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Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = Barney Kessel| image = Barney Kessel 2.jpg| caption =| image_size =| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist| birth_name =| alias =| birth_date = Birth date|1923|10|17|mf=y| death_date = death date and age|2004|5|6|1923|10|17|death_place = San Diego, California | origin = Muskogee, Oklahoma , USA | instrument = guitar | genre = Jazz , Pop music|pop | occupation = Guitarist | years_active = 1940's–1992| label =| associated_acts = Chico Marx , Oscar Peterson , Ray Brown (musician)|Ray Brown , Sonny Rollins , Phil Spector , The Beach Boys , The Monkees , The Wrecking Crew (music)|The Wrecking Crew , many others| website =| notable_instruments =Barney Kessel (October 17, 1923 & ndash; May 6, 2004) was an United States|American jazz guitar ist born in Muskogee, Oklahoma , USA . Generally considered to be one of the greatest jazz guitarists of the 20th century,cite book|last=Holder|first=Mitch|title=The Jazz Guitar Stylings of Howard Roberts|url= http://books.google.com/books? id=D9GRIUU83C8C& pg=PA2|accessdate=22 November 2011|date=16 January 2006|publisher=Mel Bay Publications|isbn=978-0-7866-7409-1|page=2 he was noted in particular for his vast knowledge of chords and inversions and chord-based melodies. He was a member of many prominent jazz groups as well as a "first call" guitarist for studio, film, and television recording sessions. Kessel was a member of the group of session musicians known as The Wrecking Crew (music)|The Wrecking Crew .
Biography
Kessel began his career as a teenager touring with local dance bands before moving on to bands such as that led by Chico Marx . He quickly established himself as a key post- Charlie Christian jazz guitarist. In 1944 he participated in the film '' Jammin' the Blues '', which featured Lester Young , and in 1947 he recorded with CharlieParker 's New Stars on the ''Relaxin' at Camarillo session for Dial Records . He is featured on the compilation CharlieParker on Dial .Allmusic|class=album|id=r909161|label=Charlie Parker on Dial: The Complete Sessions He was rated the #1 guitarist in Esquire (magazine)|Esquire , Down Beat , and Playboy magazine polls between 1947 and 1960.cite web | url = http://www.jerrypippin.com/Barney_Kessel.htm| title = Barney Kessel |date=2004-06-12|accessdate=2008-07-16
Barney Kessel is known for his innovative work in the guitar trio setting. In the 1950s, he made a series of albums called The Poll Winners with Ray Brown (musician)|Ray Brown on bass and Shelly Manne on drums. He was also the prominent guitarist on Julie London 's definitive recording of " Cry Me a River ". Also from the '50s, his three Kessel Plays Standards volumes contain some of his most polished work.
Kessel was also a member of the Oscar Peterson Trio with Ray Brown (musician)|Ray Brown for a year, leaving in 1953. The guitar chair was called the hardest gig in show business since Peterson often liked to play at breakneck tempos. Herb Ellis took over from Kessel. Kessel also played with Sonny Rollins in the late '50s and can be heard on the Sonny Rollins and the Contemporary Leaders album on songs like " How High the Moon ".
A "first call" guitarist at Columbia Pictures , during the 1960s Kessel became one of the most in-demand session guitarists in America, and is considered a key member of the group of first-call session musicians now usually known as The Wrecking Crew (music)|The Wrecking Crew . In this capacity he played on hundreds of famous pop recordings including albums and singles by Phil Spector , The Beach Boys , The Monkees and many others. He appeared in an acting part playing a jazz guitarist named "Barney" in one episode of the Perry Mason (TV series)|Perry Mason TV show. He also wrote and arranged the source music, including a jazz version of " Here Comes the Bride ", provided by the jazz combo that figured in the story.
In 1961 The Gibson Guitar Corporation introduced The Barney Kessel model guitar onto the market and continued to make them until 1973.
One custom instrument Kessel played was essentially a 12-string guitar neck attached to a mandolin body (similar to Vox's mando guitar), which may have been played on the intro to The Beach Boys ' " Wouldn't It Be Nice ."
He played Mister Spock 's theme on bass, which first appeared in the Star Trek episode Amok Time .
During the 1970s, Kessel presented his seminar 'The Effective Guitarist' in various locations around the world, and he performed extensively with Ellis and Charlie Byrd as the "Great Guitars."
Kessel's sons David and Daniel also became session musicians, working with Phil Spector during the 1970s. Tearing Down the Wall of Sound He was married to B. J. Baker .
On Pete Townshend 's 1983 album Scoop (album)|Scoop , Townshend paid homage to the guitarist with the instrumental song "To Barney Kessel".
Kessel died of a brain tumor in San Diego, California . He had been in poor health after suffering a stroke in 1992.
Discography
As leader
Vol. 1: Easy Like (Contemporary 1953/1955)
Vol. 2: Kessel Plays Standards (Contemporary 1954/1955)
Vol. 3: To Swing or Not to Swing (Contemporary 1955) with Sweets Edison , Georgie Auld , Jimmy Rowles
Music to Listen to Barney Kessel by (Contemporary 1956)
The Poll Winners (Contemporary 1957) with Shelly Manne, Ray Brown
''Let's Cook! (Contemporary 1957)
The Poll Winners Ride Again (Contemporary 1958) with Shelly Manne, Ray Brown
Kessel plays Carmen (Contemporary 1958)
The Poll Winners Three! (Contemporary 1959) with Shelly Manne, Ray Brown
Some Like It Hot (Contemporary 1959) with Art Pepper
The Poll Winners - Exploring the Scene! (Contemporary 1960) with Shelly Manne, Ray Brown
''Barney Kessel's Swingin' Party at Contemporary (Contemporary 1960)
Bossa Nova (1962)
''Workin' Out with the Barney Kessel Quartet (Contemporary 1961)
Persondata | NAME = Kessel, Barney | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH = October 17, 1923 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = May 6, 2004 | PLACE OF DEATH = San Diego, California DEFAULTSORT:Kessel, Barney Category:American jazz guitarists Category:Bebop guitarists Category:Cool jazz guitarists Category:West Coast jazz guitarists Category:Musicians from Oklahoma Category:Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame inductees Category:Jewish American musicians Category:American session musicians Category:American music arrangers Category:Deaths from brain cancer Category:The Wrecking Crew members Category:1923 births Category:2004 deaths Category:People from Muskogee, Oklahoma Category:Cancer deaths in California Category:Contemporary Records artists Category:Concord Records artists
