Kessel,Barney Essential Albums 1955-1963 CD

Born October 23 1923, Barney Kessel was an American jazz guitarist born in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Known in particular for his 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 premier group of session musicians during the 1960s, informally known as the Wrecking Crew. Kessel began his career as a teenager touring with local dance bands. When he was 16, he started playing with the Oklahoma A&M band, Hal Price & the Varsitonians. The band members nicknamed him "Fruitcake" because he practiced up to 16 hours a day. This collection features eight original Barney Kessel albums on which he performed as leader, or as part of the trio, The Poll Winners. Originally released between 1955 and 1963, and here presented in delightful, digitally remastered quality, this fine selection, which includes the finest works this maverick musician ever recorded, acts equally as a superb starting point to this great man's music, and as a welcome reminder for those ready versed.

1. Begin the Blues 2. Louisiana 3. Happy Feeling 4. Embraceable You 5. Wail Street 6. Indiana 7. Moten Swing 8. Midnight Sun 9. Contemporary Blues 10. Don't Blame Me 11. 12th Street Rag 12. Easy Like 13. Tenderly 14. Lullaby of Birdland 15. What Is There to Say? 16. Bernardo 17. Vicky's Dream 18. Salute to Christian 19. That's All 20. I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart 21. Just Squeeze Me (But Please Don't Tease Me) 22. April in Paris 23. North of the Border 24. Cheerful Little Earful 25. Makin' Whoopee 26. My Reverie 27. Blues for a Playboy 28. Love Is for the Very Young 29. Carioca 30. Mountain Greenery 31. Indian Summer 32. Gone with the Wind 33. Laura 34. I Love You 35. Fascinating Rhythm 36. Swingin' the Toreador 37. A Pad on the Edge of Town 38. If You Dig Me 39. Free As a Bird 40. Viva El Toro! 41. Flowersville 42. Carmen's Cool 43. Like, There's No Place Like 44. Some Like It Hot 45. I Wanna Be Loved By You 46. Stairway to the Stars 47. Sweet Sue 48. Runnin' Wild 49. Sweet Georgia Brown 50. Down Among the Sheltering Palms 51. Sugar Blues 52. I'm Thru with Love 53. By the Beautiful Sea 54. Little Susie 55. The Duke 56. So What 57. Misty 58. Doodlin' 59. The Golden Striker 60. Li'l Darlin' 61. The Blessing 62. This Here 63. Let's Cook! 64. Time Remembered 65. Just in Time 66. Tiger Rag 67. Jersey Bounce 68. Bluesology 69. Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?) 70. Joy Spring 71. Now's the Time 72. Miss Memphis 73. New Rhumba