Ah, the days of the session guitarist...
Once upon a time, if a person was particularly good on their instrument, they could make a good living as a session player. These hotshots would be hired by the day (or by the album if they were lucky) and follow direction from the producer to play some spectacular parts for a given song. Then they’d pack up and hit the road, once again becoming available for another session in another city.
This is the way it was for decades, and whilst that scene is now a fraction of what it once was, we still remember the titans of the session world. Of course, all instruments had their session greats, but since we are guitarguitar, I want to focus in on some great examples of session guitarists. You’ll have probably heard of most of these people, but maybe not all of the music they’re known for! I also expect that one or two bassists will show up on this list too, just for good measure.
In no order then, here are the greatest session guitarists EVER!
The Greatest Session Guitarists at a Glance
Steve Lukather
Say ‘session guitarist’ to most music fans today and the first name they’ll think of is Steve Lukather. He is of course well known for his day job in Toto, but Luke has played on literally thousands of top recordings, including Michael Jackson’s Beat It (though famously not the solo!), Cher’s If I Could Turn Back Time and an endless list of other pop and rock bangers (Diana Ross, Alice Cooper, Elton John etc). Basically, even if you’ve never heard Toto before (unlikely), there’s still no way you haven’t heard Lukather’s playing on something.
Carol Kaye
Bassist Carol Kaye has played on some of the most famous songs in existence. As part of the famous ‘Wrecking Crew’, she was on-call to come in as part of an ensemble of killer players and play quickly and efficiently on whatever was needed. We’re talking about the Beach Boys, the Supremes and Simon & Garfunkel here! Kaye has played on thousands of hit songs, making her one of the ‘most-heard’ musicians in the world.
Jimmy Page
Yes, you’ve heard of this guy! Before he was headlining Madison Square Gardens with Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page was a session ace on the 1960s London Circuit. That’s him playing on Shirley Bassey’s 007 theme for Goldfinger. He’s also on Baby Please Don’t Go by Them, and Downtown by Petula Clark. Weirdly, he also played on The Who’s I Can’t Explain, with his part doubling Townshend’s guitar only much lower in the mix. Why? Dunno, but Page said that he had a ‘magical experience’ in the control room, so it’s a win!
Chet Atkins
The original ‘Certified Guitar Player’ was a huge Nashville session guy back in the glory days. He and his Gretsch found its way onto recordings with Elvis Presley, Jim Reeves and the Carter Sisters, and basically determined the early Nashville Sound. That’s quite apart from the dozens of solo albums he released, and the collaborations he created with Mark Knopfler, Les Paul, Tommy Emmannuel and many others. Busy guy!
Larry Carlton
If you’re good enough for the ultra-specific requirements of Steely Dan, then you can confidently call yourself ‘good’. I’m sure Larry Carlton already knew that, of course, since the jazz fusion legend has also sessioned for Joni Mitchell, John Lennon and Quincey Jones.
Fredrik Akesson
The Opeth lead guitarist is rightly hailed as a contemporary virtuoso, but it’s slightly less well known that he has session-played the majority of guitar parts on mega-band Ghost’s last two records, including all of the solos. A demanding gig, given that head-ghost Tobias Forge is an exacting producer himself, and no slouch on the guitar!
Duane Allman
You know him from the Allman Brothers, and you definitely know him from Layla, where he played that immortal phrase wrongly credited to Eric Clapton. What is less well known about the late slide legend is that he appeared on a large number of recordings as a session player. Top names too, including Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin and even the Rolling Stones! Did they not have enough guitarists already?
Marc Ribot
New York guitarist Marc Ribot is best known for his energetic, squonky contributions to several Tom Waits records over the years. He’s certainly the perfect guy for that role, but there are many sides to his playing, not least his jazz, avant-garde and ‘world’ music styles. He’s collaborated with NY saxophone mangler John Zorn, covered Frantz Casseus and loads more. As a session guy, he has joined Alison Krauss, Chuck Berry, Elvis Costello and literally hundreds more.
Dann Huff
Nashville producer Dann Huff is also a top session guy. He’s got some range: how many people do you know of who have worked with both Whitesnake and Taylor Swift? And Michael Jackson? And George Benson? He’s proof of how adaptable you need to be to succeed in the session game. Tyler guitars noticed, and awarded him his own signature Dann Huff Studio Elite model: surely the ultimate session guitar?
