Barney Kessel

Emerging in the wake of Charlie Christian’s passing as one of the most accomplished guitarists of his generation, Barney Kessel sustained a dependable reputation as a bop soloist for the remainder of his career. In 1943 he performed with the large ensemble led by Chico Marx, and the following year he gained lasting visibility through his appearance in the landmark jazz film short Jammin’ the Blues. Between 1944 and 1945 he worked in the orchestras of both Charlie Barnet and Artie Shaw, additionally documenting sessions with Shaw’s smaller Gramercy Five unit. Although Kessel later became a sought-after studio musician in Los Angeles, he remained a frequent choice for jazz recording projects. He spent a year on the road with the Oscar Peterson Trio from 1952 to 1953, then, beginning in 1953, directed an acclaimed sequence of Contemporary albums that continued until 1961, several of which featured Ray Brown and Shelly Manne under the fitting name the Poll Winners. After joining George Wein’s Newport All-Stars for a European tour in 1968, Kessel resided briefly in London from 1969 to 1970. In 1973 he initiated an extended partnership with the Great Guitars, the ensemble that also featured Herb Ellis and Charlie Byrd. A severe stroke in 1992 ended his performing life, yet numerous recordings—issued on Onyx, Black Lion, Sonet, Concord, and many of the Contemporary titles—stay in circulation, as do several Vestapol video anthologies. Diagnosed with inoperable cancer in 2001, Kessel died from the disease in May 2004 at the age of eighty.