Kenny Burrell

Last updated

Kenny Burrell
Kenny Burrell, 1977.jpg
Burrell in Buffalo, New York, 1977
Background information
Birth nameKenneth Earl Burrell
Born (1931-07-31) July 31, 1931 (age 93)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Genres Jazz, blues, soul jazz
Occupation(s)Musician, educator
InstrumentGuitar
Years active1951–present
Labels Blue Note, Prestige, Verve, Fantasy, Fortune, Concord Jazz, Highnote

Kenneth Earl Burrell (born July 31, 1931) is an American jazz guitarist known for his work on numerous top jazz labels: Prestige, Blue Note, Verve, CTI, Muse, and Concord. His collaborations with Jimmy Smith were notable, and produced the 1965 Billboard Top Twenty hit Verve album Organ Grinder Swing . [1] He has cited jazz guitarists Charlie Christian, Oscar Moore, and Django Reinhardt as influences, along with blues guitarists T-Bone Walker and Muddy Waters. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

Burrell is a professor and Director of Jazz Studies at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. [5]

Early life

Burrell was born in Detroit. Both his parents played instruments, [6] and he began playing guitar at the age of 12 after listening to 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." [7] He went on to study composition and theory with Louis Cabara and classical guitar with Joe Fava. While a student at Wayne State University, he made his recording debut as a member of Dizzy Gillespie's sextet in 1951, [8] followed by the "Rose of Tangier"/"Ground Round" single recorded under his own name at Fortune Records in Detroit. While in college, Burrell founded the New World Music Society collective with fellow Detroit musicians Pepper Adams, Donald Byrd, Elvin Jones, and Yusef Lateef. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Career

Burrell in San Francisco, California, March 8, 1984 Kenny Burrell VIS.jpg
Burrell in San Francisco, California, March 8, 1984

Burrell toured with Oscar Peterson after graduating in 1955 [6] and then moved to New York City in 1956 with pianist Tommy Flanagan. Within months, Burrell had recorded his first album as leader for Blue Note and both he and Flanagan were sought-after as sidemen and studio musicians, performing with singers Tony Bennett and Lena Horne and recording with Billie Holiday, Jimmy Smith, Gene Ammons, and Kenny Dorham, among others. From 1957 to 1959, Burrell occupied the former chair of Charlie Christian in Benny Goodman's band. Since his New York debut Burrell has had a prolific recording career, and critics have cited The Cats with John Coltrane in 1957, Midnight Blue with Stanley Turrentine in 1963, and Guitar Forms with arranger Gil Evans in 1965 as particular highlights. [2] [3] [4]

In 1978, he began teaching a course at UCLA called "Ellingtonia," examining the life and accomplishments of Duke Ellington. Although the two never collaborated directly, Ellington called Burrell his "favorite guitar player," [9] and Burrell has recorded a number of tributes to and interpretations of Ellington's works. Since 1996, Burrell has served as Director of Jazz Studies at UCLA, mentoring such notable alumni as Gretchen Parlato and Kamasi Washington. [4] [5] [10] [9]

Awards and honors

Burrell wrote, arranged, and performed on the 1998 Grammy Award-winning album Dear Ella by Dee Dee Bridgewater, received the 2004 Jazz Educator of the Year Award from Down Beat , and was named a 2005 NEA Jazz Master. [4]

Burrell was a Grammy Salute To Jazz Honoree in 2010. The Grammy website states that between "...1956 and 2006, Mr. Burrell has excelled as a leader, co-leader and sideman releasing recordings with stellar musicians in the world of jazz." [11]

Personal life

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 apartment building. A GoFundMe account was set up to pay medical bills and other putative expenses, which became controversial because he was covered by medical insurance through employment at UCLA and through Medicare. [12] Subsequently, a letter from Burrell was published, providing a detailed explanation of the situation and justification for the GoFundMe campaign. [13]

Discography

As leader

As sideman

With Gene Ammons

With Chet Baker

With Aaron Bell

  • Music from 77 Sunset Strip (Lion, 1959)
  • Richard Rodgers' Victory at Sea in Jazz (Lion, 1959)

With Andy and the Bey Sisters

  • Andy and the Bey Sisters (RCA Victor, 1961)
  • Round Midnight (Prestige, 1965)

With Ray Brown

  • Much in Common with Milt Jackson (Verve, 1964)
  • Some of My Best Friends Are...Guitarists (Telarc, 2002)

With Donald Byrd

With Betty Carter

With Paul Chambers

With Chris Connor

  • Chris in Person (Atlantic, 1959)
  • Sings Ballads of the Sad Cafe (Atlantic, 1959)

With Blossom Dearie

With Tommy Flanagan

With Frank Foster

  • No 'Count (Savoy, 1956)
  • All Day Long (Metronome, 1958)

With Aretha Franklin

With Red Garland

With Stan Getz

With Coleman Hawkins

With Milt Jackson

With Illinois Jacquet

With Thad Jones

With Johnny Hodges

With Shirley Horn

With Etta Jones

With Hank Jones

With Quincy Jones

With Wynton Kelly

With Jack McDuff

With Gary McFarland

With Dave Pike

With Freddie Roach

With Jimmy Smith

With Sylvia Syms

  • The Fabulous Sylvia Syms (20th Century Fox, 1964)
  • Sylvia Is! (Prestige, 1965)

