell has released a

number of memorable records over the years, including his
most famous album, Midnight Blue. But, the solo voted by
readers as his best, and number 9 on the list, doesn’t come
from that record, instead its Burrell’s take on the classic jazz
tune “My Favorite Things.”
Playing in 4/4 time, as opposed to the traditional jazz waltz

feel, Burrell brings his characteristic bluesy feel to this often-
played jazz standard.

The example line is built with a favorite rhythmic and

melodic motive of Burrell’s, one that you can hear in his
other recorded solos. As well, Burrell’s control and love for
the blues is showcased in this Em7 phrase.
Other popular Kenny Burrell solos:
The Midnight Special
God Bless the Child
10. Grant Green – Blues for Willarene

Though many know Grant Green as a jazz funk pioneer,

his early career was firmly based in the Blue Note, hard bop
sound.
His unique tone, strong sense of rhythm, and control of

bebop vocabulary helped propel Green to the top of the
jazz world in the 1960s.
Known for his strong blues playing, it’s no surprise to find

“Blues for Willarene” on this list of top 10 best jazz guitar
solos.
As you’ll see and hear in the lick below, Grant was a master
of jazz blues soloing, with an endless supply of licks
under his fingers to draw from in his improvisations. Grant
didn’t just recite lines, he made them his own, and brought
his personality into everything he played.

Other Popular Grant Green solos:
My Favorite Things
I Wish You Love
‘Round Midnight
What are your favorite jazz guitar solos? Let us know in

the comments below…

TOP 10 Best Jazz Guitar Solos That Will Inspire You (+ 10 Licks)

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TOP 10 Best Jazz Guitar Solos That Will Inspire You (+ 10 Licks)

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TOP 10 Best Jazz Guitar Solos That Will Inspire You (+ 10 Licks)

Top 10 Best Jazz Guitar Solos (

n a recent forum post, we asked our readers to

http://www.jazzguitar.be/blog/best-jazz-guitar-solos/[11/19/2017 10:21:01 AM]

As well, besides a video of each of the recordings on this

1. Wes Montgomery – Besame Mucho

The most popular jazz guitar solos, as chosen by our

Taking a fresh look at this tune, by playing it in 6/4 rather

http://www.jazzguitar.be/blog/best-jazz-guitar-solos/[11/19/2017 10:21:01 AM]

than the traditional 4/4 time, Wes’ solo is energetic,

The transcribed lick contains a favorite structural

The first bar contains “melody 1,” a short line that is

From there, bar two is a slightly altered version of

The lick then goes into a new melody, “melody 2,” as

Lick [starts at 2:30 in the video]

http://www.jazzguitar.be/blog/best-jazz-guitar-solos/[11/19/2017 10:21:01 AM]

Other popular Wes Montgomery solos (in order of

West Coast Blues

The Days of Wine and Roses

2. Joe Pass – Django

http://www.jazzguitar.be/blog/best-jazz-guitar-solos/[11/19/2017 10:21:01 AM]

Number 2 on the list of top 10 best jazz guitar solos comes

Joe’s recording of Django appears on his album, “For

This is a fiery solo, full of double-time licks, where Joe is

In the transcribed line below, you’ll find a number of

The first is the Fm9 arpeggio in bar 1, running down

From there, you’ll see Joe using a C augmented

Lastly, Joe borrows a page from the John Coltrane

From there, he resolves the lick in typical Joe

Lick [starts at 0:50 in the video]

http://www.jazzguitar.be/blog/best-jazz-guitar-solos/[11/19/2017 10:21:01 AM]

Other popular Joe Pass solos (in order of popularity):

Night and Day

3. Pat Metheny – Bright Size Life

http://www.jazzguitar.be/blog/best-jazz-guitar-solos/[11/19/2017 10:21:01 AM]

A top 10 best jazz guitar solos list wouldn’t be complete

The lick below is taken from a live recording, and features

The triplets that start the line are a favorite of Pat’s,

Notice the E-D-E-E pattern in bar three, which is

Metheny may have accomplished an enormous amount

Check out the list below to see if your favorite Metheny

Lick [starts at 1:25 in the video]

http://www.jazzguitar.be/blog/best-jazz-guitar-solos/[11/19/2017 10:21:01 AM]

Other popular Pat Metheny solos:

Are You Going With Me

4. George Benson – Breezin’

http://www.jazzguitar.be/blog/best-jazz-guitar-solos/[11/19/2017 10:21:01 AM]

George Benson has had one of the longest and most

Getting his start playing hard-driving bebop, pushing Wes’

The lick in the “Breezin’” example is played in the typical,

Check out the list below to see if your favorite Benson

Lick [starts at 4:01 in the video]

http://www.jazzguitar.be/blog/best-jazz-guitar-solos/[11/19/2017 10:21:01 AM]

Other popular George Benson solos:

Seven Come Eleven

5. Charlie Christian – Swing to Bop

http://www.jazzguitar.be/blog/best-jazz-guitar-solos/[11/19/2017 10:21:01 AM]

Known as the father of modern jazz guitar, it’s no surprise to

The solo voted to our list by readers, “Swing to Bop,”

The longer, Bebop influenced lick in the example below is

With a number of chromatic notes, scales and arpeggios,

Check out the list below to see if your favorite Christian

Lick [starts at 1:27 in the video]

http://www.jazzguitar.be/blog/best-jazz-guitar-solos/[11/19/2017 10:21:01 AM]