Kenny Burrell


Kenneth Earl Burrell is an American jazz guitarist, singer and composer 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. Burrell has cited jazz guitarists Charlie Christian, Oscar Moore, and Django Reinhardt as influences, along with blues guitarists T-Bone Walker and Muddy Waters.
Burrell is a professor and Director of Jazz Studies at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.
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Early life

Burrell was born in Detroit. Both his parents played instruments, 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." 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, 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.

Career

Burrell toured with Oscar Peterson after graduating in 1955 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.
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," 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.

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.
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."

Personal life

Early on in his career, Kenny Burrell's first wife was Dolores with whom he had two daughters., Discogs.com. Mention song "Loie" was dedicated to his wife Dolores.

Discography

As leader

Introducing Kenny Burrell Kenny Burrell All Night Long All Day Long Earthy Kenny Burrell 2 Guitars with Jimmy Raney Blue Lights Vol. 1 On View at the Five Spot Cafe with Art Blakey A Night at the Vanguard Weaver of Dreams Blue Lights Vol. 2 Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane Blue Bash! with Jimmy Smith Bluesy Burrell Lotsa Bossa Nova! Midnight Blue Crash! Soul Call Guitar Soul with Bill Jennings & Tiny Grimes Guitar Forms The Tender Gender Have Yourself a Soulful Little Christmas Man at Work – reissue of A Night at the VanguardOde to 52nd Street A Generation Ago Today Blues – The Common Ground Night Song Asphalt Canyon Suite Kenny Clarke Meets the Detroit Jazzmen Guitar Genius in Japan with Attila Zoller, Jim Hall God Bless the Child Cool Cookin' 'Round Midnight Both Feet on the Ground Up the Street, 'Round the Corner, Down the Block Ellington Is Forever Sky Street Ellington Is Forever Volume Two Tin Tin Deo Monday Stroll Handcrafted Stormy Monday When Lights Are Low Freedom K. B. Blues Swingin' Live at the Village Vanguard Moon and Sand Heritage Kenny Burrell in New York Listen to the Dawn Bluesin' Around Groovin' High A la Carte Togethering with Grover Washington Jr. Generation Pieces of Blue and the Blues Guiding Spirit Sunup to Sundown Ellington a la Carte Midnight at the Village Vanguard No Problem with Ray Bryant Lotus Blossom Then Along Came Kenny Live at the Blue Note Laid Back Love Is the Answer Stormy Monday Blues Lucky So and So Blue Muse 75th Birthday Bash Live! Prime: Live at the Downtown Room Be Yourself Tenderly Special Requests and Other Favorites: Live at Catalina's The Road to Love
  • ''Unlimited 1: Live at Catalina's''

As sideman

With Gene AmmonsFunky Jammin' in Hi Fi with Gene Ammons Bad! Bossa Nova
With Chet BakerChet Baby Breeze
With Aaron BellMusic from 77 Sunset Strip Richard Rodgers' Victory at Sea in Jazz
With Andy and the Bey SistersAndy and the Bey Sisters Round Midnight
With Ray BrownMuch in Common with Milt Jackson Some of My Best Friends Are...Guitarists
With Donald ByrdMotor City Scene A New Perspective Up with Donald Byrd
With Betty Carter'Round Midnight Inside Betty Carter
With Paul ChambersBass on Top Whims of Chambers
With Chris ConnorChris in Person Sings Ballads of the Sad Cafe
With Blossom DearieMy Gentleman Friend Blossom Dearie Sings Comden and Green
With Tommy FlanaganThe Cats Beyond the Blue Bird
With Frank FosterNo 'Count All Day Long
With Aretha FranklinYeah!!! Soul '69
With Red GarlandRed Garland Revisited! Stepping Out So Long Blues
With Stan GetzReflections Getz Au Go Go What the World Needs Now: Stan Getz Plays Burt Bacharach and Hal David
With Coleman HawkinsSoul The Hawk Relaxes
With Milt JacksonBags & Flutes Bean Bags with Coleman Hawkins Vibrations
With Illinois JacquetIllinois Jacquet The Message Desert Winds
With Thad JonesDetroit – New York Junction After Hours
With Johnny HodgesSandy's Gone – rec. 1965Mess of Blues with Wild Bill Davis Blue Rabbit Stride Right with Earl Hines Blue Notes
With Shirley HornLoads of Love Travelin' Light
With Etta JonesHollar! Love Shout Etta Jones Sings
With Hank JonesPorgy and Bess Here's Love Ain't Misbehavin'
With Quincy JonesThe Birth of a Band! Plays Hip Hits
With Wynton KellyWynton Kelly Comin' in the Back Door It's All Right! Whisper Not
With Jack McDuffScreamin' Somethin' Slick! Steppin' Out Plays for Beautiful People
With Gary McFarlandThe Jazz Version of "How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying" Soft Samba The In Sound
With Dave PikeBossa Nova Carnival Times Out of Mind
With Freddie RoachDown to Earth Mo' Greens Please
With Jimmy SmithHouse Party The Sermon! Home Cookin' Midnight Special Back at the Chicken Shack Any Number Can Win Softly as a Summer Breeze The Cat Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Christmas '64 Monster Organ Grinder Swing Got My Mojo Workin' Hoochie Coochie Man Confirmation Second Coming Keep On Comin Go for Whatcha Know Fourmost – live rec. 1990Standards – rec. 1957–1959Six Views of the Blues Fourmost Return
With Sylvia SymsThe Fabulous Sylvia Syms Sylvia Is!
With Cal TjaderWarm Wave Soul Sauce
With Stanley TurrentineHustlin' Joyride The Look of Love Always Something There The Sugar Man Jubilee Shout!!!
With Frank WessNorth, South, East....Wess Opus in Swing Jazz for Playboys
With Ernie WilkinsThe Big New Band of the 60's Screaming Mothers
With Joe WilliamsMe and the Blues That Holiday Feelin'
With Kai WindingSoul Surfin' Rainy Day More Brass
With Jimmy WitherspoonGoin' to Kansas City Blues Baby, Baby, Baby Blue Spoon
With Leo WrightSuddenly the Blues Soul Talk
With others