Search - Barney Kessel :: First Four Albums

First Four Albums
Barney Kessel
First Four Albums
Genres: Jazz, Pop
 
  •  Track Listings (24) - Disc #1
  •  Track Listings (22) - Disc #2

(2-CD set) Barney Kessel was a self taught guitarist whose main influence was the legendary and tragic jazz guitarist Charlie Christian. After playing in local bands Barney relocated to Los Angeles where he freelanced for ...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Barney Kessel
Title: First Four Albums
Members Wishing: 1
Total Copies: 0
Label: Avid Records UK
Original Release Date: 1/1/2008
Re-Release Date: 3/11/2008
Genres: Jazz, Pop
Styles: Cool Jazz, Bebop
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 5022810192121

Synopsis

Album Description
(2-CD set) Barney Kessel was a self taught guitarist whose main influence was the legendary and tragic jazz guitarist Charlie Christian. After playing in local bands Barney relocated to Los Angeles where he freelanced for such great band leaders as Charlie Barnet, Artie Shaw, Les Brown and Benny Goodman. We include his first four LP's in their entirety (minus one short track): Easy Like, Plays Standards, To Swing Or Not To Swing and Music To Listen To Barney Kessel By. Supported by such fine award winning musicians as Shelly Manne, Bud Shank, Harry Edison and Bill Perkins these four albums show us what a superb guitarist and arranger Barney Kessel really was!
 

CD Reviews

COOL BOP-INFLUENCED WEST COAST JAZZ
Barry McCanna | Normandy, France | 04/13/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)

"There's only one track missing from this compilation, which is excusable, given that both CDs run to over 79 minutes. The albums in question, which date from the mid-fifties, are "Easy Like" (on which Bud Shank plays flute and alto), "BK Plays Standards" (featuring Bob Cooper on oboe), "To Swing Or Not To Swing" (including Harry "Sweets" Edison, Georgie Auld, Jimmy Rowles, Al Hendrickson, and Shelley Manne, but minus "Twelfth Street Rag"), and "Music To Listen To BK By". The influence of Charlie Christian on Kessel's playing is in evidence throughout, and I've thoroughly enjoyed this compilation of cool bop-influenced West Coast jazz."