Bands That I Like

 153 Jimi Hendrix Jimi Hendrix Jimi Hendrix is the quintessential rock guitarists, as much as Bob Dylan is the quintessential singer/songwriter and the Beatles are the ultimate rock band. As only classical or jazz players had done before him, Hendrix RE-defined his music's instrument: Expanding the possibilities of the amplified six-string, he confirmed beyond question its status as rock's essential vehicle What Yo-Yo Ma is to the cello or Charlie Parker was to the saxophone, so was Jimi Hendrix to the electric guitar. A psychic successor to Elvis Presley, Hendrix also embodied the politics of rock & roll as a black-white fusion- the twin pillars of his music were the earthiness of the blues and the ethereality of jazz, but his primary contemporary audience was rock fans and the psychedelic subgenre that provided the context for his particular triumph was a white one. Finally, through lyrics heavily influence by Bob Dylan, he delivered a message of universal emancipation. ...

 151 Jeff Beck Jeff Beck Let's just start off with this: " Freeway Jam (Live) ." If you need anymore convincing why Jeff Beck made the list of "Bands That I Like," then you will forever be clueless. I first became aware of this legendary guitarist with his April 2010 release Emotion & Commotion . I was immediately blown away by the first note and continued to be blown away- Blow By Blow - by the entire album; I had never heard the guitar sound so orchestral, eerie, emotional & eternal. The saying, "better late than never," surely applies to me here:  In typical millennial fashion- I had heard of the artist Beck before this legendary guitarist (ranked No. 5 of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time by Rolling Stone). After being converted with Emotion & Commotion, I quickly did a deep dive into his catalogue- and I do mean DEEP. This a man who has been recording since 1968 with his legendary Jeff Beck Group , which introduced the world to...