Simply put, this professionally shot video – which was posted to YouTube about eight years ago – shows three guitar masters at work.
It’s an incredible – and purely instrumental – performance of Dire Straits’ “Sultans of Swing" by Tommy Emmanuel (right), John Jorgenson (standing), and Pedro Javier González. They’re backed by Roger Blavia on percussion and Toni Terré on bass.
The clip was directed by Maurizio Ongaro.
As (hopefully) you all know by now, Emmanuel is an Australian acoustic master who graced our pages many times, and the pages of our sister publication, Guitar World, with his “Emmanuel Dexterity" lesson column.
Jorgenson is best known for his work with Chris Hillman’s Desert Rose Band and, of course, the Hellecasters. He has played with everyone from the Byrds to Bob Dylan, Bob Seger, Johnny Cash, the Monkees’ Michael Nesmith, and Bonnie Raitt.
Pedro Javier González is a Spanish flamenco, jazz, and classical guitarist, composer, and producer. He has crossed paths with a wide range of artists, from B.B. King to Paco de Lucia – which is worth noting, since this performance captures something of the vibe of Friday Night in San Francisco, a well-known live album by De Lucia, Al Di Meola, and John McLaughlin.
“We’d heard Jimi Hendrix, we'd heard the Who, but now we finally got to see these guys. And watching Jimi Hendrix burn his guitar….” Grace Slick on Hendrix at Monterey, Jefferson Airplane and the Spanish origins of “White Rabbit”
“I’m still playing but I’m covered in blood. Billy’s looking at me like, ‘Yeah! That’s punk rock!'” Steve Stevens on his all-time worst gig with Billy Idol — and the visit to Jimi Hendrix's grave that never happened
