Jazz/blues guitarist suggestions for SRV fan.


I am about to wear out my Stevie Ray Vaughan CDs. I have been looking for a similar sound for a while and keep coming up short. What I am looking for is the instrumental jazz/blues sound, like in Riviera Paradise which is one of my all time favorite songs. I've tried Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, Eric Wallo, Clapton even Ry Cooder...all good but they don't keep me coming back. Keb Mo is not too bad, he just does not do the instrumentals like Stevie.

Any suggestions for mostly instrumental jazz/blues guitarist?
dlwask
Buddy Guy.

NPR had a review of the Delmark album "Hoodoo Man" (Junior Wells with Buddy Guy on guitar) that reminded me how much I love that album (I have it on vinyl somewhere). It's been reissued recently. These two also have a great "live at Montreux" album as well, one of my favorites, which I unfortunately only own on tape.

Anyway, with blues, it's worth going back in time a bit. Buddy Guy really is one of the great guitarists of all time (I saw him in small clubs a few times before his recent stardom, he is mind-blowingly in control of his instrument, not mention the crowd). His recent albums are good (certainly check them out), but I prefer some of the older stuff, though it's not as consistent.
First off, everyone that "sounds like SRV" to me personally sounds like a rip-off. Anyone who really loves SRV, and who was brought to the altar of the blues guitar by him (as I was in my early teen years) will have to realize that the master is gone and he will never be replaced.

Kenny Wayne Shepard is good, but he needs to grow up a bit and develop his own style.

Try the new Ronnie Earl- i feel like goin' on-- he's dealing with his manic depression, and this sounds better to me than his last 4 albums--

Glad to see a plug for "little" Charlie Baty of Little Charlie and the Nightcats-- Captured live has some amazing work on it. Highly, highly recommended- there's also a "deluxe Edition" best of Lil' Charlie out there that I never leave home without. Baty is, IMHO, in the top 5 living blues guitarists.

Overall I'm amazed how many of my own favorites were already plugged by you guys-- good suggestions all.

Tab Benoit is great, too- especially his recent album with Jimmy Thackery, and Benoit's last solo album Wetlands. If any of y'all find a copy of "strike a deep chord: Blues guitars for the homeless" BUY IT. Benoit does a smokin' version of "nice and warm" and it's followed by a great instrumental piece that was recorded in a big echo-y room with a killer tube guitar amp -- a real hoot on a system that stages. The whole (compilation) album is great-

My other recommendations that may not necessarily sound like SRV, but are great for blues fans in general that like him in my experience:

Kid Ramos, Son Seals, BB King (of course), Junior Watson, Kenny Burrel, Otis Rush

Keep the suggestions coming, guys
There are a lot of great players mentioned here but the only ones that sound like SRV are Duarte and Kenny Wyane Sheppard. There is a Native American blues band Indiginous that nails the SRV thing. Albert King is the source of most of SRV's licks without the volume. THe live disk of the two of them togeather is way cool. Old Master, young lion jamming and BSing. They both know their place but they both seem to have a feeling who is going to rule the pack eventually. Room Full of Blues, Under one Roof has some killer guitar playing where swing mixes with the texas thing backed by a killer horn band.