I was in the bookstore recently and picked up this new book by Mitch Albom called The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto. It's a book of fiction about the greatest guitar player who ever lived. That got me thinking: Who is the greatest guitar player that ever lived? What makes this person so great? Does it have to do with how good they can play, their accolades and accomplishments, or their personal history -- or is it a combination of all of the above?
As someone who has interviewed a lot of guitar players, I also spend quite a bit of time reading about them. If you are thinking about buying the guitar player on your holiday wish list a book this year, you might consider one of these titles.
(Please note: These are not all New Releases. . . .just some that I've either read or have researched . . . in no particular order.)
1.) Joe Perry: ROCKS by David Ritz
2.) Buddy Guy: When I Left Home by David Ritz
3.) Hendrix: Setting the Record Straight by John McDermott
4.) Joe Satriani: Strange Beautiful Music by Jake Brown
7.) Carlos Santana: The Universal Tone by Ashley Kahn
8.) Keith Richards: LIFE by James Fox
11.) Ace Frehley: No Regrets by Joe Layden and John Ostrosky
13.) Zakk Wylde: Bringing Metal to the Children: The Complete Berzerker's Guide to World Tour Domination by Eric Hendrikx
14.) B.B. King: Blues All Around Me by David Ritz
15.) Django Reinhardt: The Life and Music of a Gypsy Legend by Michael Dregni
16.) Stevie Ray Vaughan: Caught in the Crossfire by Joe Nick Patoski and Bill Crawford
You can read Jason Landry's interviews with guitar players in his segment titled From Behind the Six String here on The Huffington Post.