Wes Montgomery forever changed jazz guitar. Playing with his thumb instead of a pick, he created a warm, rounded tone that was instantly his own.

In France in the early-'30s there was a young gypsy guitarist who had burnt two fingers of his fretting hand to the state of useless (?) appendages, in a caravan fire; Django Reinhardt. Possibly still ...

Guitarist/composer Nobuki Takamen was born in Hiroshima, Japan. Jazz historian Scott Yanow describes him as ''an excellent improviser in his own bop-inspired style.'' John Heidt of Vintage Guitar ...

Jazz guitar has always been a dynamic art form, adapting to new styles while staying rooted in tradition. From the early swing and bebop pioneers to today’s fusion innovators, guitarists have expanded ...

The instrument hasn’t always been a central player in jazz, but the best guitarists have taken up the challenge of finding their own way. Fourteen musicians and writers share their favorites. Credit..