| Title |
 Another Side of Barney Kessel: A personal retrospective of a jazz guitar icon
by Jim LaDiana |
| Date |
1- ,
2006 |
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Barney Kessel was more than just a great jazz guitarist. His love of God and family, integrity, humor and immense generosity, rendered the deep-rooted foundation for his musical abilities.
The highest level of personal accomplishment is still only one dimension of an individual. There is much more. What is the rest of their personality like? What sustains them? Considered one of the greatest jazz guitarists in the history of jazz, Barney Kessel possessed a musical vocabulary that was without peer. Every note in Kessel’s harmonic thesaurus could easily speak volumes in a variety of applications as his limitless knowledge and personal connection with the guitar made them one-in-the-same.
Remembering Barney ... with Phyllis Kessel
“From the time I met him, when I had the opportunity, I never missed a set he played. If I was on the road with him and he was playing three sets, I didn’t watch the first one, and then go to bed for the other two. I stayed there and watched every single note. And I’m so glad I did. You know, you never know. I was fascinated. I mean, he was incredible.”__Phyllis Kessel
Words and Music by Phyllis and Barney
Was it an accident or fate that brought the world renowned jazz guitarist and writer Phyllis Van Doren together? Perhaps it was an accident of fate. Van Doren, an editor of a Southern California periodical, interviewed Kessel in the ‘80s. The words exchanged during their conversation would serve as the perfect introduction to a lifelong arrangement.
Phyllis Kessel: “I knew who he was. I was at a jazz festival and I knew who all the other players were, and I interviewed everybody, just for fun. I had been a jazz fan in the ‘50s and had seen Barney and a lot of other people play. I can remember Charlie Parker, Nat King Cole, Red Norvo, Tal Farlow, Dinah Washington, all those people, in Los Angeles when I was in college in the ‘50’s. Barney was well known at that time. I just happened to be at a jazz festival and met him through an interview, and then ran into him later again and interviewed him some more. I am a writer and an editor and so it was of interest to me that these retirement age musicians were going strong and sounding better tnan ever. I didn’t know what I was going to do with it, but it looked like a story. And he loved to talk. Barney was a good interview, for anybody. He was really a good interview.”
Oddly enough, another “accident” allowed Phyllis to attend Barney’s last recording session.
“I happened to be in the Bay Area and he was making Red, Hot and Blues.(Contemporary 1988) and I asked if I could see a record being made. He said, “Of course!” Guitar Feathers
The first job Kessel had after he moved from Oklahoma to Los Angeles was playing with the Chico Marx Orchestra. Traveling from the west coast to Chicago and New York, Kessel quickly made a name for himself.
“Barney played for the Chico Marx Orchestra which was led by Ben Pollack. Chico ended up on the road with Barney and he often used him as the brunt of his jokes calling him “Buck.” Barney was kind of, well ... he was not terribly sophisticated yet.”
Kessel toured with the band from 1942- 43. Shortly after, there was an offer from Groucho and Chico Marx for him to be a star of his own radio show, but he refused. By 1944 he was playing with Artie Shaw along with Roy Eldridge on trumpet, Ray Coniff on trombone and Dodo Marmarosa on piano. Following, were several stints with Benny Goodman and Charlie Barnet.
“Barney always told funny stories about how Benny would forget he’d fired him and hire him back. (lol) Benny Goodman was very well known for being forgetful, even about Charlie Christian.”
The New Trio
The traditional jazz trio; piano, bass and drums, take on a more succinct timbre when the percussive pulse and shadings of the drums are eliminated and replaced with the guitar. In amiable hands, the rhythmic thrust of the guitar comfortably supports the technical prowess of the pianist. Additionally, blending the piano with guitar, harmonically and melodically, adds an intimate dimension to the trio as it brings the listener a little closer to the euphonius structure of the music at hand.
