Barney Kessel

• 5 STARS DOWN BEAT MAGAZINE

• INCLUDES 16-PAGE BOOKLET

This CD presents Barney Kessel’s complete original 1955 album To Swing or Not to Swing (Contemporary C3513). This fantastic LP features Kessel swinging along with Harry “Sweets” Edison, Bill Perkins and Shelly Manne, and also showcases the guitarist on four tracks backed only by the rhythm section. As a bonus, a complete 1957 quintet session that also features Shelly Manne, as well as five further tracks which find Kessel in quintet (with Bob Cooper on tenor sax), quartet and duo formats

PERSONNEL:

• BARNEY KESSEL, guitar
• HARRY "SWEETS" EDISON, trumpet
• GEORGIE AULD, tenor sax (on 2, 6-7 & 11)
• BILL PERKINS, tenor sax (on 3, 5 & 9)
• JIMMY ROWLES, piano
• AL HENDRICKSON, rhythm guitar
• RED MITCHELL, bass
• IRV COTTLER, drums (on 2, 6-7 & 11)
• SHELLY MANNE, drums (on 3, 5 & 9)
• (1, 4, 8 & 10) showcase Kessel alone with the rhythm section.

Los Angeles, March 28 & July 26, 1955.

• (*) BONUS TRACKS (12-19):
• (12-14) Victor Feldman (vib), Hampton Hawes (p), Barney Kessel (g),
• Leroy Vinnegar (b), Shelly Manne (d). Los Angeles, November 11, 1957.
• (15-16) & (18-19)
• Bob Cooper (ts on 16 & 19 only), Barney Kessel (g),
• Claude Williamson (p), Monty Budwig (b), Shelly Manne (d).
• Los Angeles, June 4 (tracks 16 & 18) & July 1 (tracks 15 & 19), 1954.
• (17) Barney Kessel (g), Red Mitchell (b).
• Los Angeles, September 12, 1955.

TRACKS:

• 01 BEGIN THE BLUES
• 02 LOUISIANA
• 03 HAPPY FEELING
• 04 EMBRACEABLE YOU
• 05 WAIL STREET
• 06 INDIANA
• 07 MOTEN SWING
• 08 MIDNIGHT SUN
• 09 CONTEMPORARY BLUES
• 10 DON’T BLAME ME
• 11 12th STREET RAG
• 12 LET’S COOK (*)
• 13 TIME REMEMBERED (*)
• 14 JUST IN TIME (*)
• 15 LOVE IS HERE TO STAY (*)
• 16 ON A SLOW BOAT TO CHINA (*)
• 17 MY OLD FLAME (*)
• 18 A FOGGY DAY (*)
• 19 64 BARS ON WILSHIRE (*)

• Total Time: 78:03