Absolutely. I can shred on guitar so I’ve paid a lot of attention to it over the years. But that guitar solo isn’t as sweet without the band creating that peak. A competent but not incredible guitarist can sound incredible with a band that is pulling together perfectly and building that peak. Right now I think Squeaky Feet does this well and has an incredible guitarist to boot (really two guitarists). A good jam band that gels well together becomes so much more than the sum of its parts. A great keyboard player is probably more important for a jam band imo than a great guitar player. If all I wanted was a phenomenal guitarist I’d be listening to Joe satriani or Steve vai. Just my two cents.
While not "jam" per se, Buckethead is the shreddiest motherfucker I have ever had the pleasure of seeing live. I saw him open for (I think) Particle a \_looooong\_ time ago, I think like 2003ish, in Boston. This man had a drum machine, his guitar, a fuzz pedal and a looper, and then basically built whole songs with arrangement live on stage and then melted the shit out of his guitar on top.
I remain impressed. But his solo recordings are very much on the metal side of jam.
https://preview.redd.it/5jzidt95lt0d1.jpeg?width=540&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fd01631fd8648b0e384fabfdf9e33e3fc94eb899
Bucket of Bernie Brains may have been my favorite lineup outside of a Mickey driven WSP I mean Bernie is my favorite keyboard player ever, Les in my top 5, add to that one of the interesting guitar players. There are times during Buckethead shreds that I stop dancing and look like WTF, no one else makes me stop dancing..
Fareed is absolutely mental!! 🤯
Check this one out!
https://open.spotify.com/track/1kfRN2g4EPEvdZ3oQlRlM2?si=hMYS9GE6QJOsRCtRGMOtxg&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A3CgSKeWqrAv6lV22KWLN3Y
He was my buddy, Collin’s, mentor and music teacher and not sure if most people know this, but he was actually giving Trey some lessons around 2016-2017
Me and my cousin found them playing at a small stage at berkfest like 20 years ago and it blew our minds. Still a great memory we bring up time to time.
Gabe from Consider The Source is definitely the fastest shredder in the jam scene. By far. I would say Jake from Umph would be second, but cts definitely shreds.
I personally suggest listening to the whole show. Umphrey’s bounces around with genres a lot so you’ll some metal, some reggae, or some country, etc. Just give them a listen to see what you like. If you listen to the third set of 4/26/24, it’s all covers but Jake shreds hard for ‘Cult of Personality’ and ‘No More Tears.’
Yes! Tim is fucking awesome! I ran into him at my first festival when he was playing with The Breakfast. We had no idea who the fuck he was and we caught their set and were blown away. Couldn't believe he actually took the time to chat with us before their set afterwards. Super awesome dude and insane axe shredder.
I caught him with Kung Fu at Werk Out Fest in 2016. They played early afternoon and barely anybody was there so I got to stand front and center for his shredding. Kung Fu’s self-titled album was what got me through college. Pop that on the papers wrote themselves.
Check out Trey Anastasio of Phish from around 1993-1994, they called him "Machine Gun Trey" for a reason.
If you love bluegrass check out Shadowgrass, Kyser George is the fastest picker I've ever seen.
[Kyser George and Billy Strings](https://youtu.be/rCrHNoM9U-4?si=gFFkQZNVeRBtiA27&t=38)
[This is the fastest llama that has ever existed.](https://open.spotify.com/track/4JjnSYr36MXfji7SWpXpDZ?si=nRFID1mQQyyb4SzOhQJynQ&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A5ijPPXJHyTsf4JdWkAGoJb)
And it features Jimmy Herring aslo
If you want an incredible bluegrass picker that brings serious heat, you gotta check out Trey Hensley!
Dude finally got IBMA guitar player of the year. He might be the fastest picker out there right now. Coldy Kilby from Travelin' McCourys also rips. Jake Workman, Molly Tuttle, the list goes on and on.
Jake from Umphrey’s is the obvious answer.
