Introducing Kenny Burrell [Original recording remastered]

Kenny Burrell | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 27, 2000)
• Original Release Date: June 27, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Blue Note Records
• ASIN: B00004TR15
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #25,096 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #9 in Music > Indie Music > Jazz > Boogaloo

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The Detroit-born Kenny Burrell reigns as the dean of jazz guitarists. He's combined Charlie Christian's prebop fluency, Django Reinhardt's Old World touches, and the rhythmic drive of Nat King Cole's guitarist, Oscar Moore. This two-CD set contains Burrell's earliest Blue Note sessions from 1956. The first seven tracks, with drummer Kenny Clarke, bassist Paul Chambers, pianist Tommy Flanagan, and percussionist Candido Camero were released as Introducing Kenny Burrell.

It's a pleasing and swinging potpourri of Latin-tinged numbers and ballads such as "Weaver of Dreams," "This Time the Dream's on Me," and "Takeela" (read: Tequila). Burrell's nifty "Fugue 'n the Blues" is a Bach-meets-bop excursion worthy of the Modern Jazz Quartet. Tracks 8 and 9 are from Kenny Burrell Volume Two, and feature the guitarist's lightning-licked take on "Get Happy" and a succulent solo rendition of George Gershwin's "But Not for Me."

Those sessions continue on Disc 2 with Shadow Wilson and Oscar Pettiford taking over the drum and the bass with Frank Foster on tenor saxophone, and they remake classics such as Count Basie's "Moten Swing." Another date, Swingin', with Hank Mobley, Horace Silver, Doug Watkins, and Louis Hayes, finds Burrell and company in superb form on Lester Young's "D.B. Blues" and Silver's "Nica's Dream." On all of those sides, Burrell's blues-based guitar sounds as modern today as it did in the '50s. --Eugene Holley Jr.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Jazz Guitar!, June 29, 2000

By 

G. Williford (VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Introducing Kenny Burrell (Audio CD)

At long last these early recordings have made it to CD! Three of the songs here are on the Best of Kenny Burrell, this was my first hint on how good these early days were. I like how Kenny uses chords , octaves and single line notes to build his melodies. His tone is what i find so appealing, clean, warm and just short of distortion. (distorting only when he really leans into it) These recordings are all from 1956 era, so mono is the way it goes. Every song speaks to me on this CD, except "Rythmorama" (a 6 minute drum duo solo)

On the song, "Now see how you are" the slow tempo and emotional impact is quite spendid. I can even play along on my own guitar on the main theme. In fact if you play guitar at all, this recording is a great one to learn and play along with. If you can only get one Burrell CD, this is the one to buy! This CD should have wide appeal to any interested in the jazz scene in the mid-50's.

Other Burrell CD's to get are: Blue Lights, 5 Spot

and Midnight Blue.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 3 LPs on 2 CDs, April 23, 2005

By 

Bomojaz (South Central PA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Introducing Kenny Burrell (Audio CD)

This 2-CD set collects 3 early Kenny Burrell LPs, one of which was only issued in Japan. The original INTRODUCING is here, and features Kenny with Tommy Flanagan on piano, Paul Chambers (b), Kenny Clarke (d) and Cabdido (cga). TAKEELA is the definite highlight of that date - a fantastic tune taken up tempo with Candido's congas the icing on the cake. VOLUME 2 is the second LP and adds Frank Foster on tenor sax with Flanagan, Oscar Pettiford (b) and Shadow Wilson (d). Flanagan is a magnificent player on both albums. CHEETA is the highlight on VOLUME 2. The third LP is K.B. BLUES, out on LP in Japan only, and overall might be the best of the 3 LPs. Hank Mobley (ts) Horace Silver (p) Doug Watkins (b) and Louis Hayes (d) join Burrell, and the results are excellent. Three of the 5 tunes are alternates of each other and are each 12-bar blues with an 8-bar bridge. The playing is solid by everyone (this was Silver's working unit at the time, minus Burrell, which probably explains the terrific interplay achieved). Burrell's beautiful tone and exceptional swing are evident throughout. Highly recommended.

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic album by a genius guitarist...! TERRIBLE OVERCHARGE !, April 14, 2010

By 

C.D. of Austin TeXas (Austin Tejas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Introducing Kenny Burrell - The First Blue Note Sessions (MP3 Download)

Kenny Burrell, the quite genius. ... At the time Kenny, did not know his first album was 10-15 years ahead of the times. An incredible guitarist who could and would write, arrange and jam and dazzle all at the exact time. FANTASTIC...... Not every song is a classic but there are some classics on this album .... Any guitarist who think they are fast , think they know a little sump tin ... need to listen, learn and take note. At times Kenny B makes the SPEED METAL gun slingers sound as if they're playing Winchester Cathedral on a dragging 78 .

Now the BAD NEWS ......... AMAZON is getting as greedy as those greedy folks over at Apple I-Tunes(doo-tell).. and THATS greedy. Charging 20 bucks for an idem that should not cost but 10 bucks at THE MOST the absolute most .... This is price gouging ... and its shameful. Amazon should be ashamed ... however BIG companies are never ashamed .... They just get fined and bad publicity which they LOVE ... and like they say Bad Publicity is better than No Publicity .... Why don't companies do the right thing in the first place ? You never know.