Tony Levin
Bass legend Tony Levin has been very visible as a touring member of Peter Gabriel’s band for 40 years, and as a member of King Crimson. That would be enough for everlasting fame, but Tony has also appeared on sessions for Tom Waits, John Lennon and a huge number of other stars. Hear about it all in my exclusive video interview with him, right here.
Brent Mason
Brent Mason is one of the most prolific studio guitarists in the country scene. Inside and outside of the Nashville system, Mason has put his indelible mark on thousands of recordings over the last 4 decades.
Brent was actually discovered and mentored by the great Chet Atkins himself, so there was a bit of the passing-of-the-torch when Mason became the primo country session player. He has won the ACM (Academy of Country Music) Award for best guitarist 14 times (!) and is actually available to work with you remotely! Worth a shot, right?
Mike Landau
Mike Landau’s session CV is perhaps the ultimate flex: he has contributed to music by Michael Jackson, Seal, Stevie Nicks, Phil Collins, Pink Floyd, Rod Stewart, Whitney Houston and even Miles Davis! Sacre bleu!
That’s impressive. You don’t get those gigs by being mediocre, and Landau is anything but that. For tone and taste, he’s the top guy. Landau is big on using Tyler Studio Elite guitars, and even had a band called Burning Water. Which came first? Okay, I know the answer: Tyler created the Burning Water finish for Landau, naming it after his band!
Reb Beach
Known well for being a member of 80s hard rockers Winger and Whitesnake, Reb Beach has also carved a name for himself as a session ace. The long-time Suhr endorsee has appeared on recordings with Roger Daltrey, Alice Cooper, Twister Sister and movie soundtracks for The Lost Boys, Karate Kid II and Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey.
Tommy Tedesco
Tommy Tedesco was another member of the famous Wrecking Crew, alongside bassist Carol Kaye. Some of Tommy’s most well-known performances were on 60s TV show theme tunes like Batman, The Twilight Zone and Bonanza. He has been reported to be the most recorded guitarist in history, and worked with almost every A-lister from the 60s through to the 80s. Names? Okay: Elvis, Sam Cooke, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Zappa, the Beach Boys, the Mamas and the Papas, Cher and literally hundreds more.
Rather excellently, he was also the original guitarist for the Rocky Horror Show!
Alan Murphy
British guitarist Alan Murphy lived for a tragically short time, but he certainly made his years count! Known as a virtuoso from an early age, Murphy found success as a session player, touring sideman and occasional co-writer. He had his own band SFX, but was far better known for his contributions to the music of Go West, Level 42, Mike & The Mechanics and Kate Bush. Preferring to use a modified Squier Strat and a Fender Champ, Murphy was able to generate a huge amount of variation of soul from his simple setup.
Tom Bukovac
Nashville is not a town short of good guitar players. To become well known there, then, means you’re REALLY good, and this is the case for Tom Bukovac. “Uncle Larry”, as he is known for reasons that quite escape me, is a man with well over 500 professional sessions to his name. Bukovac was actually something on an ‘inside secret’, if you will, until he created his own YouTube channel and revealed his genius to the world at large. In terms of song credits, Tom has appeared on songs for Gwen Stefani, Megan Moroney, Keith Urban, Chris Shiflett and bucketloads more.
Michael Thompson
Michael Thompson is another session ace with tone and taste to spare. A Berklee graduate who studied under no less a tutor than Pat Metheny, Thompson then headed to Los Angeles and landed a touring gig with Joe Cocker before embarking on a career as a gun-for-hire.
One area in which Michael Thompson has thrived has been in movie soundtracks: he has worked with Hans Zimmer, Stewart Copeland, James Newton Howard and many more.
When Dan Huff left LA for Nashville, he actually put out word that producers looking for a guitarist should hire Thompson. As a guitarist, that’s some pretty high praise!
The Days of the Gunslingers
The heyday of the session scene is probably gone for good now. There is still an industry for it, and a need for great players, but in 2025, the opportunities to earn as a session player are dwarfed in comparison to the number of excellent guitarists out there. We live in a different time, and so much about the industry has changed. Some people may even be happy with AI guitar parts on their music, but I personally don’t think that’ll dominate. I don’t have a crystal ball here, but humanity - and the connection we feel as humans when we experience the great art of another human being - will always win, so maybe there will be a resurgence of session scenes in the future. Who knows? Until then, these are the people to beat.
