Barney Kessel
One of the finest guitarists to emerge after the death of Charlie Christian, Barney Kessel was a reliable bop soloist throughout his career. He played with a big band fronted by Chico Marx (1943), was fortunate enough to appear in the classic jazz short Jammin' the Blues (1944), and then worked with the big bands of Charlie Barnet (1944-1945) and Artie Shaw (1945); he also recorded with Shaw's Gramercy Five. Kessel became a busy studio musician in Los Angeles, but was always in demand for jazz records. He toured with the Oscar Peterson Trio for one year (1952-1953) and then, starting in 1953, led an impressive series of records for Contemporary that lasted until 1961 (including several with Ray Brown and Shelly Manne in a trio accurately called the Poll Winners). After touring Europe with George Wein's Newport All-Stars (1968), Kessel lived in London for a time (1969-1970). In 1973, he began touring and recording with the Great Guitars, a group also including Herb Ellis and Charlie Byrd. A serious stroke in 1992 put Barney Kessel permanently out of action, but many of his records (which include dates for Onyx, Black Lion, Sonet, and Concord, in addition to many of the Contemporaries) are available, along with several video collections put out by Vestapol. Kessel was diagnosed with inoperable cancer in 2001, which eventually took his life in May of 2004. He was 80 years old.
© Scott Yanow /TiVo
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Four!
Hampton Hawes, Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne, Red Mitchell
Jazz - Released by Craft Recordings on Apr 4, 2023
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
The Poll Winners
Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne, Ray Brown
Jazz - Released by Craft Recordings on Jan 1, 1957
The Qobuz Essential Discography24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Autumn Leaves (Barney Kessel)
Jazz - Released by 1201 MUSIC on May 14, 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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The Poll Winners
Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne, Ray Brown
Jazz - Released by Craft Recordings on Jan 1, 1957
The Qobuz Essential Discography24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Four!
Hampton Hawes, Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne, Red Mitchell
Jazz - Released by Craft Recordings on Apr 4, 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
The Poll Winners Ride Again!
Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne, Ray Brown
Jazz - Released by Original Jazz Classics on Nov 2, 1959
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Poll Winners: Exploring the Scene
Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne, Ray Brown
Jazz - Released by Original Jazz Classics on Jan 1, 1960
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Poll Winners: Straight Ahead
Barney Kessel, Ray Brown, Shelly Manne
Jazz - Released by Concord Records on Jul 12, 1975
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
To Swing Or Not To Swing
Jazz - Released by Original Jazz Classics on Jun 18, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Let's Cook!
Jazz - Released by Original Jazz Classics on Jan 1, 1957
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald, JATP Lausanne 1953 / Swiss Radio Days, Jazz Series Vol.15
Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald, Barney Kessel, Ray Brown, J.C. Heard
Jazz - Released by TCB - The Montreux Jazz Label™ on Jan 1, 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Breakfast At Tiffany's
Jazz - Released by Rhino - Warner Records on Sep 1, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Poll Winners Three!
Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne, Ray Brown
Jazz - Released by Contemporary Records on Nov 1, 1959
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Poll Winners
Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne, Ray Brown
Jazz - Released by contemporary on Jan 1, 1957
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Plays For Lovers
Pop - Released by Fantasy Records on Jan 1, 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Easy Like, Vol. 1
Jazz - Released by Contemporary Records on Dec 1, 1953
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Great Guitars (Live At The Concord Summer Festival, Concord, CA / June 28, 1974)
Charlie Byrd, Barney Kessel, Herb Ellis
Jazz - Released by Concord Jazz on Aug 4, 1988
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kessel Plays Standards
Jazz - Released by Contemporary Records on Jan 1, 1955
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Berlin Festival Guitar Workshop (Live)
Baden Powell, Barney Kessel, Jim Hall, Buddy Guy, Elmer Snowden
Jazz - Released by MPS on Jun 19, 2014
24-Bit 88.2 kHz - Stereo -
Contemporary Latin Rhythm
Jazz - Released by Rhino - Warner Records on Apr 19, 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo