Barney Kessel

{{short description|American jazz guitarist (1923–2004)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2014}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Barney Kessel | image = Barney Kessel 2.jpg | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1923|10|17}} | birth_place = Muskogee, Oklahoma, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2004|5|6|1923|10|17}} | death_place = San Diego, California, U.S. | genre = Jazz, bebop,<ref>[https://jazzweekly.com/2022/06/this-is-bebop-guitar-101barney-kessel-the-essential-albums-1955-1963/ This is bebop guitar] Jazzweekly.com Retrieved 11 August 2025</ref> West coast jazz, cool jazz | occupation = Musician, composer | instrument = Guitar | years_active = 1940s–1992 | label = Contemporary, Reprise, Black Lion, Concord Jazz, RCA Victor, Sonet, Savoy }}

'''Barney Kessel''' (October 17, 1923 – May 6, 2004) was an American jazz guitarist. 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 group of session musicians informally known as the Wrecking Crew.

==Early life== thumb|right Kessel was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma in 1923 to a Jewish family.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://exhibits.library.umkc.edu/s/kessel/page/about |title=About Barney Kessel |website=exhibits.library.umkc.edu |access-date=2023-03-22}}</ref> Kessel's father was an immigrant from Hungary who owned and operated a shoe shop.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bernstein |first=Adam |date=2004-05-10 |title=Barney Kessel, 80 |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2004/05/10/barney-kessel-80/f5a4e282-8383-4278-8733-cad95295a635/ |access-date=2022-02-27 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> A self-taught guitarist, his only formal musical study was three months of guitar lessons at the age of 12.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Leonard Feather |url=http://archive.org/details/biographicalency00feat |title=The biographical encyclopedia of jazz |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1999 |isbn=978-0-19-507418-5 |pages=383 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="The Great Jazz Guitarists">{{cite book |last1=Yanow |first1=Scott |title=The Great Jazz Guitarists |date=April 1, 2013 |publisher=Backbeat Books |page=108 }}</ref>

==Career== He began his career as a teenager, touring with local swing 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 in excess of 16 hours per day. Kessel gained recognition due in part to his youth, and in part to being the only white musician playing in all-African-American bands at black clubs.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Oliver |first=Myrna |date=May 9, 2004 |title=Barney Kessel, 80, innovative jazz guitarist |work=The Boston Globe |url=https://archive.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2004/05/09/barney_kessel_80_innovative_jazz_guitarist/}}</ref>

In the early 1940s, he moved to Los Angeles, where for one year he was a member of the Chico Marx big band.<ref name="Great">{{cite book|last1=Yanow |first1=Scott |title=The Great Jazz Guitarists |date=2013 |publisher=Backbeat |location=San Francisco |isbn=978-1-61713-023-6 |pages=108–109}}</ref> Noticed by Norman Granz, he appeared in the 1944 film ''Jammin' the Blues'', which featured Lester Young.<ref name="Great" /><ref name="AM">{{cite web |last1=Yanow |first1=Scott |title=Barney Kessel |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/barney-kessel-mn0000784527/biography |website=AllMusic |access-date=24 September 2019}}</ref><ref name="The Great Jazz Guitarists"/> Soon after, he played in the bands of Charlie Barnet and Artie Shaw.<ref name="AM" /> During the day, he worked as a studio musician and at night played bop-oriented jazz in clubs.<ref name="Great" /><ref name="The Great Jazz Guitarists"/> In 1947, he recorded with Charlie Parker.<ref name="Great" /> He worked in Jazz at the Philharmonic and for one year in the early 1950s he was a member of the Oscar Peterson trio.<ref name="Great" /><ref name="AM" /> After leaving the trio, he recorded several solo albums for Contemporary.<ref name="AM" /> He recorded a series of albums with Ray Brown and Shelly Manne as ''The Poll Winners'' because the three of them often won polls conducted by ''Metronome'' and ''DownBeat'' magazines.<ref name="AM" /> He was the guitarist on the album ''Julie Is Her Name'' (1955) by Julie London, which includes the standard "Cry Me a River", selling a million copies and demonstrated Kessel's chordal approach to guitar.<ref name="Guinness">{{cite book |editor1-last=Larkin |editor1-first=Colin |title=The Guinness Who's Who of Fifties Music |date=1993 |publisher=Guinness |isbn=0-85112-732-0 |page=210}}</ref>

