Kenneth Earl Burrell (born July 31, 1931) is an American jazz guitarist known for his work on the Blue Note label. He is one of the leading exponents of straight-ahead jazz guitar, Kenny Burrell is a highly influential artist whose understated and melodic style,
grounded in bebop and blues, made him in an in-demand sideman from the mid-'50s onward and a standard by which many jazz guitarists gauge themselves to this day.
Burrell was born in Detroit, Michigan. Both his parents
played instruments, and he began playing guitar at the age of 12 after
listening Charlie Christian's recordings. During World War II, due to metal
shortage, he abandoned the idea of becoming a saxophonist, and bought an
acoustic guitar for $10. He was inspired to play jazz after listening to Oscar
Moore, but it was Django Reinhardt who showed him "that you could get your
own individuality on an instrument."
In 1951 while a student at Wayne State University, he
made his recording debut on a combo session that featured trumpeter Dizzy
Gillespie as well as saxophonist John Coltrane, vibraphonist Milt Jackson, and
bassist Percy Heath. Thus was followed by the "Rose of
Tangier"/"Ground Round" single recorded under his own name at
Fortune Records in Detroit. Also while in college, Burrell founded the New
World Music Society collective with fellow Detroit musicians Pepper Adams,
Donald Byrd, Elvin Jones, and Yusef Lateef.
Although his talent ranked among the best of the
professional jazz players at the time, Burrell continued to study privately
with renowned classical guitarist Joe Fava, and enrolled in the music program
at Wayne State University. Upon graduating in 1955 with a B.A. in music
composition and theory, Burrell was hired for a six-month stint touring with
pianist Oscar Peterson's trio.
In 1956, Burrell and Flanagan moved to New York City and
immediately became two of the most sought-after sidemen in town, performing in
gigs with such luminaries as singers Tony Bennett and Lena Horne, playing in
Broadway pit orchestras, and recording with an array of legendary musicians
including Coltrane, trumpeter
Kenny Dorham, organist Jimmy Smith, vocalist Billie Holiday, and many others. Burrell made his recorded debut as a leader on the Blue Note session Introducing Kenny Burrell -- technically his second session for the label, but the first to see release. From the late '50s onward, Burrell continued to record by himself and with others, and has appeared on countless albums over the years including such notable albums as 1957's The Cats featuring Coltrane, 1963's Midnight Blue featuring saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, 1965's Guitar Forms with arrangements by Gil Evans, and 1968's Blues -- The Common Ground.
Kenny Dorham, organist Jimmy Smith, vocalist Billie Holiday, and many others. Burrell made his recorded debut as a leader on the Blue Note session Introducing Kenny Burrell -- technically his second session for the label, but the first to see release. From the late '50s onward, Burrell continued to record by himself and with others, and has appeared on countless albums over the years including such notable albums as 1957's The Cats featuring Coltrane, 1963's Midnight Blue featuring saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, 1965's Guitar Forms with arrangements by Gil Evans, and 1968's Blues -- The Common Ground.
Burrell started leading various college seminars
including the first regular course to be held in the United States on the music
of composer, pianist, and bandleader Duke Ellington. He continued performing,
recording, and teaching throughout the '80s and '90s, releasing several albums
including 1989's Guiding Spirit, 1991's Sunup to Sundown, 1994's Collaboration
with pianist LaMont Johnson, 1995's Primal Blue, and 1998's church
music-inspired Love Is the Answer. Burrell also wrote, arranged, and performed
on the 1998 Grammy Award-winning album Dear Ella by Dee Dee Bridgewater,
Burrell released the relaxed quartet date A Lucky So and
So on Concord and followed it up in 2003 with Blue Muse. He received the 2004
Jazz Educator of the Year Award from Down Beat, and was named a 2005 NEA Jazz
Master and celebrated turning 75 years old in 2006 by recording a live date,
released a year later as 75th Birthday Bash Live! In 2010, Burrell released the
live album Be Yourself: Live at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, recorded at Lincoln
Center's smaller club-like venue, followed two years later by Special Requests
(And Other Favorites): Live at Catalina's.
In 2015, Burrell released The Road to Love, recorded live
at Catalina's Jazz Club in Hollywood. Another Catalina's live date, Unlimited
1, appeared in 2016 and featured Burrell backed by the Los Angeles Jazz
Orchestra. Besides continuing to perform, Burrell is the founder and director
of the Jazz Studies Program at UCLA, as well as president emeritus of the Jazz
Heritage Foundation.
