One of the most origional and best musicians I can think of. I'd say he was the best guitarist full stop, not just technically but also managing to get emotion through his guitar. Possibly why people say "the guitar was an extension of his soul".

If I could think of one song to best descibe all of the qualities he had, it would be 'Machine Gun' (recorded live at fillmore east 01/01/70). But he also did the 3 minute pop song extremely well like Purple Haze and Hey Joe which most people are familiar with. But if you dig deeper you find a versatile artist who can play rock, blues, jazz and his own personal brand which he invented that nobody else can really master.

It's a shame he died when he did, his best music was probably ahead of him :(

But the music he left us will eventually fade away as everything does to let new musicians into the scene and younger players to get noticed. I think that this man, Andrés Segovia (1893-1987) is considered to be the father of the modern classical guitar movement by most modern scholars. Many feel, that without his efforts, the classical guitar would still be considered a lowly bar instrument, played only by peasantsm should really be remembered for allowing the guitar to be used by anyone.

If Hendrix had lived, he'd likely already be a 'no-name'. He was being booed off the stage at his latest performances. Why? Because the audience wanted nothing but Purple Haze and burning guitars and all the other gimmicks that they read and heard about. Jimi was moving into jazz and his newer stuff would have sent the hippies home in body bags from puking so ferociously.

I'm not saying that his new stuff would actually be bad. But that it wouldn't be accepted by the morons who called themselves 'fans'.

By dying, Jimi Hendrix was frozen into a pantomime of himself. Never growing, never shrinking. Always the same. Jimi Hendrix. Tool of the masses.

Fucking hippies...

All Along the Watchtower and Voodoo Chile were one of his best. No matter what.

If Hendrix had lived, he'd likely already be a 'no-name'. He was being booed off the stage at his latest performances. Why? Because the audience wanted nothing but Purple Haze and burning guitars and all the other gimmicks that they read and heard about. Jimi was moving into jazz and his newer stuff would have sent the hippies home in body bags from puking so ferociously.

I'm not saying that his new stuff would actually be bad. But that it wouldn't be accepted by the morons who called themselves 'fans'.

By dying, Jimi Hendrix was frozen into a pantomime of himself. Never growing, never shrinking. Always the same. Jimi Hendrix. Tool of the masses.

Fucking hippies...
Yeah, fuck you. Hendrix was a god. If he was still around, he would be held in high esteem.

If Hendrix had lived, he'd likely already be a 'no-name'. He was being booed off the stage at his latest performances. Why? Because the audience wanted nothing but Purple Haze and burning guitars and all the other gimmicks that they read and heard about. Jimi was moving into jazz and his newer stuff would have sent the hippies home in body bags from puking so ferociously.

I'm not saying that his new stuff would actually be bad. But that it wouldn't be accepted by the morons who called themselves 'fans'.

By dying, Jimi Hendrix was frozen into a pantomime of himself. Never growing, never shrinking. Always the same. Jimi Hendrix. Tool of the masses.

Fucking hippies...

True. But the masses had at least a dozen favourites to shout out at hendrix while he was on stage. Many bands always suffer from getting the one song shouted out.

If he were still alive today, I like to think that despite this, he would've made many more albums loved by many, even if there were no longer hits like purple haze and foxey lady etc.

I was in particular fond of the 'band of gypsies'. Even though hendrix and buddy clashed a little, I preffered the tightness and groviness of this band rather than the more free flowing jazz of mitch mitchel and co, even though I still loved the Hendrix, Mitch and Billy Cox.

Spidergoat,

Yeah, fuck you. Hendrix was a god. If he was still around, he would be held in high esteem.

No. Fuck you.
I also like Hendrix. But I have enough respect for the man to realize that he was stifled by his fans. He was a consumate musician. He wanted to create. To advance. He was moving into new directions. He was moving into the free form of jazz.

His fans spit on him.
They fucking spit on him.
Because he didn't want to keep playing the same old shit. Day after day.
But not only that. He would play his old tunes. But he also wanted to play his newer music. The music that was more musically in tune. More musically complicated. More musically aware.

But his fans, the dirty, stinking hippies, spit on him.
They fucking booed him. Because he wouldn't be their plastic fucking idol.

I take it you're a hippie?
I fucking hate hippies.