During the 1960s, Kessel worked for Columbia Pictures and was a member of a band of session musicians known as The Wrecking Crew. At one point, after a two and a half hour session to record a one-chord song, "The Beat Goes On," Kessel is reported to have stood up and proclaimed, "Never have so many played so little for so much."<ref name="Hartman">{{cite book |last1=Hartman |first1=Kent |title=The Wrecking Crew |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780312619749 |url-access=registration |date=2012 |publisher=St. Martin's Press |location=New York |isbn=9780312619749 |page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780312619749/page/163 163] |edition=1st}}</ref> He recorded with pop acts such as The Monkees and The Beach Boys and with jazz musicians Sonny Rollins and Art Tatum.<ref name="Great" /> Kessel played the iconic opening notes of the acclaimed Beach Boys' Pet Sounds album, on the track "Wouldn't It Be Nice." He played a 12-string hybrid mando-guitar, plugged directly into the recording console, at Brian Wilson's request.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vintagerock.com/brian-wilson-50-years-of-pet-sounds/|title=Brian Wilson: 50 Years Of Pet Sounds|first=Harvey |last=Kubernik|website=vintagerock.com|access-date=May 4, 2023}}</ref> Kessel eventually left studio work to concentrate on his jazz career both onstage and on records. Along with solo work, he formed the ensemble Great Guitars with Charlie Byrd and Herb Ellis.<ref name="Great" />

Kessel was rated the No. 1 guitarist in ''Esquire'', ''DownBeat'', and ''Playboy'' magazine polls between 1947 and 1960.<ref name="Barney Kessel">{{cite web |url=http://www.jerrypippin.com/Barney_Kessel.htm |title=Barney Kessel |date=June 12, 2004|access-date=July 16, 2008}}</ref>

From 1957 to 1958, Kay Musical Instrument Company manufactured the Kay Barney Kessel signature series guitars (models "Pro", "Artist" and "Jazz Special").

From 1961 to 1974, Gibson Guitars manufactured the Barney Kessel artist signature guitars in Standard and Custom models.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.premierguitar.com/gibson-and-barney-kessel|title=Gibson and Barney Kessel|date=July 11, 2007|website=Premierguitar.com|access-date=July 29, 2021}}</ref>

In 1986, Kessel (in partnership with Rumark Video Inc.) released the instructional series "Jazz Guitar Improvisation" on VHS. As of 2018, it has been made available by Rumark on YouTube for free.<ref name="JazzGuitarImprovisation">{{cite web|last=Helman|first=Mark|title=Jazz Guitar Improvisation|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IB1UZhiZMYw&list=PLK7wQ185qc97C5VitGzizHCS3u3CZJ5vz|website=YouTube|date=January 2018|access-date=19 June 2025}}</ref>

== Artistry and equipment== Jazz music educator Wolf Marshall said the style that Barney Kessel employed in his music was "the natural outgrowth of the electric guitar tone fostered by Charlie Christian and embraced by virtually every exponent of the post-Christian school". Kessel's signature "warm, clean timbre" was created with hollow-body arch-top electric guitars with the neck pickup activated, played through a tube combo amp. The guitar stylings of Barney Kessel were rooted in 1930s and 1940s jazz, and were influenced by the swing and bebop styles of that time. Kessel was also influenced by post-bop modal jazz, hard bop, and free jazz. Specifically, he named Charlie Parker, Pat Martino, Oscar Peterson, Lester Young and Django Reinhardt as influences on his playing style. Additionally, Kessel's music had a strong blues influence "in both chord- and single-note form". Kessel was known for his chord stylings and single-note solos.

