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.
- Disc 1 - 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
- Disc 2 - 1 Cheerful Little Earful 2 Makin' Whoopee 3 My Reverie 4 Blues for a Playboy 5 Love Is for the Very Young 6 Carioca 7 Mountain Greenery 8 Indian Summer 9 Gone with the Wind 10 Laura 11 I Love You 12 Fascinating Rhythm 13 Swingin' the Toreador 14 A Pad on the Edge of Town 15 If You Dig Me 16 Free As a Bird 17 Viva El Toro! 18 Flowersville 19 Carmen's Cool 20 Like, There's No Place Like
- Disc 3 - 1 Some Like It Hot 2 I Wanna Be Loved By You 3 Stairway to the Stars 4 Sweet Sue 5 Runnin' Wild 6 Sweet Georgia Brown 7 Down Among the Sheltering Palms 8 Sugar Blues 9 I'm Thru with Love 10 By the Beautiful Sea 11 Little Susie 12 The Duke 13 So What 14 Misty 15 Doodlin' 16 The Golden Striker 17 Li'l Darlin' 18 The Blessing 19 This Here
- Disc 4 - 1 Let's Cook! 2 Time Remembered 3 Just in Time 4 Tiger Rag 5 Jersey Bounce 6 Bluesology 7 Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?) 8 Joy Spring 9 Now's the Time 10 Miss Memphis 11 New Rhumba
