Search - Barney Kessel :: Autumn Leaves

Recorded in the late-1960s, this collection includes some worthwhile trio selections featuring Barney Kessel's tangy guitar on a variety of material. What comes into clear focus is Kessel's versatility: he's restrained and elegant in some spots, aggressive and inventive in others. He's also capable of moving from resourceful chord-based passages to nasty blues patterns to supple single-note sections with ease. On Michel Legrand's "Watch What Happens," for instance, he starts with a gentle, languid bossa nova feel before snapping into a much more energetic mood. Three big-band cuts from 1969 fill out the collection in somewhat uneven fashion--with clunky overdubs and a slicker pop-leaning sound--and not all of the trio songs are first-rate, but Kessel fans and guitar students may find some things to relish here. --Marc Greilsamer