Throughout his career, Kessel's primary guitar was a sunburst Gibson ES-350P that was built in either 1947 or 1948, which the guitarist modified extensively. He replaced the original pickup with a "Charlie Christian" bar pickup, replaced the original volume and tone knobs with those taken off of a record player, omitted the pickguard, and installed dot inlays to replace the original fingerboard. Throughout his career, Kessel used various models of combo amplifiers made by Fender, Gibson and Univox. He used a heavy-gauge rounded pick and used medium-gauge Darco-wound polished guitar strings.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Marshall |first=Wolf |title=Jazz Guitar Icons |date=2012 |publisher=Hal-Leonard |pages=63}}</ref>

== Personal life == Kessel was married four times. His first marriage was to Gail Genovia Farmer during the 1950s and 1960s, with whom he had two sons, Dan and David Kessel.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Barney Kessel |url=https://exhibits.library.umkc.edu/s/barney-kessel/page/about |access-date=2025-12-28 |publisher=University of Missouri-Kansas City}}</ref> He was later married to singer and vocal contractor Betty Jane (BJ) Baker for 16 years, a union that ended in divorce in 1980.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Oliver |first=Myrna |date=May 9, 2004 |title=Barney Kessel, 80; Key Guitarist of the Wrecking Crew |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-may-09-me-kessel9-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=2025-12-28}}</ref> Following a ten-year marriage to Joanne “Jo” Kessel, he married his fourth wife, Phyllis Kessel, who remained with him for the final 12 years of his life.<ref name="WashPost">{{Cite news |last=Bernstein |first=Adam |date=May 10, 2004 |title=Barney Kessel, 80, Jazz Guitarist |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2004/05/10/barney-kessel-80-jazz-guitarist/82f8d8b6-963d-429b-a010-908f5d02611a/ |work=The Washington Post |access-date=2025-12-28}}</ref>

His sons, Dan and David Kessel, became accomplished record producers and session musicians in their own right, working with prominent figures such as Phil Spector, John Lennon, and Leonard Cohen.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Brown |first=Mick |title=Tearing Down the Wall of Sound: The Rise and Fall of Phil Spector |publisher=Vintage Books |year=2008 |isbn=978-1400076611 |page=214}}</ref>

== Legacy and influence == Kessel is regarded as a pivotal figure in the evolution of jazz guitar, noted for his sophisticated chordal vocabulary and seamless integration of bebop language into the instrument's repertoire. His work with the "Poll Winners" trio and the Wrecking Crew solidified his reputation as one of the most versatile guitarists in American music history.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yanow |first=Scott |title=Barney Kessel Biography |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/barney-kessel-mn0000148564/biography |access-date=2025-12-28 |website=AllMusic}}</ref>

* In 1999, he was inducted into the '''Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame''', recognizing his contributions to the genre. * He consistently topped the ''DownBeat'', ''Metronome'', and ''Playboy'' jazz polls throughout the 1950s.<ref name="WashPost"/> * His signature Gibson and Kay guitar models remain highly sought after by jazz guitarists and collectors for their unique tonal characteristics.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gibson Barney Kessel |url=https://www.vintageguitar.com/1841/gibson-barney-kessel/ |access-date=2025-12-28 |website=Vintage Guitar Magazine}}</ref>

==Death== Kessel was in poor health after suffering a stroke in 1992, which effectively ended his career. 12 years later, he died from a brain tumor at his home in San Diego, California on May 6, 2004 at the age of 80.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/08/arts/music/08KES.html |title=Barney Kessel, 80, a Guitarist With Legends of Jazz, Dies |first=Peter |last=Keepnews |newspaper=The New York Times |date=May 8, 2004}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Yanow |first=Scott |title=The Great Jazz Guitarists |date=April 1, 2024 |publisher=Backbeat Books}}</ref>