The popularity of the Nat King Cole and Oscar Peterson Trios during the ‘50’s, sans drums, allowed for this particular musical vehicle to gain momentum. Guitarists Oscar Moore, Irving Ashby and John Collins quite dutifully grooved with Cole. Kessel was one of the original members of Oscar Peterson’s Trio in 1951-53. Later, Herb Ellis romped with Peterson. Currently, Swedish guitarist Ulf Wakenius works with the master jazz pianist.
Kessel’s total command of the guitar and adept use of multiple voicings, in a unique way, emulated the rich, chordal range of the piano. Moreover, he brought his signature swing to the mix, adding yet another dimension to the guitar led trio. His five history making Poll Winners albums, with Shelly Manne on drums and Ray Brown on bass, set the tone for all the guitar records that came after them.
Keynote Presentation: Barney Kessel
By the ‘60’s, Kessel had become an integral part of the Hollywood recording studio scene playing on films and records for everyone from Fred Astaire to Marlene Dietrich to the Beach Boys. However, working many studio calls had taken its toll. This, coupled with his eternal jazz flame, he decided to leave the studios and move to Europe to, “Get away from it all.” Besides performing at numerous jazz venues, he began a series of group discussions. One of the busiest guitarists in the business made him an invaluable resource concerning all aspects of the guitar, among other things.
“In ‘69, Barney started a series of seminars in Northern England called “The Effective Guitarist.” He gave them all over the world for a number of years. These were four-day seminars - very intensive, but one of the things he talked about a great deal, and that people remembered who had taken the seminar, were how to be a good human being. How to lead your life and that it was a lot more than just playing the guitar well. That’s one of the things that was very important to him.”
Written and Arranged by Barney Kessel
Somewhere between Kessel’s lengthy practice schedule, recording sessions and touring dates, he also found time to compose. He contributed his composing and arranging efforts on many of his solo albums and also on the aforementioned Poll Winners recordings. He also penned the jazz classics “Swedish Pastry,” recorded by Bill Evans, and “I Remember Django.”
“He was a wonderful composer. A lot of people don’t know that. And he didn’t do nearly enough of it as far as I’m concerned. Some of his recordings have his original compositions on them, but he could write words too, and he didn’t do that very often. He wrote one that several singers have recorded called “Here’s That Sunny Day” - that’s a take of on the title “Here’s That Rainy Day.” I think it was first recorded in the 1970’s. If you listen to those lyrics, that will tell you how optimistic he was, even though he was unhappy in those years a lot of the time. It put in his own words, to music, how positive and upbeat he was about life, and as far as I’m concerned, that’s what saved him from depression with the stroke. It kept him alive so long - that kind of positive attitude.”
PRACTICE
To maintain his impeccable technique, Kessel dedicated an enormous amount of time to practice. To keep in musical shape, his day-to-day practice regimen also included exercises written for the clarinet, violin and piano.
“He practiced 5 hours a day…religiously. He told me more than once that he never missed in his lifetime, until he became ill, more than 17 days of practice in his whole life. I believe it having known him. I don’t know how he remembers that, but I believe it.”
Barney Kessel’s Practice Regimen
365 days x 50 years = 18,250 days
18,250 X 5 hours = 91,250 hours
91,250 divided by 40 (1 week) = 2,281.25 weeks
2,281.25 weeks divided by 365 days (1 year) = 6.25 years
6.25 YEARS
6.25 years ... of non-stop playing.
6.25 years ... with his hands on the guitar.
6.25 years ... of measureless music.
6.25 years ... his playing was as the air.
The Lost Days… The overall figure decreases when you take into account the 17 days of practice he missed. That final figure is 6.244178 years!
One Man - One Guitar
While many professional guitar players indulge themselves with literally rooms full of guitars, Kessel remained loyal to only one. For his entire career, he played a late ‘40’s, Gibson ES-350 Premier. A few of the changes he made to the guitar include replacing the bridge, knobs, and a number of different length fingerboards. In nearly every photograph of Kessel, he is playing this guitar. However, in the recording studio environment, he would sometimes play a Gibson Barney Kessel model to obtain a specific sound. His studio instruments also included other electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, ukulele, banjo and Danelectro bass. Nevertheless, the 350 was his steadfast musical partner. Although he spent countless hours embracing this guitar, to Kessel, it was still merely an apparatus he utilized to produce the music within him.
