Virtuosos and Their Iconic Instruments

In the world of music, exceptional skill and creativity often define what it means to be a “virtuoso.” Yet, some of the most compelling tales of legendary musicians also involve their instruments, weaving unforgettable stories that add depth to their artistry and legacy.

Some instruments, which accompanied these masters throughout their careers, have stories as legendary as their music. For example, blues legend B.B. King named his guitar Lucille to commemorate an incident where he narrowly escaped a fire which was broke out during a performance, sparked by a fight between two men over a woman named Lucille.

Another example is the Funk Machine, the iconic bass of Motown legend James Jamerson, which was used to record countless classic Motown hits but was tragically stolen the day after his passing.

In classical music, violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman famously vowed to acquire the Stradivarius violin Soil after borrowing it from his predecessor Yehudi Menuhin and playing just two notes on it. Perlman eventually fulfilled this dream, and the violin became an integral part of his illustrious career. These stories, intertwined with the artists’ achievements, bring another layer of fascination to their music, reminding us of the legends behind the melodies.

Tony Williams and the Legendary “Nefertiti Ride”

In the rich history of jazz, many legendary instruments have stories as captivating as the musicians who played them. Among these is the iconic ride used by Tony Williams during his groundbreaking tenure with Miles Davis. Revered by countless jazz drummers and cymbal makers, this 22-inch ride, crafted by Zildjian, is famed for its dark, focused harmonics, broad but controlled spread. It became a hallmark of Tony’s sound, heard on live recordings like Four & More and The Plugged Nickel.

However, it’s the sound on Miles Davis’ studio album Nefertiti that cemented its legendary status. Fans, enamored by its perfect tonal blend, began referring to it as the “Nefertiti Ride.”

Drummer Cindy Blackman Santana, a devoted Tony Williams disciple, recorded a tribute album to Tony’s fusion band “Lifetime” in 2010. She claims to have inherited the “Nefertiti Ride,” viewing herself as the rightful custodian and, by extension, Tony’s musical heir.

Yet, the legend of the “Nefertiti Ride” takes an intriguing twist. In an interview, Tony once joked, “I must’ve sold the ‘Nefertiti Ride’ hundreds of times.” This tongue-in-cheek comment suggests he may have repeatedly passed off other cymbals as the iconic one.

So, is Cindy Blackman Santana truly the heir to this mythical cymbal, or just another buyer enchanted by its mystique? We may never know. What’s certain is that Tony, a master both on the kit and in crafting legends, likely watches from above, grinning as drummers and cymbal makers alike chase the elusive perfection of his sound.

Dizzy Gillespie and His Iconic “Bent Trumpet”

When it comes to jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie, a few things immediately come to mind: his lightning-fast technique, his bullfrog-like puffed cheeks while playing, and, of course, his uniquely bent trumpet.

The story of his 45-degree upward-angled trumpet bell began with an accident. As Dizzy recounts in his autobiography, during a birthday party for his wife Lorraine, a tap-dancing troupe accidentally stepped on his trumpet, bending the bell upwards. Though Dizzy had the damage repaired the next day, he found himself unable to forget the unique tonal qualities the bent bell produced. Intrigued, he asked a trumpet manufacturer to recreate the bent design intentionally. This distinctive instrument became his signature.

According to Dizzy, the upward bell design softened the trumpet’s typically sharp high frequencies, producing a warmer tone and allowing the sound to project more directly to the audience. Whether this claim holds true is up for debate—you might compare recordings from before and after 1953 to decide for yourself!¹

Dizzy’s innovation has continued to inspire trumpet players, including modern jazz luminary Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah² (formerly Christian Scott). Drawing inspiration from Dizzy, Adjuah designed similarly unconventional trumpets, including one model he calls the “Siren.” Paired with his unique “Whisper” technique, this trumpet produces a hauntingly beautiful, vocal-like tone.

Perhaps the tap dancer who accidentally bent Dizzy’s trumpet never imagined their misstep would set off a chain reaction, influencing trumpet design nearly 60 years later. Yet, like jazz itself, the story is one of improvisation, resilience, and creative transformation.

Jaco Pastorius and his Fretless Bass

In 1975, an unknown bassist named Jaco Pastorius introduced himself to Weather Report’s keyboardist Joe Zawinul with an audacious claim: “Hi, I’m Jaco Pastorius, the greatest bass player in the world.” At first, Zawinul dismissed him as a lunatic. But soon after, Jaco proved his bold words true, revolutionizing the bass guitar and capturing the world’s attention with his unmatched talent.

Although Jaco wasn’t the first musician to play a fretless electric bass, he set the gold standard for the instrument. Many are familiar with the story of how Jaco removed the frets from a standard electric bass, but few know that the prototype fretless bass he used was loaned to him by none other than guitarist Pat Metheny³.

