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Jazz Articles about Kenny Burrell
Verve's Bossa Nova U.S.A.

by Arnaldo DeSouteiro
Paul Desmond: Samba with Some Barbecue Originally titled Struttin' with Some Barbecue" in 1941, this Satchmo tune lost its Dixie beat and got a bossa groove in the hands of the infallible Don Sebesky. Brazilian drummer Airto Moreira, then a newcomer in the New York jazz scene, provides a fiery propulsion to Paul Desmond's lyrical approach and dry martini" alto sound. Different from the sad results of pseudo-bossa albums by Gene Ammons, Sonny Rollins, and so many others, this is ...
Continue ReadingKenny Dorham: From 'Round Midnight At The Cafe Bohemia To Matador Revisited

by Chris May
In his mostly sane and admirable book Black Nationalism and the Revolution In Music (Pathfinder Press, 1970), Frank Kofsky describes Kenny Dorham as house trained." The calculated insult attempts to conflate Dorham's respect for form and structure with an Uncle Tom outlook on the world. Some might say Dorham would have been justified in following (or, rather, anticipating) the example of the writer Stanley Crouch, who on spotting in a Manhattan restaurant a critic who had recently dissed one of ...
Continue ReadingString Players: From Django Reinhardt to Joe Morris and Beyond

by Jerome Wilson
This program focuses on string players of all types, mostly guitarists but with some bassists and violinists also thrown in. The show ranges from classic players like Kenny Burrell and Barney Kessel to modernists like Joe Morris and Mary Halvorson. There is even a set on gypsy/Western swing. Playlist Henry Threadgill Sextett I Can't Wait Till I Get Home" from The Complete Novus & Columbia Recordings of Henry Threadgill & Air (Mosaic) Bill Frisell Monroe" from History, Mystery ...
Continue ReadingListeners’ Favorites

by Marc Cohn
This week (drum roll....), it's listeners' favorites from shows 431 to 440. From classic jazz to today's music, our listeners have discerning and eclectic tastenever forgetting the blues and funk. Enjoy the show! Playlist Don Braden, Karl Latham Grover Miles" from Big Funk Live (Creative Perspective) 00:00 Grant Green Let The Music Take Your Mind" from Alive! (Blue Note) 08:49 Houston Person Snake Eyes" from Soul Dance (Prestige) 17:12 David Sanborn Benny" from Upfront (Elektra) 23:08 Kenny ...
Continue ReadingBack At The Chicken Shack

by Thomas Fletcher
Back At The Chicken Shack celebrates 60 years since its recording date at the Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs. The same session produced Midnight Special (Blue Note, 1961), though Back At The Chicken Shack would have to wait three years for its release. The label's co-founder, Alfred Lion, later revealed that the healthy sales of this album, alongside many others from Jimmy Smith, kept the record company afloat. The album features, at the time, a youthful but ...
Continue ReadingPiano

by C. Michael Bailey
Following his debut as a leader on, Wynton Kelly: New Faces -New Sounds (Blue Note, 1951), pianist Kelly surfaced again some seven years later, this time on Riverside Records, with the simply titled Piano. The length of time between leader recordings is a testament to the pianist's value in a supporting role for artists like Dinah Washington (with whom he recorded almost exclusively between 1952 and 1955) Lester Young, and Dizzy Gillespie. During this same period Kelly contributed to several ...
Continue ReadingKenny Burrell: Unlimited 1, Live at Catalina's

by Jack Bowers
Guitarist Kenny Burrell, who isn't generally known for hanging out with big bands, now has one of his own: the Los Angeles-based Jazz Orchestra Unlimited, for which he serves as music director on its debut album, Unlimited 1, Live at Catalina's. While the ensemble is splendid, individually and collectively, there's no doubt that Burrell is the star attraction. Any misgiving about that is erased by the fact that the names of orchestra members aren't listed in the Catalina's booklet except ...
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