KennyJC,

If he were still alive today, I like to think that despite this, he would've made many more albums loved by many, even if there were no longer hits like purple haze and foxey lady etc.

Yeah. I'll say that perhaps I carry it too far in saying that he would be a 'no-name', but the point stands. He would have moved on and his fans wouldn't like it. He was already trying to move and they fucking hated it.

Sure. I'm sure he'd make an album for himself and for his fellow musicians. The jazzy albums. And then he'd go back and rehash some old songs he could fart out in his sleep and maybe make another pop tune or two for all his 'fans'. You know. To make money. And then he'd go back to doing what he loved best which was making music. Not being an automaton. "Hey, Jimi. Light your guitar on fire again! Woo-hoo!! Yeah! Fuck Yeah!! Pass that joint, my man, and whatever you do, don't take a shower... Woo-hoo!!!" (Ok. My hatred for hippies is showing through. But, what they did to Jimi (and other artists) is exactly why I hate them so very, very badly.)

And. When he got old and crusty, he'd team up with Roy Orbison and Tom Petty and Bob Dylan and join the old farts brigade. They'd tour and play all their 'greatest hits', man. Yeah. It was like Woodstock. Yeah... (Ok. I'm doing it again.)

The fact is that musicians often move on to bigger and better things musically, but their fans don't care about the music. They just want the same thing that they've always had. Prepackaged and delivered on time and with a nice flourish at the end to prove to them that it was something special.

Jimi was rich enough to do what he wanted, he was not controlled by a few rude fans. And I don't care what you say about hippies, they are all sorts, smart, stupid, rude, kind, etc...

The hippies don't hold the patent on stifling the growth of their favorite artists. David Bowie's career never recovered from the pupation out of his "Ziggy Stardust" persona. The people who called Celine Dion "the next Edith Piaf" are bereft since she learned the English language and its generic pop tunes. Joan Osborne sank into obscurity when she turned her back on the muse who inspired her to write "Saint Teresa" and "One of Us" in order to pursue her love of the blues. Sheryl Crow wants to be a redneck woman like Gretchen Wilson; her fans want more songs like "Every Day Is a Winding Road."

I'm a member of each of those fan bases so I know what I'm talking about. I'm not sure what I would have thought of Jimi Hendrix's evolution if he'd lived. But Buddy Holly lived just long enough to write "True Love's Ways," and I thought it absolutely sucked. I hardly miss him because he changed into someone I didn't recognize or like. Ditto for Janis Joplin. "I Need a Man to Love" and "Piece of My Heart" were masterpieces, but her solo work was homogenized pap.

I can imagine Jimi being just one more Eric Johnson. Gives me the shivers.

His fans spit on him.
They fucking spit on him.
Because he didn't want to keep playing the same old shit. Day after day.
But not only that. He would play his old tunes. But he also wanted to play his newer music. The music that was more musically in tune. More musically complicated. More musically aware.

But his fans, the dirty, stinking hippies, spit on him.
They fucking booed him. Because he wouldn't be their plastic fucking idol.

I take it you're a hippie?
I fucking hate hippies."


I saw him 3 times and not once during his performance did anyone "spit" on him. Can you show us where you found this information from, I'm sure we would all like to see your sources that show this being done to him.He didn't play Purple Haze at the last concert I saw him at which was Woodstock.The people there were treated to many other fine works by him including his rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.

He was an ace blues player and one of the best Curtis Mayfield styed ballad guitarist.

"Angel", "Wait Until Tommorrow", "Castles Made of Sand", "The Wind Cry's Mary", "Burning of the Midnight Lamp", "Remember", "Electric Ladyland" on and on..

I don't like his "Purple Haze/ Foxely Lady" hard rock/Funk style songwriting..but I thought it was great when I first listened as a guitar playing teenager.

I saw him 3 times and not once during his performance did anyone "spit" on him. Can you show us where you found this information from, I'm sure we would all like to see your sources that show this being done to him.He didn't play Purple Haze at the last concert I saw him at which was Woodstock.The people there were treated to many other fine works by him including his rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.

Well firstly, I am extremely jealous. Which 3 concerts did you see him? Sadly, I was born 11 years after his death so I can only reflect on bootlegs videos and albums.

If you seen him at Woodstock then he did in fact play Purple Haze, after his famous rendition of the star spangled banner. Unless he did more than one woodstock but I'm only aware of him doing one.

