The 3 guitar teachers:
Bill Suyker (studied 1956-57)
Roy Smeck (studied 1958-63)
Sal Salvador (studied 1963-66)
Late 50’s and early 60’s:
Duane Eddy
The Ventures
Jorgen Ingmann
Howard Roberts
Tommy Tedesco
Manitas de Plata
Andres Segovia
James Burton
Scotty Moore
Billy Butler
Hank Garland
Jim Hall
Chet Atkins
Chuck Berry
Wayne Bennett
Bo Diddley
Lonnie Mack
Buddy Merrill & Neil LeVang
Bob Bain
Les Paul
Mid 60’s:
Curtis Mayfield
Steve Cropper
Richie Havens
Levon and The Hawks (a.k.a. The Band)
Jerry Miller (Moby Grape)
The Yardbirds (w/Beck and Page)
Jimi Hendrix
Leslie West
B.B. King
Robert Lockwood Jr.
Rick Derringer
Wes Montgomery
Kenny Burrell
Johnny Smith
Ernest Ranglin
Grant Green
Mid 60’s – Mid 70’s in the N.Y. Studios:
Cornell Dupree
Hugh McCracken
David Spinozza
Denny Dias
Vinnie Bell
“Bucky” Pizzarelli
Jay Berliner
Jerry Freidman
John Tropea
Joe Beck
Eric Weissberg
Jeff Mironov
Late 60’s – Early 70’s:
Domenic Troiano
Bonnie Raitt
David Lyndley
Danny Kortchmar
Ry Cooder
Randy California
Amos Garrett
Harvey Mandel
Tony Rice
Jack Bruce
Arsenio Rodriguez
Yomo Toro
Other Essential Influences:
George Gershwin (composer)
Aaron Copeland (composer)
Leonard Bernstein (composer)
Carman Moore (composer)
Charles Stepney (composer)
Galt McDermott (composer)
Edgard Varèse (composer, syntheist)
Bill Whelan (composer)
Jimmy Smith (organ)
Carson Whitsett (organ)
Suzanne Ciani (synthesis)
King Curtis (saxophone)
Chuck Rainey (bass)
Don Covay (producer and songwriter)
Bobby “Blue” Bland (vocalist)
Richard Penniman a.k.a. Little Richard
Mose Allison (vocalist & piano)
Joel Dorn (producer)
Jerry Wexler (producer)
Ravi Shankar (sitar)
Dr. John a.k.a. Mac Rebennack (keyboards and voc)
Ramsey Lewis (piano)
Otis Spann (piano)
Paul Griffin (keyboards)
Ray Charles (keyboards and voc)
Sam Cooke (voc)
Aretha Franklin (voc)
Bernard Purdie (drums)
Grady Tate (drums)
Jeff Porcaro (drums)
Steve Gadd (drums)
Charles “Honeyboy” Otis (drums)
Ray Barretto (congas, percussion)
John Mayall (harmonica)
Georgie Fame (vocal & piano)
Toots Thielemans (harmonica & guitar)
Don “Sugarcane” Harris (violin)
Gene Bianco (harp)
Miles Davis (trumpet)
Stan Getz (saxophone)
Paul Desmond (saxophone)
Phil Woods (saxophone)
Chet Baker (trumpet)
M.C. Escher
René Magritte
Mark Rothko
Georgia O’Keeffe
Frank Lloyd Wright
Le Corbusier
Ernst Haas
Henri Cartier-Bresson
NB: This list could never really be complete; there are so many more musical inspirations that I’ve had through the years. I will continue to add to it from time to time…