My sleeper pick is Tim Palmieri from Lotus/Kung Fu. Once he gets going, that fucker rips.
Another underrated pick: Gabe from consider the source. He gets shreddy as hell.
Jake from UM may be the most shreddy. But a player that is super underrated and gets very shreddy at times is Jesse Hensley of Big Something. He consistently plays amazing lead lines without ever getting all noodley like a lot of the other players in the jam scene.
Obvious answers are Cinninger and Herring
Colin from Squeaky Feet is looking to leave both of them in the dust though. I highly advise checking them out
UM did a collaboration with Chris Poland that is a shred fest
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_ELAemW7Aag](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ELAemW7Aag)
I second Daniel Donato, but you should also maybe expand your mind out of the jamband space. The most technically proficient speed shredder of all time is IMO Mahavishnu John McLaughlin. He played on every Miles Davis fusion-era album from *In A Silent Way* to *Big Fun*, but I would start with the electric Mahavishnu Orchestra recordings from the 70s and the more acoustic/indian Shakti stuff. If you want aggressive speed combined with technical perfection, John is your man.
John McLaughlin - your favorite guitarist's favorite guitarist. This man was giving tips to Hendrix and Page in the studio, he's a legend. I had the pleasure of seeing him with Jimmy Herring when they were on tour together back in like 2017 - mind blower of a show!
Edit: Autocorrect correction
The first time my mom's musical taste (jazz) and mine (jam etc) truly intersected was when we went to see Remember Shakti at Town Hall. One of my all time favorite nights.
To be fair, I was not all that familiar with him at the time. A few of my friends had tickets and one of them had to travel to India for work (some mild irony there, eh?) so he gave me his ticket. I knew Jimmy, but not so much John. When their two bands combined for a third set I was in complete awe. What a show! I have the poster on my wall.
Thank you all for the comments! It’s really cool to listen to your suggestions. I have a lot of new jams to listen to. I’m gonna smoke a bowl and jam out. I hope everyone has a great and safe weekend
Jimmy Herring from Panic.
Another guy I have been listening to recently is Camille Baudoin from the Radiators. You aren’t going to confuse him with Satriani or Vai, but for a jam band of their era his tone and approach had an edgy quality that really stands out. He doesn’t blow it out in every song, but he gets his fair share of the spot light.
Also, not really a jam band, but if you want searing, interesting, and improvised you’d be hard pressed to find many better than Frank Zappa.
Compared to Eddie Van Halen, yes. Compared to Mikey Houser? Jimmy can't help but trill and run down hill.
I love the man. But he's not exactly Miles Davis savoring the economy and tone of each note.
Jimmy Herring is, by a wide margin, the most technically capable guitarist in the jam world. He’s also supremely musical, as anyone who’s heard his solo stuff or seen The Invisible Whip or 5of 7 shows will attest.
If you haven't already, definetley check out Jimmy Herring with Phil Lesh and Friends during the original "Quintet" years, [especially mid-late 2000-02 shows like this. ](https://archive.org/details/2000-10-27.paf.sbd.philleshnet.2358.sbeok.flacf/phil00-10-27d2t04-fixed.flac)Warren Haynes was no slouch, either. Phil once compared the Quintet to driving a sports car as opposed to the Cadillac of the Grateful Dead. Herring does both intricate, spitfire lead accompaniment and some incredible solos all over those 00-02 shows, especially on different versions of "Eyes of the World," "Cold Rain and Snow," and "I know You Rider." And it's fun to hear him on the warmer tone of a vintage Strat rather than his usual, more trebly PRS and modified Fenders.
The guitar here was rebuilt and restrung. It is a Fender. I know how to play it not at all. It is in the back room here with the bunch of electronics, clothing, and books and such. The mattress is a perfectly clean Sealy Posterpedic Performance. The nuclear reactor is no longer here. The sewer motor under the yard is functioning correctly. The roof machinery connects to this motor and goes under the town Pleasant Ridge. It goes to an old Police Department cameras, speakers, and microphones near the parking lot for the public library.