Andrés Segovia (1893-1987) is considered to be the father of the modern classical guitar movement by most modern scholars. Many feel, that without his efforts, the classical guitar would still be considered a lowly bar instrument, played only by peasantsm should really be remembered for allowing the guitar to be used by anyone.

Segovia rocks. Structured improvisation is more difficult and more rewarding than "free" improvisation.

I'm not impressed by Hendrix, or really any other modern players except Robert Fripp.

Well firstly, I am extremely jealous. Which 3 concerts did you see him? Sadly, I was born 11 years after his death so I can only reflect on bootlegs videos and albums.

If you seen him at Woodstock then he did in fact play Purple Haze, after his famous rendition of the star spangled banner. Unless he did more than one woodstock but I'm only aware of him doing one.


I really didn't remember him playing Purple Haze at Woodstock. I saw him at the Fillmore West and Cow Palace in San Francisco.

I really didn't remember him playing Purple Haze at Woodstock. I saw him at the Fillmore West and Cow Palace in San Francisco.
I Hate You........ :mad:

I Hate You........ :mad:


Just to let you know The Jefferson Airplane and Buddy Miles were on the same bill one night and Santana, PG&E were with him on the bill the second time. The cost was 3.00 to see all three groups! :p

Of Course Wooodstock was FREE! :p

One of the most origional and best musicians I can think of. I'd say he was the best guitarist full stop, not just technically but also managing to get emotion through his guitar. Possibly why people say "the guitar was an extension of his soul".
It's a shame he died when he did, his best music was probably ahead of him :-(Jimi X, had several important roles; first & foremost he liberated the electric guitar into a true voice for musicians, as an instrument that could talk; secondy, he was a first in many things, that man experimented with more than drugs, I'm sure he singlehandedly invented many forms of rock guitar that influenced those that followed, like country rock, heavy metal, to name a few. thirdly, he was a showman, a true artist, (burn guitars on stage?) & fourthly, he just happened to live at the right time, when rock was new, fresh, evolving, there can only be one Columbus, sure the Vikings beat him to it, but they never made an impact like what followed 1492. Same thing for Jimi, look what people are counted among his era (Clapton, Santana, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, to name a few), yet he was the Einstein, the Mozart, the da Vinci among them

Invert,
I think you are right when you say that his old 'fans' where not being receptive to his newfound musical 'tastes', which were not simply driven by his personal wants but also by an asserted effort by Jimi himself to reach his Black fans. In any case, the great musicians do evolve, they discover and invent new musical horizons, and in their greatness, reach or acquire new fans.

I don't think you can accurately suggest that Hendrix would have become an unknown, considering that he was never really that accepted in the USA to begin with. Some of the music he was making before he died-- Machine Gun, Message to Love, etc and his last last studio album with the Experience-- Electric Ladyland, are amongst his amongst acclaimed and most popular to date. In his time, Hendrix was not as popular as Cream, the Doors, etc and he probably never would have achieved the fame he has today, but I do believe that his music would have been critically acclaimed and he would have a highly loyal fanbase. I also think that upon his death, his music would have been discovered by newer generations-- insofar as 'rock and roll' was

I'd be highly interested in the logic behind the original post that allows for the poster to reach the conclusion that Jimi's music will be forgotten over time, for I do not see it. I think when it's all said and done, the history/memory of rock and roll will always include Hendrix amongst the Beatles, Elvis(unfortunately), Dylan and a few others.

jimmy hendriks is a ra lperson? i tohguth he was made up for a ICP song " we headen up to the show we gonna see jimmy hendix selina and easy E"
btw who are selina and easy E?

Invert,
I think you are right when you say that his old 'fans' where not being receptive to his newfound musical 'tastes', which were not simply driven by his personal wants but also by an asserted effort by Jimi himself to reach his Black fans. In any case, the great musicians do evolve, they discover and invent new musical horizons, and in their greatness, reach or acquire new fans.

