Catalogus

Three Classic Albums Plus: Some Like It Hot (1959)

Tot aan de randen gevulde dubbel-CD-set met drie complete albums: "Some Like It Hot" (1959), "The Poll Winners" (1957) en "Modern Jazz Performances Fro Bizets Opera Carmen" (1959). Als een soort bonus is ook driekwart van "The Poll Winners Ride Again!" (1959) toegevoegd. "Some Like It Hot" maakte de gitarist in een flinke bezetting met o.a. Art Pepper (rieten) en Shelly Manne (d). De stukken trachten de sfeer te schetsen van de jaren '20, passend bij de gelijknamige gangsterkomedie. Op de Poll Winners-platen werkt Kessel met Ray Brown (b) en Shelly Manne (d), die alledrie recente jazzpolls aanvoerden. Dat leidt tot stomende gitaarhardbop in eind-fifties-stijl, waarin de heren laten horen waaróm ze gewonnen hebben. De plaat met interpretaties van Bizets "Carmen" is de meest afwijkende. Met o.a. vibraharp-speler Victor Feldman en pianist André Previn tackelt hij Spaans-gekruide melodieën als de Habanera van de Franse 19de eeuwse componist. Op deze pagina vindt u links naar uitgebreidere recensies op Allmusic.

Soulville (1957)

Saxofonist met uniek, zwoel timbre, bekend van z'n werk voor Duke Ellington. Deze plaat uit 1957 is een van z'n mooiste, met o.a. Oscar Peterson (p), Ray Brown (b) en Herb Ellis (g). Varierend van desolaat klinkende ballads tot stevig bopwerk.

Solo (1983)

"One of the finest guitarists to emerge after the death of Charlie Christian, Barney Kessel (1923-2004) was a reliable bop soloist throughout his career. He started playing in big bands in de forties and also issued albums as a leader since the early fifties. This is an unusual set, the only full-length program of unaccompanied guitar solos he recorded, in 1983. Although Kessel was not as skilled in solo work as Joe Pass, the music is relaxed, melodic and tasteful. The interpretations are concise and highlighted by "Brazil," "You Are the Sunshine of My Life," and "Alfie"." (Scott Yanow, Allmusic)

Swingin' Party At Contemporary

Live in de studio, met publiek, opgenomen in 1960. Met Kessel (g), Marvin Jenkins (p,fl), Gary Peacock (b) & Ron Lundberg (d). Stukken van o.a. Charlie Parker en Ahmad Jamal met swingende 'feel good'-sfeer gespeeld, met veel ruimte voor soli.

Great Guitars Live (2001)

"Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel, and Charlie Byrd made five recordings under the banner Great Guitars for Concord between 1976 and 1982; this two-CD set combines both of their concert performances. With bassist Joe Byrd and either Jimmie Smith or Chuck Redd on drums, the guitarists complement one another's playing throughout both shows, with the two former Oscar Peterson sidemen on electric guitar and Byrd sticking to acoustic guitar. They primarily stick to standards of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s during the 1980 set taped at the Paul Masson Mountain Winery. Byrd, best known for helping to launch the bossa nova craze during the early '60s, shines in the extended workout of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "So Danço Samba" and a solo performance of "You Took Advantage of Me." The second disc comes from a 1982 concert at Charlie's Georgetown in Washington, D.C., and features a more wide-ranging program. Starting with a breezy take of "Where or When," the guitarists are in top form." (Ken Dryden, Allmusic)

The first four albums (2010)