John McGann's Influences and Favorite Players- almost too many to name! And the list grows on!

It doesn't get better than this!

I play and listen to a wide variety of music (including rock and roll, traditional Irish, bluegrass and jazz) and I've been influenced by hundreds of musicians. One great way to expand your horizons is to check out whoever influenced your favorite players: One door leads to another, and another... Here's a list of some you might want to check out:

ACOUSTIC GUITAR:

Russ Barenberg is a strong influence on my playing. In the 80's, Russ was kind enough to become a jamming partner (and unknowingly, a mentor). His tone and note choices are exemplary, and I've always tried to emulate his clear, warm sound.

Tony Rice is possibly the most over-imitated musician since Charlie Parker, and with good reason-his sound is unmistakably clean and exciting. Like many bluegrass guitarists, I spent hours sweating along with his early recordings, trying to figure out what he did and how he did it.

David Grier is a wonderful modern bluegrass (and beyond) player.

Other favorites are Scott Nygaard

Arty McGlynn

John Doyle

Steve Cooney

Pete Townshend

Michael Hedges

Julian Bream

John Williams

Sharon Isbin

Django

Martin Taylor

Howard Alden

Marty Grosz

Allen Reuss

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ELECTRIC GUITAR:

After cutting my teeth on The Beatles (and learning every song, guitar part, harmony and bass line as best as I could), I discovered Steve Howe of Yes- the most versatile guitarist who could switch from fingerstyle to blazing electric, in a very unique improvisitory style. I spent my last two years of high school trying to learn all the classic Yes albums (Yessongs, Tales, Relayer, etc.) My Fender Jaguar didn't exactly give me Steve's 175 tone, but it's actually fairly close to a Gibson scale...

I was very curious as to Steve's influences, many of whom I'd never heard of, so I started to check out people he mentioned, all of whom are excellent players-including

Wes Montgomery

Tal Farlow

Jim Hall

Albert Lee

Merle Travis

Jimmy Bryant

Today I enjoy Allan Holdsworth (the most advanced guitarist on the planet and one of the most harmonically imaginitive musicians of all time),

Steve Morse (great, versatile player!)

David Hidalgo (Los Lobos)

Pete Townshend

Don Rich (with Buck Owens, classic country)

Danny Gatton (Supercharged American Telemaster)

Lennon/Harrison (check the lines under the bridge of "And Your Bird Can Sing" from Revolver)

Bob Mould (especially his "Workbook" period)

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STEEL GUITAR:

Buddy Emmons

Curly Chalker

Tom Morrell

Paul Franklin

Mike Perlowin

John Hughey

Doug Jernigan

Richard Nelson

Hal Rugg

Maurice Anderson

Jerry Byrd

Buddy Charleton

Herb Remington

Noel Boggs

Joaquin Murphy

Stacy Phillips

Jerry Douglas

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MANDOLIN:

Andy Statman and David Grisman, 1980's

Once I heard David Grisman, I had to try playing the mandolin. I had heard other players, but Dawg's unique tone and writing converted me.

Andy Statman is a musician who is truly beyond catagory, with an incredible imagination and deep soul.

Sam Bush is another unique mando personality with a fiddle style approach that has greatly helped me in appraoching Irish fiddle music on the mandolin.

Bill Monroe needs no introduction.

I also like Herschel Sizemore

Radim Zenkl

John Reischman

Mike Marshall

Tim O'Brien

Chris Moore

Jimmy Ryan

Tiny Moore

Barry Mitterhoff

Cannonball 1955

SAXOPHONES:

Cannonball Adderley is a big influence- his gutsy, bluesy roots are evident no matter how deep into the harmony he goes.

The Three Tenors!-Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Lester Young!

Stan Getz, John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Johnny Hodges, Benny Carter, Eric Dolphy, Ornette Coleman, Charlie Parker, Ken Peplowski, Scott Hamilton

Baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams is an important player to me; he has a unique sound and beautiful approach. Check out his playing on Lee Morgan's "The Cooker" (Blue Note), the first jazz recording I ever heard.

Baritone Saxophonist Pepper Adams (1930-1986)

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CLARINET:

Billy Novick

Barney Bigard

Kenny Davern

Ken Peplowski

Eddie Daniels

Buddy DeFranco

Eric Dolphy

Karl Leister

Jonathan Cohler

Larry Combs

Sabine Meyer

Dave Tarras/Naftule Brandwein/Andy Statman

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TRUMPET/CORNET/FLUGELHORN:

Louis Armstrong (one of the inventors of modern music, hands down!)

Dizzy Gillespie

Lee Morgan

Clifford Brown

Warren Vache

Ruby Braff

Art Farmer

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PIANO:

Bill Evans

Herbie Hancock

Glenn Gould

Bobby Timmons

Wynton Kelly

Bud Powell

Michel Petrucianni

Laslo Gardony

Bruce Barth

Steve Hunt

Teddy Wilson

Bill Charlap

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FIDDLE:

Kenny Baker, Sam Bush, Darol Anger, Matt Glaser, Benny Thomasson, Mark O'Connor, Frank Ferrel, Rodney Miller, Paddy Cronin, Denis Murphy, Seamus Connolly, Tommy Peoples, Johnny Cunningham, Stephane Grapelli, Claude Williams, L. Shankar, L. Subramaniam, John Doherty, Brian Conway, Tony DeMarco, Andy McGann, Paddy Reynolds, Michael Coleman, James Kelly

BANJO:

Tony Trischka is one of the greatest musicians ever to lay hands on a banjo, beyond category. Of course in bluegrass there are the titans Earl Scruggs and J.D. Crowe; other players I like are Seamus Egan, Bela Fleck, Bill Evans, Bob Black, Marty Cutler, Yoshihiro Arita, Mick Moloney, and the young lions Greg Liszt and Chris Pandolfi.

BASS:

Paul Chambers, Jeff Berlin, Paul McCartney, Chris Squire, Jaco, Charles Mingus (listen to where he places the notes in relation to the beat- talk about DRIVE!)

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I am proud to perform, record and learn from one of Irish trad's greatest players: Joe Derrane (accordion)

BIG INFLUENTIAL RECORDINGS:

Beatles: Everything

Yes: Yessongs (Atlantic)

The Who: Live at Leeds (MCA/Decca)

Lee Morgan: The Cooker (Blue Note)

Wes Montgomery: Full House (Riverside)

The David Grisman Quintet (Kaliedescope)

Tony Rice: Manzanita (Rounder)

Tony Trishcka: The Early Years (Rounder)

Andy McGann and Paddy Reynolds (Shanachie)