Stonewall Jackson--don't be angry" forever associated with playing music with my dad. Betchya we play it at least once when I'm home next week.
Buck Owens--buckaroo. One of the best classic country guitar instrumentals and a fond memory of my uncle Rick, dad's brother, who played it very well. He wasn't home much, preferring to bum around in Cali, but I remember him playing it. Again, I'll probably be playing that one next week too.

George Jones--the race is on. I lived a lot of years wondering what that guitar sound was in the solo. Had never heard of a baritone guitar or tictac bass.

2 Brent mason recordings. His guitar solo on Alan Jackson's Don't even know her name, and his own composition Hotwired. Stunning examples of modern chicken pickin style, using outside notes and scales far beyond pentatonics.

You are my Sunshine. Always remember the many happy hours of my grandpa teaching me to play harmonica when I was only 4. He knew 4 guitar chords; that was it. But he and I had a lot of fun over the years playing the old-time music.

Take six-- Goldmine. First time I heard that song in high school, and was unable to believe it was humanly possible to sing that in tune, with that level of harmonic sophistication. That song introduced me to the dominant 7 sharp 11 chord, which is the basis for my SZ handle.

But Beautiful. Loved the song when I learned it in college, and went down in history to stay when I had the extreme honor to play that song with Kenny Burrell, the one and only time I met him in Cali during the winter namm.

What is Hip-- Tower of Power. I'd never heard groove and beats like that in all my life and it sent me down the road to learning about funk music.

So there's a few. I could name so many more, but....