I met him years ago and shook his hand. As a guitar player it was utterly humbling, but after complimenting him I found him both gracious and incredibly funny.
Barney was the best jazz guitarist of his time. He won countless polls (ie Down Beat, Playboy etc). He settled in LA and was the guitarist with the Tonight Show, the Steve Allen Show orchestras and other TV broadcasts. I saw him perform at a club in LA in 1964 and he was fantastic. My friend and I were both young professional musicians and he joined us at our table on a couple of breaks and he couldn't have been nicer.
The guitar world lost something very special when this man died. He was instrumental in some of the greatest popular recordings in history. Kessel could play along to pretty much anything. Hell, the first thing you hear on "Pet Sounds" is him playing the intro. That speaks volumes in itself.
Yes. For many years I assumed the gorgeous intro to "Wouldn't It Be Nice" was played on a harp(s). I was floored to see a photo of Kessel playing it on a hybrid mandolin-guitar. He also played a brief slide guitar part in "Let's Get Away For Awhile", the instrumental on side one.
I don't know how many fantastic versions I have heard of this great song by many great Guitar and Piano players ( and others too . ) but this is my absolute favourite . Barney Kessel makes such an incredible four minutes and thirty one seconds that I have to listen and listen again. Beautiful on every note . Thank you Barney, I am your eternal student.
It's funny how jazz guitar is thought of as a 60s/70s kinda thing despite the fact that a lot of it was playing stuff that was big a few decades prior (from 30s through to the hard bop era, late 50s let's say).
I heard him play a trio gig in Minneapolis in the mid 80's. After the show he sat backstage with a group of us fans and he talked about music for about an hour, pulling out his guitar to demonstrate some things...mentioned how he wanted his guitar to sound like Count Basie's orchestra when he played chords. Great player and a really nice guy.
I’ve just gotten back to guitar after not playing for 5 years (I just had my first lesson last week) and Barney Kessel is one of my musical heroes. One of my goals is to learn how to play jazz guitar just like him!
When James Best (character Jim Lindsey) in season 1 of the andy Griffith show plays guitar on 2 episodes, that was Barney Kessel actually playing the the music.
His interviews in 'Guitar' magazine [UK] from '72 and '76 are packed with amazing wisdom and ideas that still come back to me all the time - to this day.
Someone as good as Barney is best when he's unaccompanied. I saw him a couple of times at Charlie Byrd's Showboat with Charlie and Herb Ellis. What a great threesome! I miss them.
He has to be the greatest jazz guitarist of all time. I bought many of he's albums in my younger years. Still play them today. The David Gilmour of jazz.
The "Rare Performance" dvd contains a 1987 interview in which Barney talks about his guitar. Built in 1946, it has a 1939 pickup constructed with high quality cobalt & copper. The bridge was specially made to violin standards. The unusual volume/tone controls came from an old record player and gave him better visuals than later controls which could reflect off lighting. The dvd has an excellent booklet. Worth a buy for anyone interested in the technique and versatily of one of the finest.
Thanks for the dvd confirmation. I have immediately ordered it from Amazon. Totally agree that this is a really fine example of Barney's style - sensitive, swing and unbelievable technique. Has been a favourite of mine since his early recordings with Artie Shaw's Gramercy Five. I've spent a couple of hours listening to other postings of his work after seeing this. Terrific upload. Thanks.
Thanx so much 4 posting.. I never realized how incredible the man played....Unreal.... well ;I have to go now ,so I can give away all my guitars to anyone who wants them.........DALLAS
absolute perfect! Magic. I have been working on this for years, and by the time I am 55 maybe I will be close to finishing it. I have the first half figured out, but the last 2 minutes, my God....good luck to any guitar player trying to figure out those amazing runs.
My favorite all time guitarist, particularly those haunting melodies with Julie London. As previously stated, watching Barney is just like watching Frank Vignola and having an uncontrollable urge to throw one's guitar into the nearest lake!
Just saw Frank! 1) I thought his phrasing was so refreshingly unique. Except maybe it sounded like Barney Kessel. ;) 2) Made me want to practice actually!
You’re right, that does look plenty low. It’s also interesting to see how committed he was to the plectrum. He never uses any of the fingers on his right hand to play a note. By modern standards it’s a primitive technique. But hey, he got the job done and then some!
@Readymover I also saw Barney at Scott's Club in 1968...saw him again a year later at Ronnies during the' Jazz Expo Festival. He was with Kenny Burrell & Grant Green. This film is absolutely wonderful.
