I have the answer to all your questions.
Charlie Hunter
This cat is awesome. I've written about him here before. He's a new, modern, funky jazz guitarist on an 8-string guitar (5 guitar and 3 bass strings), and he plays with some kick-ass musicians. One album will feature a sax as the main instrument, another one will feature the vibes, some just have him and drums...
alkaiser, grondar, mantus:
Start with Bing! Bing! Bing! and work your way up. You'll love it. I think it's just what you're looking for.