“He would say to you today, the music didn’t come from the guitar. The music came from his heart and his head. He would always point to his brain and his heart. The music was in him is what he was saying. The guitar was just like a pencil to a writer. Unlike a lot of musicians, he didn’t keep going out looking for another, better guitar.”
The video/dvd available on Vestapol: Barney Kessel/Rare Performances 1962-1991, features a detailed look at his Gibson ES-350 and an interview with Kessel describing the various modifications he made to the guitar over the years.
A Very Personal Album …
Another Side of Kessel (Remarkable Records 1923-2004)
A marathon runner’s connection to the world may be exemplified by infinite physical steps on the ground. Kessel’s bond with music was by virtue of incalculable notes on his guitar’s fingerboard.
Barney Kessel continues to amaze as I learn even more about the man. One of the greatest jazz guitarists in the world aside, it is as if his internal essence clearly understood that in order to maintain his incredible practice regimen, musical prowess, and recording and touring schedule, something more important was necessary. An individual of monumental resolve, Kessel dedicated as much time to prolong mental soundness, a healthy lifestyle and he nurtured other learning mediums and creative outlets to sustain balance.
Barney Kessel’s Keys to Health, Happiness and Harmony
Apart from the joy of listening to, and learning from his guitar playing, there are valuable “life lessons” to be learned from Barney Kessel as well. The following reveals a more in-depth look at the individual behind the guitar.
INNER TIMBRE
“Barney had a very strong spiritual life. His parents were Jewish immigrants. They came over separately in the early part of the century and married here. He practiced Christianity from the time he was twelve, or something like that, but he grew up in the bible belt so that’s not surprising. He really was an honest man, very kind to others.”
MORALITY
Considering the multitude of daily distractions that occur during any given day, it sometimes seems next to impossible, given the situation, to adhere to a schedule, let alone one’s ethics. In addition to these complications, those individuals involved in the entertainment business face additional pressures, stressors and alluring stimulants. Maintaining a long successful and respectful career is not an easy task, and depends greatly on morality - how one lives. Regardless of the guitar and of music, Kessel was an individual of principles.
“He was a very moral person. He really stuck to his principles, from the time he was a little boy. Most of us I don’t think do that. He never smoked dope. He never touched any hard liquor. It didn’t appeal to him and he saw all these musicians, from the time he was a little boy, destroying themselves with alcohol and drugs so he didn’t go near it.
“He was a nervous, high energy hyper-active person. He told me that, when he was around 40 - I don’t know whether he was having trouble sleeping or what, but he was going to a doctor, and the doctor suggested maybe it would help him if he’d have a glass of wine with dinner. And that’s when he started drinking wine. He never drank more than one or one and a half glasses, and never before he played. It was always afterwards when we had dinner. He did enjoy a glass of wine with dinner. He’d write down what he had discovered in Europe teaching himself to be a wine connoisseur.”
DISCIPLINE
Practicing his guitar was only one of the training routines Kessel perpetuated. Keeping physically fit was another.
“He was an extremely disciplined person. You’d be in awe if you could have seen him on a daily basis. It didn’t matter whether he was on the road, whether he was at home with a couple weeks off. It didn’t matter where he was - how uncomfortable a situation was, he’d find a way to do these things.
“He would get up in the morning and he would do these exercises - jumping up and down, pushups, situps, etc. He could be in the tiniest hotel room in the world - I’ve seen him do this. He’d put down a bath towel and he’d do his exercises. He had a tiny notebook where he wrote how many to do each day of each thing and sometimes he’d write how many he did do and he’d keep track of it. This went on for decades. I think they were those Canadian Air Force exercises. I think they came into the trend during the Kennedy administration or before that, but I kind of think it was in the ‘60s. But, he did those every single day until he had his stroke.
