Herb Ellis, Tal Farlow and Charlie Byrd exemplify the breadth of American jazz. These elder statesmen of the instrument have well over a century of combined knowledge and experience, and their styles cover a vast spectrum of the music, from straight-ahead swing, to be-bop, to bossa nova and beyond. Herb Ellis established an impeccable standard for swinging, mainstream jazz guitar through his extensive work in concert and on record with numerous great jazz instrumentalists including Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Harry Edison and singer Ella Fitzgerald. Tal Farlow's nimble and innovative playing with the Red Norvo Trio is considered pure genius, and few guitarists have matched his unusual dexterity and sense of harmony. Charlie Byrd pioneered the use of the classical guitar in jazz and introduced America to the beauty of Brazilian bossa nova. Billed as the Great Guitars, the playing of this remarkable group is a short course in the history of jazz guitar.