105. Derek Bailey - Ballads (2002)
Derek Bailey takes on jazz standards in this album comprised of solely acoustic guitar. For those of you who aren't familiar with Bailey, his approach towards a new form of improvisation began in the 70s with Tony Oxley and Gavin Bryars. His style is generally atonal as Bailey shows us unexplored territories of the guitar both melodically and texturally, but this album (along with its sister album released in 2007, "Standards") is a bit different. As opposed to his somewhat confrontational or abrasive style that you see in albums like Improvisations and Carpal Tunnel, we're given a taste of the theme, often played more with a more melancholic feel than normal, until Bailey uses these old ideas as a jumping off point for improvisation which leads to some interesting places. Even if you don't enjoy the style, as it can be hard to get into, one thing that everyone can appreciate is the passion and soul that Bailey breathes into his instrument. Some songs are outright beautiful throughout, others begin as pretty little ducks and turn into ugly swans. A real masterpiece, this album.
106. Marc Ribot - Saints (2001)
This is another album of cover songs for solo guitar. The covers range from spirituals such as "Go Down Moses" to Ayler's free jazz standards like "Witches and Devils", and Ribot even pays respect to artists like Django and The Beatles on this album. Many of the songs on this album start off with the theme and travels to very new directions; however, as opposed to the Bailey album mentioned above, Ribot heavily injects his style into the pieces by way of new arrangements. Saints has a lot of diversity, covering some of the many musical faces of Marc Ribot. Tracks like "Saints" and "Book of Heads #13" are Bailey-esque due to their extremely textural nature, while tracks such as "I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)" reveal a more refined and classically based edge of Ribot's playing (while still going into more avant-garde regions of course). Initially I was disappointed by this album because I was expecting the exciting free jazz rock manner that Ribot plays on the album Asmodeus: Book of Angels Vol. 7, which is a style that's not touched so much on this album save for "St. James Infirmary". However, returning to it with a more open mind made this my favourite Ribot album as it really is astounding.
107. Joe Pass - Virtuoso (1973)
Virtuoso is the most technically talented (though Ribot is a VERY close second) and accessible of these three jazz guitar albums. The title says it all as Joe Pass is an impeccable guitarist as his playing glides through seemingly impossible passages while still introducing soul to the music. This is also made up of standards save for the track "Blues for Alican." I think my favourite part of this album is Pass's phrasing and the way he adds in fills to the theme in a style that's very much his own. I don't have as much to say about this album as the other two but Virtuoso has more than earned its place on this list and it's worth your time whether you're a jazz fan or not.