==Discography== {{Div col|colwidth=40em}}

===As leader=== * ''Barney Kessel'' (Contemporary, 1954) * ''To Swing or Not to Swing'' (Contemporary, 1955) * ''Kessel Plays Standards'' (Contemporary, 1956) * ''Easy Like'' (Contemporary, 1956) * ''Music to Listen to Barney Kessel By'' (Contemporary, 1957) * ''The Poll Winners'' with Shelly Manne, Ray Brown (Contemporary, 1957) * ''The Poll Winners Ride Again!'' with Shelly Manne, Ray Brown (Contemporary, 1958) * ''Modern Jazz Performances from Bizet's Opera Carmen'' (Contemporary, 1959) * ''Some Like It Hot'' (Contemporary, 1959) * ''Poll Winners Three!'' with Shelly Manne, Ray Brown (Contemporary, 1960) * ''Exploring the Scene!'' with Shelly Manne, Ray Brown (Contemporary, 1960) * ''Bossa Nova Plus Big Band'' (Reprise, 1961) * ''El Tigre'' with Harold Land (Charlie Parker, 1962) * ''Let's Cook!'' (Contemporary, 1962) * ''Breakfast At Tiffany's'' (Reprise, 1962) * ''Barney Kessel's Swingin' Party'' (Contemporary, 1963) * ''Contemporary Latin Rhythms'' (Reprise, 1963) * ''On Fire'' (Emerald, 1965) * ''Kessel's Kit'' (RCA Victor, 1969) * ''Reflections in Rome'' (RCA Victor, 1969) * ''Hair Is Beautiful'' (Atlantic, 1969) * ''Feeling Free'' (Contemporary, 1969) * ''What's New... Barney Kessel?'' (Mercury, 1969) * ''Guitarra'' (RCA Camden, 1970) * ''Swinging Easy!'' (Black Lion, 1971) * ''I Remember Django'' with Stephane Grappelli (Black Lion, 1971) * ''Limehouse Blues'' with Stephane Grappelli (Freedom, 1972) * ''Summertime in Montreux'' (Black Lion, 1973) * ''Easy Moments'' with Carlo Pes (Gemelli, 1973) * ''Two Way Conversation'' with Red Mitchell (Sonet, 1974) * ''Barney (& Friends) Plays Kessel'' (Concord Jazz, 1975) * ''Just Friends'' (Sonet, 1975) * ''Blue Soul'' (Black Lion, 1975) * ''Great Guitars'' with Charlie Byrd and Herb Ellis (Concord Jazz, 1975) * ''The Poll Winners: Straight Ahead'' with Ray Brown, Shelly Manne (Contemporary, 1975) * ''Poor Butterfly'' with Herb Ellis (Concord Jazz, 1977) * ''Soaring'' (Concord Jazz, 1977) * ''Live at Sometime'' (Trio, 1977) * ''A Tribute to the Great Hollywood Stars'' with Junko Mine (Trio, 1977) * ''By Myself'' (Victor, 1977) * ''Great Guitars at the Winery'' with Charlie Byrd and Herb Ellis (Concord Jazz, 1980) * ''Jellybeans'' with Bob Maize and Jimmie Smith (Concord Jazz, 1981) * ''Solo'' (Concord Jazz, 1983) * ''Great Guitars at Charlie's Georgetown'' (Concord Jazz, 1983) * ''Spontaneous Combustion'' with Monty Alexander (Contemporary, 1987) * ''Red Hot and Blues'' (Contemporary, 1988) * ''Autumn Leaves'' (Black Lion, 1989) * ''Great Guitars Live'' with Charlie Byrd and Herb Ellis (Concord 2001) * ''Live at the Jazz Mill 1954'' (Modern Harmonic, 2016) * ''Live at the Jazz Mill 1954 Vol. 2'' (Modern Harmonic, 2018)

=== As sideman === '''With The Beach Boys''' * ''The Beach Boys Today!'' (Capitol Records, 1965) * ''Pet Sounds'' (Capitol Records, 1966)

'''With Benny Carter''' * ''Alone Together'' (Norgran, 1955) * ''Cosmopolite'' (Norgran, 1956) * ''Jazz Giant'' (Contemporary, 1958) * ''Aspects'' (United Artists, 1959)

'''With The Coasters''' * ''Riot in Cell Block Number 9'' (Spark Records, 1954) * ''One Kiss Led to Another'' (Atco, 1956) * ''Down in Mexico'' (Atco, 1956) * ''Young Blood'' (Atco, 1957) * ''Searchin''' (Atco, 1957)

'''With Sam Cooke''' * ''Night Beat'' (RCA Victor, 1963) * ''Ain't That Good News'' (RCA, 1964)

'''With Buddy DeFranco''' * ''Generalissimo'' (Verve, 1959) * ''Live Date'' (Verve, 1959) * ''Bravura'' (Verve, 1959) * ''Wailers'' (Verve, 1960)

'''With Harry Edison''' * ''Sweets'' (Clef, 1956) * ''Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You'' (Verve, 1957)

'''With Billie Holiday''' * ''Billie Holiday Sings'' (Clef, 1952) * ''Billie Holiday'' (Clef, 1953) * ''Billie Holiday'' (Clef, 1954) * ''Billie Holiday at JATP'' (Clef, 1954) * ''Music for Torching'' (Clef, 1956) * ''Velvet Mood'' (Clef, 1956) * ''Lady Sings the Blues'' (Clef, 1956) * ''Body and Soul'' (Verve, 1957) * ''Songs for Distingué Lovers'' (Verve, 1957) * ''All or Nothing at All'' (Verve, 1958)

