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Originally Posted by takefive
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12-29-2019 04:03 PM
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Barney is one of my favorites and I a big fan. The only thing he gets a bit aggressive for me at times and then like others say he gets sloppy. He manages to set the standard for big full chord melody guitar that makes it sound much bigger. My favorite Kessel recording is Kessel Plays Standards. The only thing he really does not do as well as some is those neat and flowing bebop lines like Chuck Wayne, Jimmy Raney, and Tal Farlow. I listen to Barney when I want to hear swinging chord melody and all guitar.
One thing Barney has that makes him truly one of the masters is you know is it Barney playing in first 3 measure of him playing. He has his own sound and identity.
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Nice! I saw Barney in concert a few times and met him at a music store once and shared a few nice words, etc.
In those introductory pictures they showed a number of jazz clubs, including The Lighthouse in Hermosa Breach. I saw Joe Pass there, front row (church pew).
Seeing the opening of that old black and white show with the host sort of fading in, reminded me of the satirical British skit "Jazz Club". I wonder if it was part of the inspiration...
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That's a great find, thanks for posting. Until now I'd only seen excerpts from this. At 20:00 he plays "One Mint Julep" - the video of that one of the things that got me into jazz.
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Got to see Barney Kessel play numerous times back in the late 70s and early 80s.
He's one of the most exciting guitarists "live" that I've ever seen - just kept getting better and better as each night rolled on!
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Originally Posted by Jazzstdnt
Also saw Kessell a few times. The best one was at a club called Mark's. While it was a trio, Barry really broke-up the performance and that keep it interesting. E.g. duo with the bass player, played solo-chord-melody, played with the trio but with the focus on Latin \ Bossa tunes, standards the 50s' trio were known for, etc... He was very engaging with the audience.
Also saw The Great Guitarist (Kessell, Ellis, Byrd) at a larger venue but Ellis was sick.
Of course I saw many others. E.g. Tal with Red at Donte's was like going back in time! (only thing missing was Migus).
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Yeah I saw the Great Guitars too, at least once. Great stuff. That was a very successful grouping for them, just as it was for McLaughlin, DiMeola and Paco - heck, even the Three Tenors.
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Great stuff. Big Barney Kessel fan.
Also an Oscar Brown, Jr fan.
Great animation of one of his performances from 1960, "But I Was Cool."
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Regarding the Kessel book by his ex, I just finished it. Save your $.
Just filled w dates and places of gigs and his mood swings, womanizing and her unpleasant marriage.
Not sure what I was expecting,
I find so many books like this about jazz musicians to he almost unreadable.
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The first Jazz records I ever bought were the Poll Winners 1 to 4, a Django single (Manoir De Mes Reves / Swing 42) & a Johnny Smith Single (Moonlight In Vermont / Taboo) - 2nd hand record shop & I hadn't heard any of them, although I may have known Django's name...
A good start to my jazz guitar education.
Kessel's own tunes as published by Windsor music are fun to play too, working my way through the first (of three) volumes...
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Hey, me too. I had plenty of my dad's jazz records around the house, but the first ones I actually bought were The Pollwinners series, the Moonlight in Vermont album, and a Hot Club album.
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BK really swings on this album. (As do the other 3!)
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Thanks for sharing the great tunes Woody.
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Thanks to a 21 year old kid with tape recorder, we have this ....
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Nice article...
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Originally Posted by wintermoon
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In my youth Barney Kessel and other great and well known players were always accessible through recordings that exerted tremendous influences over young players. Their recordings were rich sources of the highest values of jazz guitar.
Most of us saw only album cover pictures of these masters, but the recording was always of inestimable value as a major learning tool. Over and over again we carefully dropped the needle to review a phrase in order to really feel it as we tried to approximate or replicate it. Thus, our ears became very finely tuned and we relied on them with great faithfulness, particularly since interviews of the greats revealed that their unique styles came about, in large part, through their ears.
Thus, I spent a great deal of time with Barney Kessel; so much so that I can sing note-for-note most of his solos that I chose to concentrate upon---sixty years later! He, and a handful of others with rare individual musical gifts fashioned untold numbers of guitarists of every talent level. For some of us they leave behind rich legacies that are profound and eternal. They were great artists and teachers, an elite cohort to which Barney Kessel rightly belongs.
Ron Vitarelli
CT, USA
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In my youth Barney Kessel and other great and well known players were always accessible through recordings that exerted tremendous influences over young players. Their recordings were rich sources of the highest values of jazz guitar.
Most of us saw only album cover pictures of these great players, but the recording was always of inestimable value as a major learning tool. Over and over again we carefully dropped the needle to review a phrase in order to really feel it as we tried to approximate or replicate it. Thus, our ears became very finely tuned and we relied on them with great faithfulness, particularly since interviews of the greats revealed that their unique styles came about, in large part, through their ears.
Thus, I spent a great deal of time with Barney Kessel; so much so that I can sing note-for-note most of his solos that I chose to concentrate upon---sixty years later! He, and a handful of others with rare individual musical gifts fashioned untold numbers of guitarists of every talent level. For some of us they leave behind rich legacies that are profound and eternal. They were great artists and teachers, an elite cohort to which Barney Kessel rightly belongs.<Ron Vitarelli
CT, USA
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Originally Posted by wintermoon
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On the other hand, this loving, highly intimate tribute to Ted by his Barbara Franklin is genuinely insightful and illuminating about the man who made the music.
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Always like to hear the greats when they back vocalists. Here’s one of my favorites.
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I case you haven't seen this. Herb Ellis is also another favorite of mine.
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Originally Posted by deacon Mark
i know what you mean he could burn, just his style was to play chords interspersed with fast lines, Wes also did not play endless lines they are all GREAT.
just as in what you said, I dont look to Raney (Monster) for chords. Sco mainly has that style its not so obvious as he play little 2 note clusters, where as Barney play these big chords. In fact i thing thats one of the things i love about Barney. Joe P could burn but never over stayed his welcome as much as i much as i like Pat M, sometimes it gets a bit dull. Simply because it is no longer Rhythmic Benson does not do it he always breaks the line up.
they are all great, difference personalities. Barney Kessel played with Charlie Parker for 3 months,
ps Herb did not play super burn , but boy could he swing and was probably the Bluesiest.
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D.,
You and I see/hear things very much alike. I agree that some of the greats are great, but there's a limit beyond which stuff gets boring. I always thought of Barney as a complete package. I've always referred to him when I worked to build my solo book and chops. We are, of course, different. And unless that shows in your playing, you're not playing, you're copying.
Do you do solo guitar?
Hang in there and stay in tune.
RV
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He’s so great! Just the deftness of how he gets chords in there when he’s playing trio.... So swinging too... just a badass.
16" 1920s/30s L5
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