In 2019, concerns arose about Burrell's well-being and
living circumstances as he became increasingly socially and physically isolated
in his home and major frictions developed between his wife, Katherine Goodrich,
37 years his junior, and others living in their Westwood, California, apartment
building.
A GoFundMe account was set up, due to a cascading series of misfortunes: an accident that Kenny had suffered after his 85th-birthday concert at UCLA’s Royce Hall, mounting medical expenses, identity theft, bank fraud and ravaged credit scores. The sum required was reached within a few days. The jazz community had come to the aid of the man who’d brought them all together.
A GoFundMe account was set up, due to a cascading series of misfortunes: an accident that Kenny had suffered after his 85th-birthday concert at UCLA’s Royce Hall, mounting medical expenses, identity theft, bank fraud and ravaged credit scores. The sum required was reached within a few days. The jazz community had come to the aid of the man who’d brought them all together.
(Edited from Wikipedia, bio by Matt Collar @ AllMusic
& jazz Times)
5 comments:
Today’s celebrity’s birthday was suggested by egroj @ egroj world blog.
For: “Kenny Burrell -Four Classic Albums” go here:
CD1
https://www.upload.ee/files/12082384/Kenny_Burrell_-_Classic_Albums_CD1.rar.html
Kenny Burrell
1. Get Happy
2. But Not For Me
3. Mexico City
4. Moten Swing
5. Cheeta
6. Now See How You Are
7. Phinupi
8. How About You
Kenny Burrell (g), Frank Foster (tenor sax, tracks 6-8), J.R. Monterose (tenor sax, track 3)
Kenny Dorham (trumpet, track 3), Tommy Flanagan (piano, 1, 4-8), Bobby Timmons (piano, 3)
Oscar Pettiford (bass, 4-8), Paul Chambers (bass, track 1), Sam Jones (bass, track 3) Arthur Edgehill (drums, 3), Kenny Clarke (drums, 1), Shadow Wilson (drums, 4-8) rec. Van Gelder Studios, Hackensack (NJ), March 12, May 29 & May 30, 1956.
Introducing Kenny Burrell
9. This Time The Dream’s On Me
10. Fugue ‘n Blues
11. Takeela
12. Weaver Of Dreams
13. Delilah
14. Rhythmorama
15. Blues For Skeeter
Kenny Burrell (guitar, except track 14), Tommy Flanagan (piano, tracks 9-13, 15), Paul Chambers (bass, 9-13, 15), Candido (congas), Kenny Clarke (drums) rec. Van Gelder Studios, Hackensack (NJ), May 29-30, 1956.
CD2
https://www.upload.ee/files/12082398/Kenny_Burrell_-_Classic_Albums_CD2.rar.html
Blue Lights Vol 1
1. Yes Baby
2. Scotch Blues
3. Autumn In New York
4. Caravan
Kenny Burrell (guitar), Junior Cook & Tina Brooks (tenor sax, tracks 1-2, 4) Louis Smith (trumpet, 1-2, 4), Bobby Timmons (piano, tracks 3-4) Sam Jones (bass), Art Blakey (drums) rec. Manhattan Towers Hotel, New York City, May 14, 1958
Blue Lights Vol 2
5. Rock Salt
6. The Man I Love
7. Chuckin’
8. Phinupi
Kenny Burrell (guitar), Junior Cook and Tina Brooks (tenor sax, tracks 5,7-8), Louis Smith (trumpet, track 6), Duke Jordan (piano, track 6) Bobby Timmons (piano, tracks 5, 7) Sam Jones (bass) Art Blakey (drums) rec. Manhattan Towers Hotel, New York City, May 14, 1958.
While these two discs wouldn’t perhaps be drawn on for a retrospective CD of ‘The Very Best of Kenny Burrell’, they certainly deserve a place in any collection of Burrell’s work – or, given Burrell’s generous treatment of musicians nominally under his leadership, in the collection of any are particularly fond of the jazz of the 1950s.
many thanks!
Hi Bob-
Could please re-up Kenny Burrell if you're able?
Thanks!
-Rick
Hello Rick .......Here's Kenny
https://www.imagenetz.de/bfhZL
Thank you, Bob!
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