Make a point of getting hold of his series 'The Poll Winners' with Ray Brown on Bass and Shelly Manne on drums. These boys were telepathic between themselves. The main series dates from 1958-61', and another get-together 'Straight Ahead' recorded in 1975. Mind-blowing for guitarists.
He read the Mickey Baker guitar book, but hey don't forget jim Hall, Charlie Byrd, and Wes Montgomery, Thanks for putting this up that kessel single cutaway sounds great but it's all in the fingers and Barney's were very precious.
Four Owls really! I believe Glen Campbell played on about 600 records that were made in the 50’s and 60’s. He played on Strangers in the Night, Johnny Angel, Good Vibrations and just about all of the Beach Boy records. That why Brian Wilson asked him to perform with the group when Brian had a nervous breakdown, hell, he knew all the music, he’s the one who played it when the recordings were made...
Back in the mid seventies Mr Kessel played a gig at Fat Tuesdays in NYC , I was a teenager studying guitar with The great Joe Monk ..and he was there along with a who's who of jazz guitar players from NYC and Long Island. Anyway, kessel blew the roof off the place and
You know I think the arrangement is what really puts this over the top. Don't get me wrong, he plays incredibly, but it's really really nice to have the song arranged beyond a 4 bar intro and 10 solo choruses with a 4 bar outro. just my humble opinion
Thanks for the fine video, and thanks to Norman Goudie & Peter Lapper for their comments that the bass player is Ron Mathewson. Who is the drummer? He’s on camera @ 3:14 [when the camera should have been on Barney cookin’ away]. The DVD this piece was taken from, Barney Kessel - Rare Performances, is available from the producer, Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop, where they have a “Download PDF Booklet” button. The info about this track is sparse, but the booklet is mostly a bio of Barney - great stuff. Only once did I have the pleasure of hearing Barney live, sitting in with the Mercer Ellington band at a Tribute To The Duke. Kenny Burrell was also on the date, standing & listening to Barney take a great solo. Barney was sitting down, hidden behind other musicians, and his solo seemed to emanate from out of the ether. The crowd went wild, Barney just sat there, and Kenny actually took Barney’s applause! Mofo! Now I know Kenny Burrell is a fine guitar player, but he’s something of a jiveass too. Just saying.
Saw him live at Doubletree in Tucson, He was definitely a Professor's Professor, such talent and ability ti improvise with chord melodies and blistering solos.
Thanks for posting this, I have never seen a video that shows that much of his chording. Totally awesome! Barney is my favorite. Grant Green is real close though.
@agellerv From what I know, It's a modified es350 with a charlie christian pickup with a notch on the b string. Fretboard was replaced with a dotted ebony board. The pickup was first placed right next to the fretboard but he pushed it back a bit. If you look at Kessel's early footages, you can see what I mean. The headstock was refinished to hide "Gibson" logo because he had a feud with the company. Kessel often taped the logo prior to the refinish.
Having listened to and studied most or all of the famous jazz and jazz-blues guitarists I must say that Kessel is the best all-round . His timing, phrasing and use of chord-melody is unsurpassed even by other greats such as Joe P. Kessel's 'listenability'' is tops. What a great loss when he died. He improved all his life.
+Kevin Webb Interesting perspective. I always assumed Joe was king in this arena. Why do you say Kessel surpasses him? And what about someone like Martin Taylor? Anyway, what would you say is essential listening for Kessel's chord-melody work? (other than this gem :)
Kevin Webb keep studying junior , maybe someday you'll grow outa that bullony childish nonsense attitude that somebody's "best" , besides that , I'm the best !
Great video. Wow, and I always thought sweep picking was the province of shredders! That was a revelation to me. I noticed the Charlie Christian pickup on the guitar, but curious about more info on that. Anyway, thanks for posting. Very inspiring.
Somewhere in a interview w/ "Steve Howe" of "YES, he states that "Barney Kessel" was one of his top 5 influences. After viewing this clip, it's clear why. Thank you for posting.
I met him years ago and shook his hand. As a guitar player it was utterly humbling, but after complimenting him I found him both gracious and incredibly funny.
The best thing you'll hear today.
Barney was the best jazz guitarist of his time. He won countless polls (ie Down Beat, Playboy etc). He settled in LA and was the guitarist with the Tonight Show, the Steve Allen Show orchestras and other TV broadcasts. I saw him perform at a club in LA in 1964 and he was fantastic. My friend and I were both young professional musicians and he joined us at our table on a couple of breaks and he couldn't have been nicer.
Not the best...one among the best ones.
