Caesar, do you mean under- rated or unknown. Most of the guys mentioned so far are not as popular as they could be, but not underrated, IMO.
There are many great players out there, most of them are not so well known, an example of this would be: Robben Ford. Not under-rated by those in the know, but not very well known.
Under appreciated may be a better term, IMHO.
It aint the guy who is under-rated, it's the Blues!
...The music genre which most people don't get. ...Or more exactly; don't feel.
It's a state-of-soul; and or it's in you, or it ain't.
My favorite "lead" guitar players are not the fast gun slingers, but the guys whose riffs define a song as much or more than the vocal melodies, whose solos are little songs of their own. Guitar players who play like songwriters. Some of these players are very famous, but they're almost always underrated, because we think of fast, bluesy, extended, improvisational soloing as "great"'guitar playing - the gun slingers.
Some of the more famous examples of the kind of player I'm talking about -- George Harrison, Scotty Moore, James Burton, Mike Campbell, Pete Anderson, Martin Barre, Steve Howe (though he has it all and is not underrated).
Roy's "In The beginning" saw many many turns on the TT in the 70's. A classic album and thanks indeed for the reminder...time to seek out another copy.
How about Ramblin' Jack Elliot and Mac Mcleod? Both inventing picking styles (flat or clawhammer) that influenced Donovan who then taught these styles to a host of other rock musicians including McCartney and Lennon (see White Album and other songs).
How about Ramblin' Jack Elliot and Mac Mcleod? Both inventing picking styles (flat or clawhammer) that influenced Donovan who then taught these styles to a host of other rock musicians including McCartney and Lennon (see White Album and other songs).
I saw Jansch and Renbourn play in a beautiful (aesthetically and acoustically) small hall years ago. Renbourn was clearly the "better" player -- much more controlled, precise, clean -- nearly flawless technique on nearly classically complex material. Jansch was the opposite. He played with a wreckless abandon that bordered on sloppy without ever quite slipping over the edge. One could believe that at any moment is hands would fly off the instrument or he would fly off the stool. But the passion! My God the man was compelling to watch. I believe I once read someone referring to Jansch as the Jimi Hendrix of acoustic guitar. Not far off, that.
Roy's "In The beginning" saw many many turns on the TT in the 70's. A classic album and thanks indeed for the reminder...time to seek out another copy.
Relatively well known, but IMO one of the underrated ones as well.