With Cal Tjader

With Stanley Turrentine

With Frank Wess

With Ernie Wilkins

  • The Big New Band of the 60's (Everest, 1960)
  • Screaming Mothers (Mainstream, 1974)

With Joe Williams

With Kai Winding

With Jimmy Witherspoon

With Leo Wright

With others

Related Research Articles

Jerome Richardson was an American jazz musician and woodwind player. He is cited as playing one of the earliest jazz flute recordings with his work on the 1949 Quincy Jones arranged song "Kingfish".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Wess</span> American saxophonist, flutist, composer and arranger (1922–2013)

Frank Wellington Wess was an American jazz saxophonist and flutist. In addition to his extensive solo work, Wess is remembered for his time in Count Basie's band from the early 1950s into the 1960s. Critic Scott Yanow described him as one of the premier proteges of Lester Young, and a leading jazz flutist of his era—using the latter instrument to bring new colors to Basie's music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Witherspoon</span> American jump blues singer (1920–1997)

James Witherspoon was an American jump blues singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grady Tate</span> American drummer (1932–2017)

Grady Tate was an American jazz and soul-jazz drummer and baritone vocalist. In addition to his work as sideman, Tate released many albums as leader and lent his voice to songs in the animated Schoolhouse Rock! series. He received two Grammy nominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thad Jones</span> American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader (1923–1986)

Thaddeus Joseph Jones was an American jazz trumpeter, composer and bandleader who has been called "one of the all-time greatest jazz trumpet soloists".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quentin Jackson</span> American jazz musician

Quentin "Butter" Jackson was an American jazz trombonist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Hamilton</span> American jazz musician (1917–1994)

Jimmy Hamilton was an American jazz clarinetist and saxophonist, who was a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack McDuff</span> American jazz organist and bandleader

Eugene McDuffy, known professionally as "Brother" Jack McDuff or "Captain" Jack McDuff, was an American jazz organist and organ trio bandleader. He was most prominent during the hard bop and soul jazz era of the 1960s, often performing with an organ trio. He is also credited with giving guitarist George Benson his first break.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Duvivier</span> American jazz double-bassist

George Duvivier was an American jazz double-bassist.

James Elbert Raney was an American jazz guitarist, born in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, known for his work from 1951 to 1952 and then from 1953 to 1954 with the Red Norvo trio and, during the same time period, with Stan Getz. In 1954 and 1955, he won the DownBeat Critics' Poll for guitar. Raney worked in a variety of jazz mediums, including cool jazz, bebop, post bop, hard bop, and mainstream jazz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Cleveland</span> American jazz trombonist

James Milton Cleveland was an American jazz trombonist born in Wartrace, Tennessee.

Benjamin M. Tucker was an American jazz bassist who appeared on hundreds of recordings. Tucker played on albums by Art Pepper, Billy Taylor, Quincy Jones, Grant Green, Dexter Gordon, Hank Crawford, Junior Mance, and Herbie Mann.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Persip</span> American jazz musician (1929–2020)

Charles Lawrence Persip, known as Charli Persip and formerly as Charlie Persip, was an American jazz drummer.

Samuel David Bailey was an American jazz drummer.

Joseph Rupert Benjamin was an American jazz bassist.

George "Buster" Cooper was an American jazz trombonist.

Wendell Marshall was an American jazz double-bassist.

The recordings of American jazz saxophonist Stan Getz from 1944 to 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Hall discography</span>

Jim Hall was an American jazz guitarist, composer, and arranger. His discography consists of 39 studio albums, 10 live albums, 1 EP, 1 single, 10 videos, and 22 compilations, all released between 1957 and 2016. In addition, he was a sideman on numerous albums by other artists.

References

  1. ↑ "Kenny Burrell". Billboard. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Collar, Matt. "Kenny Burrell". AllMusic. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 Cohassey, John. "Kenny Burrell: Guitarist, Educator." Contemporary Musicians. Profiles of the People in Music. Ed. Julia M. Rubiner. Vol. 11. Detroit, MI: Gale Research, 1994. 29–31. Print.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Nash, Sunny. "Kenny Burrell Biography". PRLog, May 13, 2009.
  5. 1 2 3 O'Connell, Sean J. (January 24, 2014). "A Jazz Elder Becomes A UCLA Professor". NPR . Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  6. 1 2 Sallis, James. "Middle Ground: Herb Ellis, Howard Roberts, Jim Hall, Kenny Burrell, Joe Pass, Tal Farlow." Jazz Guitars: An Anthology. First ed. New York: Quill, 1984, pp. 197–207.
  7. ↑ Timberg, Scott (November 6, 2011). "Kenny Burrell's 80th means a party for listeners". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Professor and legendary jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell: 80 years young". UCLA School of Music. November 9, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  9. 1 2 "Kenny Burrell, 1999 – Los Angeles Jazz Society". Lajazz.org. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  10. ↑ Teddy Rosenbluth (August 26, 2018). "Ethnomusicology department adds an interdisciplinary global jazz studies major" . Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Kenny Burrell — 2010 GRAMMY Salute To Jazz Honoree". December 2, 2014. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  12. ↑ Geoff Edgers (July 11, 2019). "A jazz legend said he was in desperate need of money. His friends had questions". The Washington Post . Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  13. ↑ JazzTimes Exclusive: A New Statement from Kenny Burrell, JazzTimes , Kenny Burrell, July 3, 2019. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.