I don't think you can accurately suggest that Hendrix would have become an unknown, considering that he was never really that accepted in the USA to begin with. Some of the music he was making before he died-- Machine Gun, Message to Love, etc and his last last studio album with the Experience-- Electric Ladyland, are amongst his amongst acclaimed and most popular to date. In his time, Hendrix was not as popular as Cream, the Doors, etc and he probably never would have achieved the fame he has today, but I do believe that his music would have been critically acclaimed and he would have a highly loyal fanbase. I also think that upon his death, his music would have been discovered by newer generations-- insofar as 'rock and roll' was

I'd be highly interested in the logic behind the original post that allows for the poster to reach the conclusion that Jimi's music will be forgotten over time, for I do not see it. I think when it's all said and done, the history/memory of rock and roll will always include Hendrix amongst the Beatles, Elvis(unfortunately), Dylan and a few others.


Do you listen to Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman or Skitch Henderson? Well at one time they were very popular and well liked by millions of people around the world but alas we don't hear anything from them at all today. That's why Jimmies music too will just fade away with time as does most popular music of the day. Just a few people will keep his memories alive and play his records on their home stereos while watching time drift by.

Hi all, this is my first post. This topic interests me, as I find Hendrix one of the greatest ever. Unfortunately, I have never seen him perform live as I was somewhat too young then. I have seen many of his concerts on video/dvd. And although I realise it won't be the same as actually see him in the flesh, he always rocks my world. :)

Firstly, Hendrix is nothing without an electric guitar.
His sound is the thrill, and to say that the man is some kind of technical semi-god bestowing improvements to rock 'n roll is spitting at the faces of Jeff Beck, Fripp, Zappa etc.
Jimi had a relatively small fender amp that was literally turned to 11 (Spinal Tap anyone?), hints of flanger like sounds and finely though out nuances in mike volumes.
If you want to hear Jimi's specialty, put on a live Led Zep and listen to Page. Then rack up machine gun and see the longevity in it.

Page had the pick and the five fingers in a somewhat fucked up accord.
Jimi had the two in perfect sync.
He kept what some might call a 'superfluous humming' to be present at all times. The soothing style of playing without interrupting, battling riffs.
That is why Mitch Mitchell can go fuck himself. When the lead is a man playing like Jimi then the drummer must be fucking tight, not a flogging, blubbering, doped up wannabe. Mitch broke more shows than the Hells Angels.

Jimi could not have gone past Frank Zappa for he lacked the kind of 'formal education' in his playing.
He was stuck in the mold of blues, which is what he was - the man who perfected electric blues.
Nearly every solo people hold to be a pedestal, a basis for transcendence is simply a pentatonic blues scale. Add 7's and 9's to it and keep the bass line somewhat simplistic, add a man who sees few bar's ahead of the muscle memory and gawk.

That being said, the man is one of my favorite guitarists for I also play the guitar and like to imitate different artists, a lot.
I play without a pick when I play, but I love to transcript styles.
He is a great fucking man, but not a universal guy who saved the guitar.

And I agree with invert that the hippies, along with his devious managers, left him as a marionette of himself.
Hendrix did not have the means to musically act as he liked, he was constantly fucked in the ass with "c'mon jimmy, here's a suitcase full of drugs, do a few more shows and we'll see about that studio time".
Short sighted audiences with greedy managers do not preserve the artist.
Not an artist like Hendrix.

And Segovia and Hendrix hold no comparison.
That would be like comparing Ray Charles to Malcuzynski.

But the dealio why people hold Hendrix in such a high place is not that much connected with how good he is.
Most can't spot talent and think Ingie Malmsteen is a god.
The reason why we are talking about the man; Hendrix is not truly comparable.

There is a man, though, who I would compare to Jimi, if he had lived in the same era.
Petri Walli from the excellent band Kingston Wall (http://www.aural-innovations.com/issues/issue6/kingwall.html).
This band is like the experience with one of the greatest drummers on earth and a touch of Indian scales.
Get the "II" album to get an idea.

All in all, Hendrix was a blast, a blast held to present anything the talentless hippies who played the same stages choose.

I nearly choked when Jefferson Aeroplane dudes elaborated about Morrison.

that has got to be one of the most wasteful moments of my life-- reading that disjointed nonsense presented as anything more than nonsense. non formal education, 2 bars as opposed to 5, Zappa the god, and a flying pig in stilletos is an everyday event. waste of my fucking time.

that has got to be one of the most wasteful moments of my life-- reading that disjointed nonsense presented as anything more than nonsense. non formal education, 2 bars as opposed to 5, Zappa the god, and a flying pig in stilletos is an everyday event. waste of my fucking time.


