Smooth Jazz: Guitar

The guitar is a natural fit for the refined sensibility of smooth jazz. Wes Montgomery forged the genre in the '60, downplaying improvisation for rich melodies and string arrangements. George Benson picked up the torch with 1976's Breezin', then Pat Metheny proved he could play sleek ballads along with out-there excursions. Earl Klugh, Chuck Loeb and others carried on the tradition.