'''With Peggy Lee''' * ''Things Are Swingin''' (Capitol, 1958) * ''I Like Men!'' (Capitol, 1959) * ''Jump for Joy'' (Capitol, 1959) * ''Then Was Then – Now Is Now!'' (Capitol, 1965)

'''With Dean Martin''' * ''Dream with Dean'' (Reprise, 1964)

'''With Anita O'Day''' * ''This Is Anita'' (Verve, 1956) * ''Pick Yourself Up with Anita O'Day'' (Verve, 1957) * ''Anita Sings the Winners'' (Verve, 1958) * ''Anita O'Day Swings Cole Porter with Billy May'' (Verve, 1959) * ''Trav'lin' Light'' (Verve, 1961)

'''With Oscar Peterson''' * ''The Oscar Peterson Quartet'' (Verve, 1955) * ''Romance: The Vocal Styling of Oscar Peterson'' (Verve, 1956)

'''With Lou Rawls''' * ''Too Much!'' (Capitol, 1967)

'''With Shorty Rogers''' * ''Martians Come Back!'' (Atlantic, 1956) * ''Way Up There'' (Atlantic, 1957) * ''Chances Are It Swings'' (RCA Victor, 1958) * ''The Wizard of Oz and Other Harold Arlen Songs'' (RCA Victor, 1959)

'''With The Ronettes''' * ''Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes'' (Philles, 1964)

'''With Pete Rugolo''' * ''Out on a Limb'' (EmArcy, 1956) * ''An Adventure in Sound: Reeds in Hi-Fi'' (Mercury, 1958) * ''An Adventure in Sound: Brass in Hi-Fi'' (Mercury, 1958)

'''With Sonny & Cher''' * ''Look at Us'' (Atco Records, 1965) * ''In Case You're in Love'' (Atlantic Records, 1967)

'''With others''' * Georgie Auld, ''In the Land of Hi-Fi with Georgie Auld and His Orchestra'' (EmArcy, 1955) * Frankie Avalon, ''...And Now About Mr. Avalon'' (Chancellor, 1961) * Louis Bellson, ''Skin Deep'' (Norgran, 1953) * Chet Baker, ''Albert's House'' (Beverly Hills, 1969) * Johnny Burnette, ''Roses Are Red'' (Liberty, 1962) * Cher, ''All I Really Want to Do'' (EMI Records, 1965) * Roy Clark, ''Stringing Along with the Blues'' (Capitol, 1966) * Buddy Collette, ''Man of Many Parts'' (Contemporary, 1956) * Sonny Criss, ''Go Man'' (Imperial, 1956) * Bobby Day, ''Rockin' With Robbin'' (Class, 1959) * Sylvia Telles, ''Sylvia Telles U.S.A.'' (Philips, 1961) * Dion DiMucci, ''Born to Be with You'' (Collectables, 1975) * Roy Eldridge, ''Dale's Wail'' (Clef, 1953) * Ella Fitzgerald, ''Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook'' (Verve, 1956) * Sam Fletcher, ''Sam Fletcher Sings "I Believe In You"'' (Vee-Jay, 1964) * The Four Freshmen, ''The Four Freshmen and Five Guitars'' (Capitol, 1959) * The Four Freshmen, ''More Four Freshmen and 5 Trombones'' (Capitol, 1964) * Wardell Gray, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Criss, ''Jazz Concert West Coast'' (Savoy, 1956) * Hampton Hawes, ''Four!'' (Contemporary, 1958) * Woody Herman, ''Songs for Hip Lovers'' (Verve, 1957) * Milt Jackson, ''Ballads & Blues'' (Atlantic, 1956) * Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich, ''The Drum Battle'' (Verve, 1960) * Julie London, ''Julie Is Her Name'' (Liberty, 1955) * Oliver Nelson, ''Soulful Brass'' (Impulse!, 1968) * Art Pepper and Zoot Sims, ''Art 'n' Zoot'' (Pablo, 1995) * Jane Powell, ''Can't We Be Friends?'' (Verve, 1956) * The Righteous Brothers, ''Back to Back'' (Philles, 1965) * Sonny Rollins, ''Sonny Rollins and the Contemporary Leaders'' (Contemporary, 1958) * Chan Romero, ''Hippy Hippy Shake'' (Del-Fi 45, 1959) * Evie Sands, ''Any Way That You Want Me'' (Rev-Ola, 1970) * Mel Tormé, ''Back in Town'' (Verve, 1959) * Mel Tormé, ''That's All'' (Columbia, 1965) * Mel Tormé, ''A Day in the Life of Bonnie and Clyde'' (Liberty, 1968) * Ike & Tina Turner, ''River Deep – Mountain High'' (A&M, 1966) * Joe Williams, ''With Love'' (Temponic, 1972) {{div col end}}

