Jazz / Bop; Cool
Recorded: Los Angeles, California
Barney Kessel (1923-2004) was 16 years old when he met Charlie Christian, the father of modern jazz guitar, whom he acknowledged as his first and only influence. Like Christian, Kessel was raised in Oklahoma, but by the 1950s he had become a firmly established figure in both the pop and jazz worlds in Los Angeles. In these sessions he is in typical, hard-swinging form, leading two combos. The two dates were among the first to use the flute as a major voice in modern jazz (Bud Shank on the first date, Buddy Collettte on the second). Of the 11 works presented, five are the products of Kessel's fertile pen; two others are Duke Ellington standards.
Includes original liner notes by Nesuhi Ertegun.
Barney Kessel - guitar Bud Shank - alto saxophone, flute Buddy Collette - alto saxophone, flute Arnold Ross - piano Claude Williamson - piano Harry Babasin - bass Red Mitchell - bass Shelly Manne - drums |