Boo-fucking-hoo.

But you're right, I read trough it and emulated an idiot who confuses bars with the congenital ambiences every player possesses.

Every player without the "formal education" possesses.

a 'soul, a 'personality'.. I bet you'd say.

What I am saying is: Jimi Hendrix was the best at what he did, electric blues.
We have the Mahavishnu Orchestras.

If you want to hear Jimi's specialty, put on a live Led Zep and listen to Page. Then rack up machine gun and see the longevity in it.

I disagree. Page is order and beauty; Hendrix is randomness and repetition.

I disagree. Page is order and beauty; Hendrix is randomness and repetition.


Exactly reversed.

Well.. Page might be order as in truly thought out 'studio' solo's, but hendrix had more of an ear than Page.

Don't get me wrong, Page is a great guitarist but the live works reveal a serious lack of longevity.
Led Zeppelin had such a great cast for song making that it raised the individual worth of the members.

What irks me about page is the compendious nature of his playing.

Now.. Jimi, he can not be mistaken to be just a part of something.
He is there, in your face. That's that.

And I disagree with people who think he should have improved to be something.. more.

He was pure blues (bear in mind the modern standarts).


Edit: I'm talking about improvisation.

Perfect you stated....

"And Segovia and Hendrix hold no comparison.
That would be like comparing Ray Charles to Malcuzynski."

I was not trying to say that Hendrix was a classical guitarist like Segovia was BUT I did want to point out that Hendrix did for electric guitars what Segovia did for the acoustical guitar at his time in life. Hendrix made people take notice big time what an electric guitar could do in the hands of a genius of his time as Sergovia did during his liftime. To bring that much attention to the electric guitar really boosted the sales of records and guitars.

The Wind Cries Mary, the best song ever

But the dealio why people hold Hendrix in such a high place is not that much connected with how good he is.

All in all, Hendrix was a blast, a blast held to present anything the talentless hippies who played the same stages choose.



I found your post rather amusing. To say people hold up Hendrix has nothing to do with his talent is absurd. True, his legacy seems over exploited at times but this man was a truly amazing musician. You saywithout the electrical guitar he was nothing? For one thing that was his instrument of choice and he was damn good at playing it despite the fact he was left handed. He wrote his own music, was black and played hard rock, which was unheard of back then. His music touched millions of people and it wasn't because they were all hippies. I am not a hippy and the first time I heard Purple Haze I got a chill down my spine. The first time I heard The Wind Cries Mary, I cried. All Along the Watchtower, Hey Joe, his version of the Star Spangled Banner he played at sunrise on the last day of Woodstock! Everything about him was unique and great on a different kind of level that apparently some still fail to realize. His energy, his voice, his songs, all of these traits combined make up one helluva man.
Everyone has a right to their own opinion and I appreciate all of them, but I seriously do not understand anyone who puts down Hendrix.

I read a quote from a website that stated "Jimi had an energy, a beauty and a tragedy that every person should feel"

HENDRIX IS A GOD

Jimi did his own thing to the end. That's why he'll be revered.

But Roy Buchanan, SRV, Mike Bloomfield, Duane Allman were incredible guitarists too, and I really can't say who's better than whom.

Jimi did his own thing to the end. That's why he'll be revered.

But Roy Buchanan, SRV, Mike Bloomfield, Duane Allman were incredible guitarists too, and I really can't say who's better than whom.
I agree with you 100%. for some reason hendirx gets a whole lot of attention, when there are other comparable guitarists all over the place. Of course you forgot eric clapton... ;)

There was a reason I didn't include Clapton. In my estimation, he's the most absurdedly overrated of them all. With Jimi, the hype is justifiable because he really brought a cool funky style to rock, plus he could really play sweet blues. Clapton, I don't know. Some Cream stuff is good, and Layla; the rest......

Jeff Beck is a superb player too, but he doesn't have too much emotion. Jimmy Page is simply terrible. I never understood his appeal; at least Clapton, for all his later blandness, had a certain style. Page was like the heavy metal guitarists who would follow him-- a barrage of notes delivered in a reckless, juvenile manner. The Eminem of Guitar players.

Another guy I have little toleration for: Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple. He once compared himself to John McLaughlin, not realizing that McLaughlin plays jazz and he heavy metal and that there is a difference.

