I’ve written about Tommy Tedesco and jazz’s “unsung heroes” on this blog before. It bears worth mentioning once again that many jazz musicians relied on their studio session work more than anything else to put food on their family’s table. While Tommy Tedesco played guitar as a session musician on albums that garnered millions for well-known artists, he never had a successful recording career himself.
Sadly, Tedesco’s highly influential and often brilliant studio work mostly went unaccredited (cf. Denny Tedesco’s Wrecking Crew documentary and Guitar World‘s 2014 interview with him). I recently discovered a powerful example of this when I watched the 1970 John Wayne western Rio Lobo.
The opening sequence was fascinating and unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. William H. Clothier, cinematographer for countless westerns, including many John Wayne westerns, and main title 
designer Dan Perri, who for many years remained uncredited as the creator of the guitar sequence (Perri, along with George Lucas is best known for creating the famous “opening crawl” main title sequence for the very first Star Wars film: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, 1977) collaborated on the Rio Lobo opening sequence.
The Rio Lobo title sequence shows a Spanish style guitar being played from a variety of different angles, including an “inside” shot of the guitar from behind the strings. Composed by Jerry Goldsmith, the guitar instrumental itself is a rather run-of-the-mill sentimental Spanish melody. The musician is filmed while he fingers the chords and notes, using standard Spanish sounding arpeggios.
Curiously, I discovered that the guitarist was Tommy Tedesco, though he goes uncredited for his work. However, the musician shown playing in the film, according to Denny Tedesco, is not Tommy Tedesco. Tedesco never played using only his fingers; he only played using a pick.
Here’s the main title sequence to Rio Lobo:
How Tommy Tedesco’s playing ended up on the opening title sequence of a John Wayne movie is probably the same way he ended up playing on the Beach Boys Pet Sounds album: as a dedicated studio musician willing to lend his virtuoso guitar talents to anyone who needed him.
Call and Response 
what a great opening scene! Thanks for sharing, while I was reading this I was prepared to hunt down that opening segment and then there it was! Do you prefer finger or pick?
Miss V: I use a “hybrid” technique—both pick and finger. I hold the pick between my thumb and index finger, and use my middle finger pick out notes. I also sometimes use only pick and sometimes only fingers, depending on the style of music.
Could the guitarist be Sebastian? I think that is or was his name. His style of playing looks very similar.
Charles: Not entirely sure who you mean when you mention Sebastian, at least I’m not familiar with him. Thanks for your comment!
Here I am watching Rio Lobo…again, the opening guitar is simple but elegant. cgilde the style your describing is (well at least in bluegrass circles) , is called 3 finger picking, with pick and fingers. I play a Martin, myself, I’m thinking of how to adapt the Spanish style. That also gives me the opportunity to buy a new guitar…hehe.
Linda: Thanks for taking the time to stop by and leave a comment. I have a Guild that I play, and it’s hard for me to incorporate Spanish stylings. So, when I was in Mexico last year I bought a handmade Spanish style guitar. I now play almost exclusively with it.
It is one of the most beautiful guitar solo’s I’ve ever heard. I enjoy it every time I hear it. Just beautiful.
Trevy, I agree. Thanks for the comment.