Stevie Ray Vaughn  

Stevie Ray Vaughn is the best blues guitarist of all time. Stevie's sound and playing style, which often incorporated simultaneous lead and rhythm parts, drew frequent comparisons to Jimi Hendrix, who along with Albert King were his main influences. Stevie mastered an eclectic and fiery style that sounded like no other guitarist, regardless of genre. He bridged the gap between blues and rock guitar like no other musician and for many years was one of the leading artist in the revival of the blues. SRV tragically died in 1990 in a helicopter crash after a blues music festival performance.

Strunz and Farah   

Strunz & Farah are an acoustic guitar duo that pioneered a new expression for the acoustic guitar by playing compositions with a mix of flamenco, afro-latin, latin folk, middle eastern and jazz forms. Jorge Strunz, born in Costa Rica, and Ardeshir Farah, hailing from Iran create music that combine their native musical roots with incredible virtuosity and technical mastery. The album Primal Magic is the best instrumental acoustic guitar album ever recorded.

Queen  

One of rock's most successful, influential and popular acts, the band has released a total of eighteen number one albums, eighteen number one singles, and ten number one DVDs worldwide making them one of the world's best-selling music artists. Their total album sales have been estimated at over 300 million worldwide. The band is also the only group in which every member has composed more than one chart-topping single. The band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Brian May and is noted for their musical diversity, multi-layered arrangements, vocal harmonies and live performances. Their 1985 Live Aid performance was voted the best live rock performance of all time in an industry poll. As of 2005, according to The Guinness Book of World Records, Queen albums have spent a total of 1,322 weeks or twenty-seven years on the United Kingdom album charts; more time than any other musical act including The Beatles and Elvis Presley.

Jack Johnson  

Jack Johnson is a Hawaiian-born musician and surfer. Jack was originally pursuing to become a professional surfer and at age 17 became the youngest competitor to ever reach the finals of the pipeline Masters competition on Oahu, Hawaii. During the competition, Jack had an accident in which his front teeth were knocked out and he received more than 150 stitches. Although that is when most people believe he changed from a surfer to an artist, in a recent Rolling Stone cover story (March 6, 2008), he stated that it actually happened a week before the finals at the trials competition. Jack realized that the competitiveness was too much for him, "guys were ready to kill each other to catch the next wave". He stated about the accident, "I like to joke that I hit my head so hard that that's why I'm so mellow". The accident allowed time for Jack to start on his new passions, writing songs and playing guitar. The album In Between Dreams is a great example of his 'mellow' acoustic music.

Juanes 

Juanes was born in Medellín, Colombia (where I was born) and is one of the best-selling and most successful of Colombian musicians. Juanes has sold more than ten million albums and won twelve Latin Grammys. At age seven, Juanes learned to play the acoustic guitar from his father and older brothers, playing traditional Latin styles such as Bolero, Tango, Cumbia, Vallenato, and Guasca, later Juanes started playing more rock influenced music with the band Ekhymosis but disbanded the group in 1998 to pursue a solo career. Since becoming a solo artist, Juanes has been one of the most innovative and popular latin artists. He is also well known for his humanitarian work, especially with aid for Colombian victims of anti-personnel mines. His songs "Nada Valgo Sin Tu Amor" and "A Dios le pido" are two of my favorite latin songs and beautifully characterize what love is about.

Sonny Stitt

One of the all-time great alto saxophonists, Stitt is my favorite sax player. He is considered the greatest disciple of Charlie Parker and was unfairly regarded as a clone of Parker's, as if anyone could escape from the great Bird's musical shadow, especially on the same instrument at that time. He was nicknamed the "Lone Wolf" by jazz critic Dan Morgenstern in tribute to his relentless touring and his devotion to jazz. His playing was at first heavily inspired by Charlie Parker and Lester Young, Stitt eventually developed his own style, one which influenced John Coltrane, one of the giants of the jazz world.

Cannonball Adderley

Cannonball Adderley had an exuberant and happy sound that communicated immediately to listeners. His intelligent presentation of his music helped make him one of the most popular of all jazzmen. A masterful, confident improviser, Adderley often played in a blues- and gospel-oriented style with a masterfully stupendous tone.