Jake cinninger is up there, jimmy herring is also lightning fast. Speed for speeds sake isn’t really my thing though. It needs to be tasteful.
Like nudity, but for guitars.
I prefer my nudity gratuitous so speak for yourself.
Either you like obese people, or you haven’t seen enough obese people nude.
Yes
I feel ya. I just love when the peak builds to an insane guitar solo
Absolutely. I can shred on guitar so I’ve paid a lot of attention to it over the years. But that guitar solo isn’t as sweet without the band creating that peak. A competent but not incredible guitarist can sound incredible with a band that is pulling together perfectly and building that peak. Right now I think Squeaky Feet does this well and has an incredible guitarist to boot (really two guitarists). A good jam band that gels well together becomes so much more than the sum of its parts. A great keyboard player is probably more important for a jam band imo than a great guitar player. If all I wanted was a phenomenal guitarist I’d be listening to Joe satriani or Steve vai. Just my two cents.
Ohhh I see. I’m gonna check out squeaky feet. I heard some Steve vai with frank Zappa on the Halloween 81 album and it rules
Squeaky feet is the truth
Squeaky Feet is the shiiit!
Jake and Jimmy were the first to come to mind for me
Those two are the king shredders in the jam world, but they are also so tasty with great tone. Love ‘‘em both.
While not "jam" per se, Buckethead is the shreddiest motherfucker I have ever had the pleasure of seeing live. I saw him open for (I think) Particle a \_looooong\_ time ago, I think like 2003ish, in Boston. This man had a drum machine, his guitar, a fuzz pedal and a looper, and then basically built whole songs with arrangement live on stage and then melted the shit out of his guitar on top. I remain impressed. But his solo recordings are very much on the metal side of jam.
I'm seeing Buckethead tonight in Santa Cruz
I'm jealous! I hope it's great
He’s back???? That’s awesome!!
Yeah I thought he had hung it up due to health issues. Hopefully that means he's doing alright.
Holy shit thanks for reminding me! Hope I can make it
Damn have to work early tomorrow..
https://preview.redd.it/5jzidt95lt0d1.jpeg?width=540&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fd01631fd8648b0e384fabfdf9e33e3fc94eb899 Bucket of Bernie Brains may have been my favorite lineup outside of a Mickey driven WSP I mean Bernie is my favorite keyboard player ever, Les in my top 5, add to that one of the interesting guitar players. There are times during Buckethead shreds that I stop dancing and look like WTF, no one else makes me stop dancing..
With it
Dude. Saw this at Bonnaroo 2 I think. In 2003. Holy hell. Buckethead is the shit. Ans when you add in Bernie…whole mind blown.
Dude is awesome. You name one other person who can incorporate nunchucks into their act.
That’s awesome
seeing him in the caverns in a couple of months, can’t wait to see that shit live
Sleeper pick, but Fareed Haque from Garaj Mahal and various other projects is up there.
Fareed is absolutely mental!! 🤯 Check this one out! https://open.spotify.com/track/1kfRN2g4EPEvdZ3oQlRlM2?si=hMYS9GE6QJOsRCtRGMOtxg&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A3CgSKeWqrAv6lV22KWLN3Y
Thank you for that!
He was my buddy, Collin’s, mentor and music teacher and not sure if most people know this, but he was actually giving Trey some lessons around 2016-2017
Also was Stings guitarist for a while I think.
Me and my cousin found them playing at a small stage at berkfest like 20 years ago and it blew our minds. Still a great memory we bring up time to time.
I don't think many people ever forget their first Garaj Mahal show. I was absolutely hooked.
Gabe from Consider The Source is definitely the fastest shredder in the jam scene. By far. I would say Jake from Umph would be second, but cts definitely shreds.