When I think back to my times with Barney as a great friend I now know how lucky i was. He was a gemstone. RIP Barney xxx
That's some of the best old-school plectrum chord melody playing out there. I can really see and hear why Lenny Breau liked him a lot.
Simply wonderful. Barney was amongst the very best jazz guitarists. His use of chords is just incredible.
He was the best ! Lucky me ! I saw him playing live several times and even met and greated him .
Half way thru I realised that I was just staring with my mouth wide open. Really soulful player.
Barney and Barry Galbraith are forgotten jazz giants of the past and they can still outplay most everyone today....
The guitar world lost something very special when this man died. He was instrumental in some of the greatest popular recordings in history. Kessel could play along to pretty much anything. Hell, the first thing you hear on "Pet Sounds" is him playing the intro. That speaks volumes in itself.
Touche!
Dick Tynan 2020
What did he play in Pet Sounds?
@@californiaslastgasp6847 wouldn't be nice intro
Yes. For many years I assumed the gorgeous intro to "Wouldn't It Be Nice" was played on a harp(s). I was floored to see a photo of Kessel playing it on a hybrid mandolin-guitar. He also played a brief slide guitar part in "Let's Get Away For Awhile", the instrumental on side one.
I don't know how many fantastic versions I have heard of this great song by many great Guitar and Piano players ( and others too . ) but this is my absolute favourite . Barney Kessel makes such an incredible four minutes and thirty one seconds that I have to listen and listen again. Beautiful on every note . Thank you Barney, I am your eternal student.
There's a plethora of outstanding guitar players but you Barney Kessel have lifted the bar to new dizzy heights. I'm impressed
AMEN!!!
also the Wes version
Was listening to the Paul Desmond version last night. Jim Hall’s solo was outstanding.
One of my heroes. I had the pleasure to meet him and talk to him a few time when he was playing over here in Germany in small jazz clubs.
I am inverting my frown for ya barney. Thanks pal.
What a wonderful musician!!
One of the best to ever pick up the instrument, what a musical Man.
The chords he made are very soulful, i felt like I live wayback in 1970s
It's funny how jazz guitar is thought of as a 60s/70s kinda thing despite the fact that a lot of it was playing stuff that was big a few decades prior (from 30s through to the hard bop era, late 50s let's say).
One of the best.... ever.
The chord melody intro!!' So good!!!!
I heard him play a trio gig in Minneapolis in the mid 80's. After the show he sat backstage with a group of us fans and he talked about music for about an hour, pulling out his guitar to demonstrate some things...mentioned how he wanted his guitar to sound like Count Basie's orchestra when he played chords. Great player and a really nice guy.
Forever shall Mr. Kessel be one of my favorites ..
I’ve just gotten back to guitar after not playing for 5 years (I just had my first lesson last week) and Barney Kessel is one of my musical heroes.
One of my goals is to learn how to play jazz guitar just like him!
I love the man. So many gifts he left.
When James Best (character Jim Lindsey) in season 1 of the andy Griffith show plays guitar on 2 episodes, that was Barney Kessel actually playing the the music.
And it's a great guitar part, too! Love the Andy Griffith Show.
@@jakeamberson6675 Barney was part of the Wrecking Crew
great to know that John, this is a great rendition
His interviews in 'Guitar' magazine [UK] from '72 and '76 are packed with amazing wisdom and ideas that still come back to me all the time - to this day.
This is the best of Barney, he is not drowned out by the bass as so many of his other pieces seem to be.
This is perfection.
Someone as good as Barney is best when he's unaccompanied. I saw him a couple of times at Charlie Byrd's Showboat with Charlie and Herb Ellis. What a great threesome! I miss them.
Sounds great at all three tempos. Sidemen are really good.
Sublime music!
I was a great friend and I miss Barney like hell.
RIP...you were the best.
xxx
He has to be the greatest jazz guitarist of all time. I bought many of he's albums in my younger years. Still play them today. The David Gilmour of jazz.
Barney and Company, You just Made my Night!
Barney Kessel was my favourite guitarist. He had a distictive sound of his own, and this performance is one of his best!
Such great camera work. This guy should get an award.
It’s common-sense camera work. Leave the camera on the musicians and when the leader solos, go close up on his playing.
I met him in 1089 ...grande maestro.
The ingenuity, the control, the warmth !!! The BEST !!
Man do I miss this guy. I saw him back in NYC and in Hartford School of Music. Wow. What a player.
The action on that guitar looks incredible. What a great player of ballads he was. So pleased I saw him live (1984).
Barney was a bad bad inovator, never anyone else like him.
