Editing Jazz guitar (section)

===Late 1930s-1960s===
During the late 1930s and through the 1940s—the heyday of [[big band]] jazz and [[swing music]]—the guitar was an important [[rhythm section]] instrument. Some guitarists, such as [[Freddie Green]] of [[Count Basie]]'s band, developed a guitar-specific style of accompaniment. Few of the big bands, however, featured amplified guitar solos, which were done instead in the small combo context. The most important jazz guitar soloists of this period included[[Django Reinhardt]], the Manouche virtuoso; [[Oscar Moore]] who was featured with [[Nat “King” Cole]]'s trio and [[Charlie Christian]] of [[Benny Goodman]]'s band and sextet who was a major influence despite his death early in 1942 at the age of 25. Also noteworthy was [[Mike Danzi]] who performed with the [[Alex Hyde]] Orchestra in the United States as well as with several jazz orchestras throughout Germany during the 1930s.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120313062344/http://www.centerforjazzarts.org/danzi_exhibition.html Center For Jazz Arts: "An American In Berlin" Mike Danzi on centerforjazzarts.org]</ref> 

[[File:Duke Ellington - Hurricane Ballroom - rhythm section.jpg|thumb|[[Duke Ellington]]'s [[big band]] had a rhythm section that included a jazz guitarist, a double bass player, and a drummer (not visible).]]

It was not until the large-scale emergence of small combo jazz post-WWII that the guitar took off as a versatile instrument which was used both in the rhythm section and as a featured melodic instrument and solo improviser. In the hands of [[George Barnes (musician)|George Barnes]], [[Billy Bauer]], [[Kenny Burrell]], [[Herb Ellis]], [[Barney Kessel]], [[Jimmy Raney]], and [[Tal Farlow]], who had absorbed the language of [[bebop]], the guitar began to be seen as a “serious” jazz instrument. Improved electric guitars such as Gibson's [[Gibson ES-175|ES-175]] (released in 1949), gave players a larger variety of tonal options. In the 1940s through the 1960s, players such as [[Wes Montgomery]], [[Joe Pass]], [[Al Caiola]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Carlton |first1=Jim |chapter=Al Ciola (A Career At The Top) |pages=5–18 |chapter-url={{GBurl|p6pLpxEGRuoC|p=5}} |title=Conversations with Great Jazz and Studio Guitarists |date=2012 |publisher=Mel Bay Publications |isbn=978-1-61911-052-6 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Sullivan |first1=Steve |chapter=The Magnificent Seven (1960)—Al Caiola and His Orchestra |pages=334–335 |chapter-url={{GBurl|GQglDwAAQBAJ|p=335}} |title=Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings |date=2017 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-4422-5449-7 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Roberts |first1=Sam |title=Al Caiola, Guitarist With Top 40 Instrumental Hits, Dies at 96 |id={{ProQuest|1842929920}} |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/24/arts/music/al-caiola-guitarist-who-played-hit-tv-themes-dies-at-96.html |work=The New York Times |date=24 November 2016 }}</ref> [[Tony Mottola]]<ref> {{cite web|title=Tony Mottola, 86; Composer, Guitarist Played With Sinatra|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-aug-13-me-passings13.2-story.html|website=Los Angeles Times|access-date=17 June 2017|date=13 August 2004}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=Guitarist Tony Mottola Dies At 86| url = http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/1431176/guitarist-tony-mottola-dies-at-86|magazine=Billboard|access-date=17 June 2017|language=en|date=10 August 2004}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Project 3 Is Joint Singer-Light Firm |page=74 |url={{GBurl|CgEAAAAMBAJ|p=74}} |magazine=Billboard |volume=79 |issue=7 |date=18 February 1967 }}</ref> and [[Jim Hall (musician)|Jim Hall]] laid the foundation of what is now known as "jazz guitar" playing.