Historically, Django Reinhardt established a playing style that many jazz and jazz-fusion-rock guitarists are emulating. So, I'm tempted to lay it on him. However, rating the "best" of any artform is somewhat juvenile, in my opinion. It's like saying, who's the best impressionist of all time? Who's the best in architecture: Greece or Rome? At one moment I can be listening to Chet Atkins; another, Andres Segovia; or, Pat Metheny; Brian Hughes; Steve Vai; you want fast playing and perfectly-timed duos: Farrah and Strunz...and I love each one for similar yet different levels of style and appeal...and the things they can do on guitar that I can only DREAM of.
I read the entire list--and concluded that the average person's knowledge doesn't go much beyond contemporary music...which is fine, but anyone who emphatically proclaims that, say, Leslie West was WAY better than Wes Montgomery, Charlie Christian or Les Paul is merely advertising their limited musical education/experience.
