Grateful Dead Music Forum

I have been trying to open my mind to some instrumental music lately, but am having a harder time than anticipated.

So far I have discovered Leo Kottke and Stephen Bennet with the help of Pandora. I definitely dig acoustic guitar selections, but would like to encounter some more diverse music as well(though I am surely open to great acoustic guitarist suggestions!). More specifically I am looking for good ambient music, something that I might play while studying.

classical music always works, supposed to help you remember things better or something along those lines. i love trey anastasios new album the horseshoe curve but it's hardly "study music". phil and friends shows are usually pretty mellow, try those too

there is a band from my hometown in Mass that plays instrumental music. its ambient... at times. more metal at some points but also a lot of stuff in between... i probably wouldn't study to their music but check it out anyway. i love seeing them [irepress] play live. they have a ton of energy and the music keeps getting better.

http://www.irepress.net
http://www.myspace.com/irepress

and no I am not a promoter, just want other ppl to hear them

also... i just recently acquired an instrumental bluegrass album called "strength in numbers" with bela fleck, sam bush, and a couple other guys i dont remember right now but its pretty tasty if a little repetative.

I like Return to Forever.Helps keep my head clear.You might be able to go to the Archive and find some good live stuff......

On a humour note, how about Midnight Syndicate? :)

On a serious note, John Jorgenson has some great instrumental music. It's jazzy/django-ey, so probably not the best music to study to, but still awesome nonetheless.

Gabriela y Rodrigo is another instrumental group. I just found them and they're good stuff.

Explosions in the sky is an incredible band, really

http://www.explosionsinthesky.com/

I recomend you the "The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place" album

an they also have concerts at Archive:

http://www.archive.org/details/ExplosionsintheSky

There is a treasure trove of stuff out there. Grant Green was a jazz guitarist from the late 50's to early 70's. Very groove based jazz. Cannonball Adderly the same. Phil Keaggy is a guitarist that does both eletric and acoustic albums. The guy from the Jefferson Starship, Craig C made a number of guitar instrumental albums again both acoustic and electric. On the acoustic side there is Norman Blake. If you like the John Jorgeson stuff mentioned abouve look up some Martin Taylor which is along the same lines. I would also look for some Bill Evans a jazz piano player, I would not have finished school without him.

Eric Johnson.........Cliffs of Dover is insane

Check out Gary Hoey's Ho Ho Hoey.......incredible christmas tunes with no singing.....his guitar playing makes up for the words and you know them all anyway
Pistol

Well, this is going back a ways, but is contemporary with the Grateful Dead, you might try Mason Williams. His most famous piece is the sixties mega hit, Classical Gas. Most of his songs have a classical guitar style, solo or duet, and some have a full orchestra. In addition to being interesting to play, I've found these songs to be ideal background music while studying, programming, or anything that requires concentration.

The New Mastersounds
The New Mastersounds
The New Mastersounds

They are a groovy, jazzy, funky band from the UK, that I was just introduced to. They are awesome.

The originator and master of the american primative guitar movement JOHN FAHEY...JOHN FAHEY..JOHN FAHEY

Joe Satriani

The best acoustic guitarist of all time - Davy Graham.

I really like listening to some nice freeform jazz when I'm studying, it's chill, relaxing, and just plain awesome. I'm really digging Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, John Coltrane, stuff like that.

I guess I could say the same about a good dead jam, but I always get too into it and never get anything done, haha.

Yeah, best bets for studying are classical or jazz. Here's some recommendations:

jazz:
Howard Alden & George van Eps - Seven & Seven
both are great guitarist, play 7-string guitars. just the 2 of them, no back-up music, no vocals, good guitar jazz.

Thelonious Monk - I'll just say the greatest hits album, but any of his albums are good.

Anything Miles Davis

Classical:
I've been listening to Bolero by Ravel lately. Good background noise.

Anything by Vivaldi, but the 4 seasons is nice.