This video inspired me to be a jazz guitarist i hope i can get half as good as Barney Kessel
Such a fine gent-glad to have seen and met you at least one, Mr Kessel, RIP.
'Barney Takes The Piss'...that old favoutite jazz standard
just a great player...terrific video. Thanks for the music!
What a unique style of playing Barney had. Great inspiration.
Joyful music, joyful playing.
The "Rare Performance" dvd contains a 1987 interview in which Barney talks about his guitar. Built in 1946, it has a 1939 pickup constructed with high quality cobalt & copper. The bridge was specially made to violin standards. The unusual volume/tone controls came from an old record player and gave him better visuals than later controls which could reflect off lighting. The dvd has an excellent booklet. Worth a buy for anyone interested in the technique and versatily of one of the finest.
thank you so much camera guy for focusing on the fretboard, I am forever in your and your family's debt
Thanks for the dvd confirmation. I have immediately ordered it from Amazon. Totally agree that this is a really fine example of Barney's style - sensitive, swing and unbelievable technique. Has been a favourite of mine since his early recordings with Artie Shaw's Gramercy Five. I've spent a couple of hours listening to other postings of his work after seeing this. Terrific upload. Thanks.
the best 4:31 minutes of music that their ever was and ever will be
No other human being ever played guitar at this level... Of course Django is a God, but Barney Kessel is so complete... amazed at his brilliancy.
bravoo!!! fantastic sound, kessel is one of my favourites!!!
Wow. Beautiful playing! 🎶
Such a great intro!!
Thanx so much 4 posting.. I never realized how incredible the man played....Unreal.... well ;I have to go now ,so I can give away all my guitars to anyone who wants them.........DALLAS
absolute perfect! Magic. I have been working on this for years, and by the time I am 55 maybe I will be close to finishing it. I have the first half figured out, but the last 2 minutes, my God....good luck to any guitar player trying to figure out those amazing runs.
Interesting to see that he sweep picks and spans huge distances on the neck. Maybe bigger stretches than a teacher would advise.
@@Meddled nobody can teach or play like that.
The George Shearing of the guitar!
Without a doubt (imo) THE GREATEST guitarist of all time. Happy Birthday, Barney, RIP and thanks for the gifts you left us. ❤️
My favorite all time guitarist, particularly those haunting melodies with Julie London. As previously stated, watching Barney is just like watching Frank Vignola and having an uncontrollable urge to throw one's guitar into the nearest lake!
Just saw Frank! 1) I thought his phrasing was so refreshingly unique. Except maybe it sounded like Barney Kessel. ;) 2) Made me want to practice actually!
I'm right with you on the stuff that Barney recorded with Julie. And seeing Frank live is unquestionably a thrill also!
Honestly Vignola's not in the same class as Kessel.Hes a solid player but thats it.
Dear Barney thanks for the lessons, I must have been your worst student but your greatest admirer, cliff in tokyo
nice close up of Barney’s hands thank you, can really see his chord work on those giant strings. a real virtuoso.
What guage are we talking? 12s? 13s?
Look how close his action is..amazingly low like Wes.
You’re right, that does look plenty low. It’s also interesting to see how committed he was to the plectrum. He never uses any of the fingers on his right hand to play a note. By modern standards it’s a primitive technique. But hey, he got the job done and then some!
@Readymover
I also saw Barney at Scott's Club in 1968...saw him again a year later at Ronnies during the' Jazz Expo Festival. He was with Kenny Burrell & Grant Green.
This film is absolutely wonderful.
Can't repeat this one enough times.
I think some metal guitarists think that they invented sweep picking. Check out Barney.
Wow.
I'm sure I'm not the only one here who can play a bit, but when I see something like this, heh. I can't play at all! Just amazing.
Thanks for the upload. I've never heard of his guitar playing until I saw him on "Perry Mason."
Make a point of getting hold of his series 'The Poll Winners' with Ray Brown on Bass and Shelly Manne on drums. These boys were telepathic between themselves. The main series dates from 1958-61', and another get-together 'Straight Ahead' recorded in 1975. Mind-blowing for guitarists.
He read the Mickey Baker guitar book, but hey don't forget jim Hall, Charlie Byrd, and Wes Montgomery, Thanks for putting this up that kessel single cutaway sounds great but it's all in the fingers and Barney's were very precious.
Barney Kessel je suis un fidèle admirateur
wow a genius, the best
amazing
Man, what touch.
Touch like that died with Barney.
No I think there are really great musicians around today, but some we may never hear of.
