Entertainment : Best guitarist alive today
Don’t write an article entitled “Best Guitarist Alive Today” and not have the courage to go out on a limb. Defend your choice. Don’t go for the coy approach and give an “anti” list of great guitarists. Oh, and certainly don’t accuse us music writers of “chasing (our) ‘tale’ ” (his word). I will tell you who the best guitarist is and I will not cloud the answer with dead guitarists, “anti” answers, or any of the other trickery that apparently lands your article at the top of the heap in this category.
Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains is the best guitarist alive today. Here’s why;
JC is a gifted songwriter and lyricist. Much of the credit given to singer Layne Staley (R.I.P.) for his dark connection with his audience can be attributed to JC’s ingenious mix of dissonant minor melodies, down tuned guitars, and vocal harmony. These are the foundations of a band that was a cornerstone for what was soon dubbed the “grunge” movement. A great guitarist is one who can innovate with consistency and make it stick. Eddie Van Halen was interesting for a few years. Honestly, can anyone defend his choice of Gary Cherone to front the band a few years back? EVH lost his edge. JC is still selling out large venues with the resurrected Alice in Chains and is being urged by fans to produce a new album. Usually, when an iconic singer (Staley) dies, the band dies in kind. Not in this case. The guitarist is so great that he can command the spotlight as a solo artist, producing three outstanding albums and then single-handedly resurrecting the infamously dysfunctional family of Alice in Chains.
No living guitarist can rival Cantrell’s “street cred” with both mainstream and underground fans. Even Kirk Hammett, a reputable also-ran in this category, reigned for over a decade as lord of the underground metal scene. Then he sat for the most infamous haircut in Heavy Metal history. He emerged with Metallica, a buffed-to-a-sheen version of himself and immediately cashed in his street cred for a litany of MTV appearances. Then, along with his band mates, he sued the icon of the underground, Napster. A great guitarist must be great to their fans and consistent in their product. Cantrell is both.
Finally, the organic fretboard magic he executes dubs Jerry Cantrell’s axe sacred in the realm of guitarists. Juxtaposed on the same album, “Dirt”, Cantrell seamlessly cascades from somber arpeggios (“Down in a Hole”, “Rooster”) to raging riffs (Them Bones, Damn That River) while leaving ample time to inject solos that leave the listener amazed without leaving the feel of the song (the sin committed by many of the Shred Shed Vai, Malmsteen, etc). The virtuosity and ease in executing his finely penned songs that range from genuine ballads to mosh pit anthems further exemplifies why Jerry Cantrell is the best guitarist alive (and still recording) today.
I recall a conversation with a producer I know who is an outstanding crafter of beats, synth, etc. In the background played a mix tape he had been given as a gift. “Bleed the Freak”, an Alice in Chains song from the album “Facelift” began and silenced us immediately. Unaware of our simultaneous silence, we listened to the intro as it bled into the first chorus. Awakened from our trance, we looked at each other in an almost awkward moment. It was then that my friend said simply, “Wow, this is a great song. I definitely don’t listen to Alice in Chains enough.”
When professional producers say that when they hear your music, you are a great band.
When you are the guitarist of said band, you are a great guitarist.
When you can do this with consistency and vigor for two decades, then you are the “Best Guitarist Alive Today”.
Without question, Jerry Cantrell is this guitarist. The most interesting thing is, you may not even know it yet
Learn more about this author, Cody Peters.