Metheny, a prodigy who rose from a student to a professor at the University of Miami in just days, formed a friendship with Jaco through their shared performances in Miami’s music scene. Metheny lent Jaco a 1958 Fender Precision Bass, which Jaco modified by removing the frets, sparking his journey into fretless bass innovation. During his peak, Jaco switched to another iconic instrument: a 1962 sunburst Fender Jazz Bass famously dubbed the “Bass of Doom.”

In 1982, the Bass of Doom was stolen, only to resurface in 2006 at a New York City music shop. With the help of Metallica’s bassist Robert Trujillo, the instrument was bought back and returned to Jaco’s family, preserving its legacy⁴.

As for the original 1958 prototype, Jaco passed it to Mark Egan, the first bassist of the Pat Metheny Group (PMG). It later went to Egan’s successor, Steve Rodby, but was tragically stolen during a PMG tour in Chile.

Will this legendary bass, like the Bass of Doom, someday resurface? Only time will tell. Until then, Jaco’s revolutionary work and his connection to these instruments continue to inspire musicians around the globe.

John McLaughlin’s Shakti Guitar: A Fusion of Jazz and Indian Music

In the early days of jazz, most guitarists used hollow-body or semi-hollow-body guitars crafted with violin-like F  holes. It wasn’t until the mid-1960s, influenced by the rise of rock music, that solid-body electric guitars and semi-hollow electrics became popular choices for jazz musicians. By the 1970s, as jazz fusion flourished, guitarists inspired by world music began experimenting with unconventional instruments like steel-string acoustic guitars, 12-string guitars, and mandolins to enrich their tonal palette.

Among them, British guitar legend John McLaughlin stands out for his groundbreaking contributions. Rising to fame with Miles Davis’ seminal jazz fusion album In a Silent Way, McLaughlin went on to form two iconic bands in the 1970s: Mahavishnu Orchestra and Shakti. In Mahavishnu Orchestra, he wielded the powerful Gibson EDS-1275 double-neck electric guitar, a model famously associated with Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page. But for Shakti, McLaughlin embraced something entirely different—a custom-made Shakti Guitar designed to capture the intricate beauty of Indian music.

The Unique Design of the Shakti Guitar

At first glance, the Shakti Guitar resembles a typical steel-string acoustic guitar. However, it is meticulously modified to emulate the tonal and stylistic qualities of traditional Indian instruments like the sitar:

• Sympathetic Strings: McLaughlin added extra strings that resonate sympathetically with the primary six strings, creating a shimmering, sitar-like resonance characteristic of Indian music.
• Scalloped Fretboard: The fretboard was carved out, allowing McLaughlin to effortlessly bend strings and execute the sliding ornaments essential to Indian classical music. This design enabled him to fluidly integrate Indian techniques into his jazz improvisations.

With this instrument, McLaughlin and the virtuoso Indian musicians of Shakti reached an unparalleled fusion of Indian and jazz traditions, pushing the boundaries of musical collaboration.

The Legacy and Rarity of the Shakti Guitar

While McLaughlin used the Shakti Guitar extensively in the original Shakti ensemble, it hasn’t appeared in his more recent projects, including Remember Shakti and the latest iteration of Shakti. The absence of this iconic instrument leaves many fans longing for its distinctive sound.

In 2019, a guitar manufacturer collaborated with McLaughlin to recreate the Shakti Guitar for public sale. The price? A staggering $40,000 USD. For most of us, attempting a DIY project with an affordable guitar might be a more realistic way to explore this unique fusion!

John McLaughlin’s Shakti Guitar stands as a testament to his innovative spirit, blending jazz and Indian music in a way that continues to inspire musicians and audiences alike. Whether through its revolutionary design or its role in McLaughlin’s legendary performances, this guitar remains an indelible symbol of musical exploration.

1. Here are a few recordings for you to explore and compare Dizzy Gillespie’s trumpet tones before and after the adoption of his iconic bent trumpet:
   1952: Bird & Diz – A legendary collaboration between Dizzy Gillespie and saxophone master Charlie Parker, showcasing their remarkable synergy and improvisation.
   1955: Diz & Getz – A brilliant partnership with saxophonist Stan Getz, blending Dizzy’s vibrant style with Getz’s smooth tones.
   1974: Dizzy’s Big 4 – A later recording featuring Dizzy’s signature bent trumpet sound in a quartet setting, highlighting his warm tone and impeccable technique.
   Dive into these recordings to hear the evolution of Dizzy’s sound and judge for yourself the impact of his bent trumpet on his music! ↩︎
2. Originally known as Christian Scott, this New Orleans-born trumpeter embraced his roots through a journey of self-discovery and adopted a new name. Following in the footsteps of his uncle, Donald Harrison Jr., he inherited the role of chieftain within New Orleans’ African American cultural community. ↩︎
3. https://www.fretlessbass.com/egan-mark/ ↩︎
4. https://www.guitarworld.com/features/how-the-bass-of-doom-came-back-to-the-pastorius-family ↩︎