Anji

Simon & Garfunkel, 1966. Solo by Paul Simon.

Simon's reading of Davy Graham's fingerstyle standard is a brief instrumental on Sounds of Silence.

Anji is Paul Simon's reading of Davy Graham's fingerstyle standard, a brief instrumental on Sounds of Silence. The piece is built on a descending bass line and syncopated melody, and Simon plays it with clean, confident precision. Graham's composition was a rite of passage for British folk guitarists, and Simon's version brought it to a wider audience. The track is short but shows real skill, and it reveals how closely the American folk scene was listening to the British one at the time. Listen for the walking bass line under the melody, which gives the piece its jazzy, rolling momentum.

Anji by Simon & Garfunkel is featured in our Folk Rock (#18) list. The solo is played by Paul Simon and the song was released in 1966.

In our lists

• The 25 Greatest Folk Rock Guitar Solos — #18

Sources