Four Owls really! I believe Glen Campbell played on about 600 records that were made in the 50’s and 60’s. He played on Strangers in the Night, Johnny Angel, Good Vibrations and just about all of the Beach Boy records. That why Brian Wilson asked him to perform with the group when Brian had a nervous breakdown, hell, he knew all the music, he’s the one who played it when the recordings were made...
I love this.Thank you for posting this.
He was one of my all time favorites. Thanks for posting this.
Troppo bravo !!!! I giovani dovrebbero ascoltare di più i grandi del passato.
Back in the mid seventies Mr Kessel played a gig at Fat Tuesdays in NYC , I was a teenager studying guitar with The great Joe Monk ..and he was there along with a who's who of jazz guitar players from NYC and Long Island. Anyway, kessel blew the roof off the place and
The best in the world good bless yuo barney
Really, really great.
him and pass r the best that ever did it..
You know I think the arrangement is what really puts this over the top. Don't get me wrong, he plays incredibly, but it's really really nice to have the song arranged beyond a 4 bar intro and 10 solo choruses with a 4 bar outro. just my humble opinion
one of my hero's.. once part of the wrecking crew
Thanks for the fine video, and thanks to Norman Goudie & Peter Lapper for their comments that the bass player is Ron Mathewson. Who is the drummer? He’s on camera @ 3:14 [when the camera should have been on Barney cookin’ away]. The DVD this piece was taken from, Barney Kessel - Rare Performances, is available from the producer, Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop, where they have a “Download PDF Booklet” button. The info about this track is sparse, but the booklet is mostly a bio of Barney - great stuff.
Only once did I have the pleasure of hearing Barney live, sitting in with the Mercer Ellington band at a Tribute To The Duke. Kenny Burrell was also on the date, standing & listening to Barney take a great solo. Barney was sitting down, hidden behind other musicians, and his solo seemed to emanate from out of the ether. The crowd went wild, Barney just sat there, and Kenny actually took Barney’s applause! Mofo! Now I know Kenny Burrell is a fine guitar player, but he’s something of a jiveass too. Just saying.
Brilliant!
yep, that's the one. Great DVD, though some of the camera work is annoying.
Saw him live at Doubletree in Tucson, He was definitely a Professor's Professor, such talent and ability ti improvise with chord melodies and blistering solos.
Grande Barney Kessel !!!! Unico e inconfondibile. Grande gusto nell'armonizzazione.
This is what guitar playing is supposed to sound like.
Thanks for posting this, I have never seen a video that shows that much of his chording. Totally awesome!
Barney is my favorite. Grant Green is real close though.
Great shot of his picking scraping hand at 3:50
Just realized why I like Steely so much...
So good!!
@agellerv From what I know, It's a modified es350 with a charlie christian pickup with a notch on the b string. Fretboard was replaced with a dotted ebony board. The pickup was first placed right next to the fretboard but he pushed it back a bit. If you look at Kessel's early footages, you can see what I mean. The headstock was refinished to hide "Gibson" logo because he had a feud with the company. Kessel often taped the logo prior to the refinish.
Wonderful!
Barney Kessel Here that Rainey Day....
OMG!!! Que belleza!!!!
Having listened to and studied most or all of the famous jazz and jazz-blues guitarists I must say that Kessel is the best all-round . His timing, phrasing and use of chord-melody is unsurpassed even by other greats such as Joe P. Kessel's 'listenability'' is tops. What a great loss when he died. He improved all his life.
+Kevin Webb Interesting perspective. I always assumed Joe was king in this arena. Why do you say Kessel surpasses him? And what about someone like Martin Taylor? Anyway, what would you say is essential listening for Kessel's chord-melody work? (other than this gem :)
Barney plays with more "fire" than a lot of the other legendary cats, I personally think.
Kevin Webb keep studying junior , maybe someday you'll grow outa that bullony childish nonsense attitude that somebody's "best" , besides that , I'm the best !
What a strange way to listen to music.
I agree with Kevin , though !
He´s so great!
Great video.
Wow, and I always thought sweep picking was the province of shredders! That was a revelation to me.
I noticed the Charlie Christian pickup on the guitar, but curious about more info on that.
Anyway, thanks for posting. Very inspiring.
thanks for the info on the guitar...
what a great upload, thanks to the poster!
Somewhere in a interview w/ "Steve Howe" of "YES, he states that "Barney Kessel" was one of his top 5 influences. After viewing this clip, it's clear why. Thank you for posting.
Steve Howe is a shit...Barney Kessel is a true master.
thx for upload...one of my favorit guitarist..
Great!
Amazing.
I would kill to get my hands on that guitar of his. I wonder if its in some museum right now.