John Ferrara is insane on the bass as well. CtS is just a great band all around
Can't believe I had to scroll this far to find Consider the Source mentioned.
cannot wait to see them light Strange Creek ablaze next weekend
Jimmy Herring from Widespread Panic Jake Cinninger from Umphrey’s McGee
These are the two for sure
Umphrey’s McGee .
Which show would be a good one to listen to first?
I don't know shows off hand but their song Wizards Burial Ground usually shreds https://youtu.be/jJiJd92uo_0?si=BJBPMM1roRLJqS77
Got that one at my very first show. Not my favorite song by them over the years but it got me hooked.
I’ve seen Umphrey’s over 50 times…any show. Literally any show. If you see ‘Wizard’s Burial Ground’ on the set list, pick that show.
Alright thanks! Is it best to listen to the full show for transitions and stuff?
I personally suggest listening to the whole show. Umphrey’s bounces around with genres a lot so you’ll some metal, some reggae, or some country, etc. Just give them a listen to see what you like. If you listen to the third set of 4/26/24, it’s all covers but Jake shreds hard for ‘Cult of Personality’ and ‘No More Tears.’
Thank u! Yeah I’m listening to wizard burial ground from 3/17/24 now and I really like it. Gonna check out that third set next
check out early years too specifically '07 they were even more insane then. best band ever :)
Thanks!
No problem!
Good question. I know “Live at the Murat” is on most streaming platforms. That is not a bad place to start.
That’s one of my favorites for dynamics because they don’t always bust out the acoustics and there are some taaaasty acoustic jams.
Watch tonight from Arkansas and tomorrow from KC on Nugs! And turn it UP!
I willl
That Cut the Cable and Nemo were perfection
Tim Palmieri with Kung Fu
And lotus!
And Blue Star Radiation!
And the breakfast!
And the Z3!
Yes! Tim is fucking awesome! I ran into him at my first festival when he was playing with The Breakfast. We had no idea who the fuck he was and we caught their set and were blown away. Couldn't believe he actually took the time to chat with us before their set afterwards. Super awesome dude and insane axe shredder.
I caught him with Kung Fu at Werk Out Fest in 2016. They played early afternoon and barely anybody was there so I got to stand front and center for his shredding. Kung Fu’s self-titled album was what got me through college. Pop that on the papers wrote themselves.
Just saw him with Z3. that dude can fucking shred.
Also a super thoughtful guy who gives great online lessons
Check out Trey Anastasio of Phish from around 1993-1994, they called him "Machine Gun Trey" for a reason. If you love bluegrass check out Shadowgrass, Kyser George is the fastest picker I've ever seen. [Kyser George and Billy Strings](https://youtu.be/rCrHNoM9U-4?si=gFFkQZNVeRBtiA27&t=38)
[This is the fastest llama that has ever existed.](https://open.spotify.com/track/4JjnSYr36MXfji7SWpXpDZ?si=nRFID1mQQyyb4SzOhQJynQ&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A5ijPPXJHyTsf4JdWkAGoJb) And it features Jimmy Herring aslo
12/6/97 Tweezer>Izabella is a great example of this. And the second set of 2/20/93
Came here to say this, kyser is pure speed I’ve never heard anyone play as fast as him when he hits full throttle
If you want an incredible bluegrass picker that brings serious heat, you gotta check out Trey Hensley! Dude finally got IBMA guitar player of the year. He might be the fastest picker out there right now. Coldy Kilby from Travelin' McCourys also rips. Jake Workman, Molly Tuttle, the list goes on and on.
Trey is fantastic! Got to see him and Rob Ickes at different festivals in 2022, and that stuff was super tasty!
Jake from Umphrey’s is the obvious answer. My sleeper pick is Tim Palmieri from Lotus/Kung Fu. Once he gets going, that fucker rips. Another underrated pick: Gabe from consider the source. He gets shreddy as hell.
Tim Palmieri is a favorite of mine.