“He also walked a great deal. While on the road, he did not drive a car, so a lot of his life was walking around the cities where he was playing.”
What Eats Barney?
A healthy diet is beneficial to one’s wellness. Besides following a daily exercise program, Kessel maintained a sensible diet to keep nutritionally in tune, but also enjoyed variety.
“Barney liked regular breakfast, lunch and dinner and did not eat in between meals, did not snack, while I knew him. He did not miss meals. He did not overeat. He clearly was interested in maintaining a reasonable weight, which he did, and being healthy. He always said I was a great cook and so his foods were my foods and he really seemed to appreciate that.
“Obviously, he ate out all the time on the road. French food was a favorite but so was the food in Italy and what I cooked at home. Mexican food was a favorite, in England he ate a lot of Indian food, he loved Chinese food. He could hardly wait to introduce me to favorite dishes in Austria. He just seemed to enjoy good food wherever he was.”
When there was a break from touring, Barney and Phyllis would often visit their favorite restaurant in San Diego, The Belgian Lion. The love struck couple and the owners became friends and would always put on his music for the customers when they knew he was coming. “I Remember Django” and the Carmen album were a few of the owner’s favorites.
“To Swing Or Not To Swing”
Kessel had a great appreciation for the written word. As his music filled our ears, there were specific writings he sought out to satisfy his soul.
“Oh, he had a huge library. He didn’t read fiction - never did. Although he had read all of Shakespeare when he was about 30 years old. He only went to the ninth grade and he was self-educated. So one of the things he did after he got into Los Angeles and made something of a name for himself was - he did things like; read all of Shakespeare. He had read the Bible several times so he knew all of those stories.
“He was attracted to books like; How To Make the Best Use of Your Time” and things like that. He studied that a lot and passed that on to the guitarists who came to his seminars. You know, How To Organize Your Music Life , so to speak.”
Jazz Guitar Icon and Comic … Barney Kessel
“Funny, he could have been a stand-up comedian his timing was so good. His jokes were kind of corny sometimes and he was a practical joker, just really marvelous. He was so funny and I’ve heard so many stories. Barney told this one to me. He played in the orchestras that played in the films - he played on hundreds of movies. He’d do things like; clean his glasses with a fifty dollar bill and wad it up and throw it on the floor to see if anybody would notice. In those days he smoked cigars and, you know, light his cigar with a big bill or something to freak people out.”(LOL)
“Those studio calls were boring and we were glad to leave after 3 hours. Yet when one eager guitarist made a mistake at the last minute, throwing us into overtime we didn’t want, Barney stood up with his 1-sentence assessment, making us laugh: “Don, if this had been an airplane, and you the pilot, we’d have crashed by now.”__Carol Kaye
“Mr. Sleight of Hand” … Barney Kessel
Another hip pastime Kessel became interested in early in life and proficient at was magic as he learned to do card tricks and learned how to make things disappear. His dexterous digits certainly aided his performance.
“He would often entertain little children whenever he saw them. And I’ve had any number of people, from different periods of his life, tell me about that. It went back pretty far in his life, certainly. I don’t know that he did it as a child. I think it’s more likely after he moved to Los Angeles that he may have taken that up - I’m not sure, but the facility he had with his hands and his fingers on the guitar translated to that. My older grandchildren remember that very well because they knew him before his stroke.”
Children were not the only ones fascinated by Kessel’s entrancing abilities. While on the road, traveling in other countries, he would often utilize magic to connect with others. In the manner of music, the allurement and ubiquitous curiosity produced through magic is also a form of universal communication.
“Jim Hall has told me funny stories about how when he and Barney were in Japan together, and if they were with some Japanese who didn’t speak any English, that’s what Barney would do. He would do card tricks. (LOL) They couldn’t have a conversation so he’d whip out his cards.