==Bibliography== *{{cite book|title=West Coast Guitar: Eight Original Solos for Guitar |last=Kessel |first=Barney |first2=Laurindo |last2=Almeida |first3=Howard |last3=Heitmeyer |first4=Al |last4=Hendrickson |first5=Bill |last5=Pitman |first6=Bob |last6=Bain |first7=Jack |last7=Marshall |first8=Howard |last8=Roberts |year=1961 |publisher=Leeds Music Corporation |location=New York |asin=B0080YPG16|oclc = 79391800}} *{{cite book |first=Barney |last=Kessel |title=The Jazz Guitar Artistry of Barney Kessel: Guitar Solo |publisher=Ashley Mark Publishing |year=1992 |isbn=978-0793516438}} *{{cite book |first=Barney |last=Kessel |title=The Jazz Guitar Artistry of Barney Kessel, Vol. 2 |publisher=Ashley Mark Publishing |year=1997 |isbn=978-0793587056}} *{{cite book |first=Barney |last=Kessel |title=The Jazz Guitar Artistry of Barney Kessel, Vol. 3 |publisher=Ashley Mark Publishing |year=2000 |isbn=978-0634023231}} *{{cite book |first1=Maurice J. |last1=Summerfield |first2=Barney |last2=Kessel |title=Barney Kessel: A Jazz Legend |publisher=Ashley Mark Publishing |year=2008 |isbn=978-1872639697}} *{{cite book |first1=Wolf |last1=Marshall |first2=Barney |last2=Kessel |title=Barney Kessel: A Step-by-Step Breakdown of His Guitar Styles and Techniques |publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation |year=2009 |isbn=978-1423430476}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

== External links == {{wikiquote}} {{commons category}} {{Portal|Biography}} *{{AllMusic|id=p6889}} *{{Discogs artist}} *{{IMDb name|0450255}} *{{YouTube|id=5oAVLTIHscY|title="Barney Kessel Jazz Scene USA (1962)"}} *{{cite web|url=http://members.aol.com/kenbrowgtr/kessel.html |title=Barney Kessel |access-date=October 17, 2006 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071210060056/http://members.aol.com/kenbrowgtr/kessel.html |archive-date=December 10, 2007 }} *{{Find a Grave|8729480|access-date=August 10, 2010}} *[https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/barney-kessel Barney Kessel Interview] at NAMM Oral History Collection (1999) *[https://www.jazzguitar.be/blog/barney-kessel/ Barney Kessel Signature Phrases & Analysis] *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IB1UZhiZMYw&list=PLK7wQ185qc97C5VitGzizHCS3u3CZJ5vz. Barney Kessel Jazz Improvisation Course (1986)]

{{Barney Kessel}} {{The Wrecking Crew}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kessel, Barney}} Category:1923 births Category:2004 deaths Category:20th-century American guitarists Category:American jazz guitarists Category:American music arrangers Category:American session musicians Category:Bebop guitarists Category:Concord Records artists Category:Contemporary Records artists Category:Cool jazz guitarists Category:Deaths from brain cancer in California Category:Jazz musicians from Oklahoma Category:Musicians from Muskogee, Oklahoma Category:The Wrecking Crew (music) members Category:West Coast jazz guitarists Category:American male guitarists Category:Mainstream jazz guitarists Category:20th-century American male musicians Category:American male jazz musicians Category:Great Guitars (band) members Category:Black Lion Records artists Category:Sonet Records artists Category:Savoy Records artists Category:RCA Records artists Category:Oscar Peterson Trio members