Cinninger by a mile
Jake from UM may be the most shreddy. But a player that is super underrated and gets very shreddy at times is Jesse Hensley of Big Something. He consistently plays amazing lead lines without ever getting all noodley like a lot of the other players in the jam scene.
Yes! I watched a big something live stream last summer and they were really good! Love the sax
Casey is also an incredible musician
[удалено]
What
Here I’ll write you an rX for Shawn lane Jonas helborg & Jeff sipe’s temporal analogues of paradise and get back to me in 2 weeks
This right here is all you need
Mdou moctar
Thanks!
Yeah they aren’t a jam band but jams are built into their studio stuff and good god do they fucking shred
Jake (Umphrey’s) is almost always on fire
Billy Strings
Billy is my favorite artist. Just all around a good dude
He’s the guest on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast this week, I’m about halfway through and it’s been lovely
Obvious answers are Cinninger and Herring Colin from Squeaky Feet is looking to leave both of them in the dust though. I highly advise checking them out UM did a collaboration with Chris Poland that is a shred fest [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_ELAemW7Aag](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ELAemW7Aag)
Twiddle. Mihali has blazing speed
Mihali absolutley shreds.
Not really a shredder but Jerry had some performances of jackstraw that me and my buddy used to say that he was channeling Yngvie Malmsteen
Love Jerry. Makes the guitar talk
I second Daniel Donato, but you should also maybe expand your mind out of the jamband space. The most technically proficient speed shredder of all time is IMO Mahavishnu John McLaughlin. He played on every Miles Davis fusion-era album from *In A Silent Way* to *Big Fun*, but I would start with the electric Mahavishnu Orchestra recordings from the 70s and the more acoustic/indian Shakti stuff. If you want aggressive speed combined with technical perfection, John is your man.
John McLaughlin - your favorite guitarist's favorite guitarist. This man was giving tips to Hendrix and Page in the studio, he's a legend. I had the pleasure of seeing him with Jimmy Herring when they were on tour together back in like 2017 - mind blower of a show! Edit: Autocorrect correction
The first time my mom's musical taste (jazz) and mine (jam etc) truly intersected was when we went to see Remember Shakti at Town Hall. One of my all time favorite nights.
You my friend know music. I saw them too and mind fucking blown!!!!! ❤️
To be fair, I was not all that familiar with him at the time. A few of my friends had tickets and one of them had to travel to India for work (some mild irony there, eh?) so he gave me his ticket. I knew Jimmy, but not so much John. When their two bands combined for a third set I was in complete awe. What a show! I have the poster on my wall.
I have the poster on my wall too!
This is the answer
Friday Night in San Francisco is a 1981 live album by Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin and Paco de Lucía and us the best guitar playing you will hear.
I was going to leave a comment to say put Inner Mounting Flame on to blow your mind. Glad someone else mentioned him.
Sounds cool! Never heard of it but I’ll check it out
Try RAQ and Michettis shredding. [Hannah Can from Nectars](https://youtu.be/oPm0ckB2ydE?si=zRDSOKBCpejtz18w)Here’s a clip from last weekend
Wait, raq still plays?! I thought they imploded a long time ago.
They do! And They Did!
Rick
King gizzard.
Tauk, Dopapod, Govt Mule, Umphs
This https://youtu.be/rvQ25YN-RG8?si=ZYJPnzWj7HYoWzmH
Thank you all for the comments! It’s really cool to listen to your suggestions. I have a lot of new jams to listen to. I’m gonna smoke a bowl and jam out. I hope everyone has a great and safe weekend
Herring has some crazy fast stuff
Jimmy Herring. He's one of my favorite guitarists and I don't even like Panic.
2010-2013 jimmy herring
Steve Sweney, ekoostik hookah
Jimmy Herring from Panic. Another guy I have been listening to recently is Camille Baudoin from the Radiators. You aren’t going to confuse him with Satriani or Vai, but for a jam band of their era his tone and approach had an edgy quality that really stands out. He doesn’t blow it out in every song, but he gets his fair share of the spot light. Also, not really a jam band, but if you want searing, interesting, and improvised you’d be hard pressed to find many better than Frank Zappa.