John Coltrane

John Coltrane had an almost religious commitment to jazz and although it's hard to find followers who actually play in his style, he is influential by example, inspiring musicians to experiment, take chances, and devote themselves to their craft. John is known for his huge dark tone with clear definition and body and was known for his split-note multi-phonics. One example of his virtuosic playing is on the "Giant Steps" album. Giant Steps is generally considered to have the most complex and difficult chord progressiona on sax.

Dizzy Gillespie

Dizzy was a trumpet virtuoso and gifted improviser who was at his peak in the 1950s jazz scene. He is one of the greatest jazz trumpeters of all time and by far my favorite along with Miles Davis. Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz. Gillespie's compositions like "Groovin' High", "Woody n' You", "Salt Peanuts", and "A Night in Tunisia" sounded radically different, harmonically and rhythmically than the Swing music popular at the time. In addition to his instrumental skills, Dizzy's beret and horn-rimmed spectacles, his scat singing, his bent horn, pouched cheeks and his light-hearted personality were essential in popularizing the bebop jazz movement. Dizzy was an enthusiastic teacher who wrote down his musical innovations and was eager to explain them to the next generation, thereby insuring that bebop would eventually become the foundation of jazz.

Miles Davis  

When it comes to the trumpet, Dizzy and Miles are the best there is. The sweetness of tone of Miles Davis' trumpet is just angelic. He is synonymous with jazz and he was at the forefront of almost every major development in the form. He played on various early bebop records and recorded one of the first cool jazz records; he was partially responsible for the development of hard bop and modal jazz, and both jazz-funk and jazz fusion arose from his work with other musicians in the late 1960s and early 1970s; and his final album blended jazz and rap. Many leading jazz musicians made their names in Davis's groups, including pianist Herbie Hancock, saxophonist John Coltrane, saxophonist Kenny Garrett, and guitarist John McLaughlin. My favorite Jazz album of all time, "Somethin' Else" with Cannonball Adderley, is a great example of his work.

Hank Jones   

Hank is a true master on piano, definitely my favorite Pianist of all time. I discovered Hank's playing on Cannonball Adderley's album 'Somethin' Else'. The album features the best talent in Jazz ever assembled, Miles Davis (Trumpet), Cannonball Adderley (Sax), Hank Jones (Piano), Sam Jones (Bass) and Art Blakey (Drums). This truly MVP lineup of musicians shines from start to finish but the stand out for me is Hank. His playing on the album has a smooth and bluesy feeling that is just amazing, providing the perfect counterpoint to Miles and Cannonball. After listening to more of Hank on other albums both as a leader and as a sideman, you get the sense of what a great talent he is. His piano playing is cerebral, elegant and warm with solos that build a sense of tension that are a pleasure to listen to. Check out his many albums with The Great Jazz Trio, All highly recommended recordings by a true Jazz Giant!

Oscar Peterson  

Oscar Peterson is a pianist of phenomenal technique and is considered one of the best players to ever play piano. He plays the piano with incredible speed and flair but with a very personable feel. What I love about Oscar's playing is that as flashy as he is, he never sounds mechanical like so many talented musicians that play to show off. Some great examples of his work include 'Oscar Peterson Plays the Cole Porter Songbook', truly a masterful interpretation of this great American work, and 'Night Train'.

Antonio Vivaldi  

Vivaldi is by far my favorite composer, I have all of his published works and I consider his compositions essential listening for anyone who enjoys music. Nicknamed il Prete Rosso ("The Red Priest"), Vivaldi was a Baroque music composer, a Venetian priest and a famous violin virtuoso. The Four Seasons, a series of four violin concertos, is his best known work. Vivaldi's compositions reflect a flamboyant and playful exuberance and brilliant use of polyphony and counterpoint. Johann Sebastian Bach, my second favorite composer, was deeply influenced by Vivaldi. Bach transcribed a number of Vivaldi's concertos for solo keyboard, along with a number for orchestra, including the famous Concerto for Four Violins and Violoncello, Strings and Continuo.

Pina Carmirelli

I Musici is the finest chamber orchestra in the world and the authoritative string orchestra for Vivaldi music, especially with Pina Carmirelli as soloist. The group has long attracted international attention for their emphasis on brilliance, strength of attack, and high level of discipline. Founded in March, 1952 from students of the famous Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome, The ensemble plays in the true tradition of the élite music of the Italian Baroque. The group has been lead over the years by Felix Ayo, Roberto Michelucci (1968-1972), Salvatore Accardo (1972-1977), Pina Carmirelli (1977-1986), who I consider the all time best violinist, and Federico Agostini.