Among today's guitarists I like this kid called Tim Palmieri. He's got a nice trippy style that belies his sheer virtuosity. And unlike Satriani, Vai and the like, he actually sounds like he wants to say something.

One of the most origional and best musicians I can think of.
Beethoven was better. So was Haydn, Tschaikovsky, Mozart, Bach (all of them), Strauss (all of them), Brahms, Lizst, and pretty much anyone else from the period of 1660 to 1880.

Yes, yes classical musicians are indeed great. However, I think we are discussing popular music here, and Brahms hasn't been popular ever since he died.

Not really. Arguably, the music of beethoven or brahms, much like the art of van gogh, has become more popular after he died.

The greatest thing about Hendrix was that he was an innovator. He was the first guitarist of the 60's Blues/Rock era to create truly original sounds and techniques, which are influential to this day and still sound good and fresh; his production work on Electric Ladyland was awesome for its period and even though it's a trippy album and probably influenced by Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, he never had George Martin to guide him or write his arrangements.

Had he lived, who's to say what direction he might have taken; who's to say whether he would have been a great or a nobody? The answer is, no-one, but one thing is for sure, the man's playing had a warmth, a feel and a personality that few musicians have matched and I love him. To many he was a god; I don't know if he was a god, but he was surely an angel!

There was a reason I didn't include Clapton. In my estimation, he's the most absurdedly overrated of them all. With Jimi, the hype is justifiable because he really brought a cool funky style to rock, plus he could really play sweet blues. Clapton, I don't know. Some Cream stuff is good, and Layla; the rest......
tsk tsk tsk.
I also would include eddie van halen as one of the best guitar players of all time. would you discount him, too?

Jimmy Page is simply terrible. I never understood his appeal;
Yeah, I never have either. People always told me to listen to his awesome talent, but I was always just thinking "huh?" It is terrible.The Eminem of Guitar players.
:D
But heavy metal guitarists, especially in the 80s were talented. They might not have played a style that you much like, but you have to admit, they have some definite speed and dexterity, and it would take a while to get good enough to produce solos like that all the time.

The greatest thing about Hendrix was that he was an innovator
True, but to call him good is definitely a stretch. You definitley have to be innovative to be good, but you also have to be good to be good.

The Goose

You have to see the situation in context and, for the period we are talking about I think Hendrix, especially on Electric Ladyland, was definitely good; as were Clapton, Beck, Page and Blackmore along with a few others of that period, but Hendrix had a certain magic and stood out on many different levels. Had he been a car, he would have been a Ferrari.

I was a heavy metal fan once, and it was precisely the speed and dexterity that turned me off. Speed and dexterity are not what music is about, though they do have a role to play. People like Glenn Gould and Itzhak Perlman are fast, and skilled, beyond anything our Malmsteens and Vais can imagine. Yet their skill serves a purpose, a vision. Zooming across the fretboard at incredible speeds at every given opportunity is not indicative of good musical taste. I too got blown away when I heard Randy Rhoads for the first time; it was upon repeated hearing that I began to get bored with him-- so empty behind all those pyrotechnics. Its not too different with Eddie van Halen, though many of his solos are quite striking; the more melodious ones that is, not crap like 'Eruption'.

The Goose

You have to see the situation in context and, for the period we are talking about I think Hendrix, especially on Electric Ladyland, was definitely good; as were Clapton, Beck, Page and Blackmore along with a few others of that period, but Hendrix had a certain magic and stood out on many different levels. Had he been a car, he would have been a Ferrari.
No, he would have been a hummer. All show, but not really practical, and just offering size as a reason it's better than other cars

Zooming across the fretboard at incredible speeds at every given opportunity is not indicative of good musical taste. I too got blown away when I heard Randy Rhoads for the first time; it was upon repeated hearing that I began to get bored with him-- so empty behind all those pyrotechnics. Its not too different with Eddie van Halen, though many of his solos are quite striking; the more melodious ones that is, not crap like 'Eruption'.
That's definitely true, and there's defintiley the hair guitarist who does that. But they aren't the good ones. Good guitarists, like eddie, or the guy form queensryche, or stuff like that, are good at combining speed, dexterity, and melody and taste.

Do you listen to Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman or Skitch Henderson?
Yes, actually, and MANY more do as well.
Why is it you heard of them even though they likely died before you were born?