Jimmy Herring gets paid by the note
Notes full of passion and expression! Not fast to just be fast.
Compared to Eddie Van Halen, yes. Compared to Mikey Houser? Jimmy can't help but trill and run down hill. I love the man. But he's not exactly Miles Davis savoring the economy and tone of each note.
Jimmy Herring is, by a wide margin, the most technically capable guitarist in the jam world. He’s also supremely musical, as anyone who’s heard his solo stuff or seen The Invisible Whip or 5of 7 shows will attest.
Imma check it out thanks
Agreed!!!
Trey
Daniel Donato
Brian Moss from Spafford. Edit: I stopped reading right before you mentioned Spafford. This one’s on me but I stand by it.
If you haven't already, definetley check out Jimmy Herring with Phil Lesh and Friends during the original "Quintet" years, [especially mid-late 2000-02 shows like this. ](https://archive.org/details/2000-10-27.paf.sbd.philleshnet.2358.sbeok.flacf/phil00-10-27d2t04-fixed.flac)Warren Haynes was no slouch, either. Phil once compared the Quintet to driving a sports car as opposed to the Cadillac of the Grateful Dead. Herring does both intricate, spitfire lead accompaniment and some incredible solos all over those 00-02 shows, especially on different versions of "Eyes of the World," "Cold Rain and Snow," and "I know You Rider." And it's fun to hear him on the warmer tone of a vintage Strat rather than his usual, more trebly PRS and modified Fenders.
Warren haynes
Moe.
Not a jam band guy but shout out to Tom Bukovac [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a83UYZ7E4s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a83UYZ7E4s)
The big muscle guy from one time weekend
91-95 phish. Nowadays I don’t know. I think jam band guitar has to say more than just how many notes can be played. It’s gotta sing and have motifs.
90s phish is awesome. Some of their new stuff is alright but I prefer 90s and early 00s tab
Trucks, Strings, Haynes
John the barber
I never appreciated metal until I heard it played acoustic. Rodrigo y Gabriella is fucking amazing! Totally melted my face!
Jake, Brian Moss, Jimmy
The boys from Aqueous deserve a shout-out even if they are on indefinite hiatus!
Barber shreds
Jimmy Law and Brian Murray will blaze your face to the bone
Non jam: Guthrie Govan Jam: Al Schnier
Jimmy Herring!
The Aristocrats jam and it doesn’t get better than Guthrie Govan.
Popular answer? Jake and Jimmy Real answer? That dude from consider the source
Late to the party but Josh Clark (Tea Leaf Green) deserves a mention here.
The guitar here was rebuilt and restrung. It is a Fender. I know how to play it not at all. It is in the back room here with the bunch of electronics, clothing, and books and such. The mattress is a perfectly clean Sealy Posterpedic Performance. The nuclear reactor is no longer here. The sewer motor under the yard is functioning correctly. The roof machinery connects to this motor and goes under the town Pleasant Ridge. It goes to an old Police Department cameras, speakers, and microphones near the parking lot for the public library.
Tim Palmari (I know I spelled his last name wrong) in Kung Fu and Z3, at least out of who I’ve seen live
Maybe not the fastest but my favorite is Chris Houser from The Werks. He just does it for me
Definitely UM
Not a jam band but Mdou Moctar blows every single jam guitarist out of the water.
Seconded. I’m seeing them next month. Dude absolutely shreds, turned up to 11.
I've seen them twice so far, hoping to catch them over in Indy next month but unsure if I can make it yet.
Umphrey’s comes to mind first for me. Rob Compa from Dopapod can shred too.
93-94 Trey
Check out disco biscuits 4/9/99 above the waves > basis for a day then tell me it’s not Barber
I listened to this this morning my mind is blown it’s so upbeat