“He always carried cards with him. There was always a deck of cards in his pocket or his suitcase. When he was traveling he had a guitar, and he had a deck of cards, and he had a book of crossword puzzles.”
Kessel’s relentless energy afforded him the luxury of minimal amounts of sleep. His affinity with card playing also kept his mind sharp. Later, card playing took on an important, therapeutic role.
“He was never still for a moment, except for catnaps to renew his energy. He could sleep 10 minutes and be raring to go again. He was one of those people who could go to sleep at the snap of a finger. He could sleep standing up, sitting down, didn’t matter, but recharge his batteries, so to speak, with a very short nap. I was in awe of that because I can’t do that myself.
“He played solitaire. If he had to wait for an airplane, of course with all the traveling he did, he was always getting stuck somewhere, that was just part of life. He didn’t let it upset him. He would take out his guitar. He’d practice in an airport for a while and then he would play a few games of solitaire, then he’d do some crossword puzzles. This was on an airplane, in an airport. I mean I experienced this with him all the time - at home, you know.
“After he had his stroke. I used playing cards as therapy. I encouraged him to play solitaire again, and he did, right up until he got the brain tumor. His eyesight was going then and it helped me determine if he could see. I used it as therapy because it was one of those things that was part of his life.”
Naive By Default
Kessel’s practice regimen, touring, recording and business schedule, coupled with his daily personal living agenda, understandably, left no time for other hobbies, interests or what might be considered recreation and relaxation. This is true for many individuals who possess remarkable diligence and uncommon self-mastery.
“Barney was very naive in a lot of areas but he was the most sophisticated of musicians. One thing I’ve found from reading biographies of a lot of famous people is that anybody that’s as focused and disciplined with their music, and reaches the level of competence that Barney did with the guitar, very often, haven’t had time to learn about a lot of other things that maybe you or I would know more about. We may know a smattering of a whole lot of things and, you know, he was totally focused on this one thing.”
Christmas in Salzburg
“This is the last time in my life that I intend to be away from the woman I love, for as much a five weeks. Somehow either I will not be gone so long, or she will meet me somewhere. So it’s up to me to find a way to do it, and I will.”__Barney Kessel in a 1991 interview in Germany.
Kessel enjoyed being on the road. He loved people and welcomed the chance to meet people and travel to many countries. His trips abroad began to increase dramatically following Norman Granz’s Jazz at the Philharmonic tour in 1952. He loved to play in Europe and would sometimes tour there as much as six times a year. However, one of his most memorable tours to Europe involved a very special performance for one very special woman. Some people search for happiness their entire life and never find it. Kessel found love, and in turn, his happiness, and more.
“He actually came home off a tour in Italy one time and we got on an airplane the next day and spent Christmas Eve to New Years Eve in Salzburg. It was his favorite city and he wanted me to see it. This man had been on the road for several weeks and what is he doing? He’s coming and getting me and putting me on a plane with him. (lol) And oh, it was the most beautiful Christmas I’ve ever had. We flew into Munich on Christmas Eve and it started snowing and we took the train into Salzburg. It was a light snow on the Christmas market. In Germany and Austria they have these big markets out in the plaza of the church. We were staying at a little hotel that was owned by a friend of his. We were right on the plaza. There were sleigh bells and sleighs. We went to the Marionette Theater and to a place for chamber concerts of Mozart and, oh, it was just beautiful. It couldn’t have been more dream-like.”
Barney’s Pastime
“When he had time, he primarily listened to classical music - that tells you something else. He was always learning. He was trying to listen to people that he respected, you know, in terms of their musical creativity.
“He was very interested in classical music. Actually, after I met him, when we were on the road and we were listening to him, he listened to classical music more than he listened to jazz. Mozart was a big favorite, Debussy and Ravel he would always say were a big influence on him. Brahms. I introduced him to a lot of Brahms that he hadn’t heard. We went to a lot of chamber music concerts here, particularly after he had his stroke and I was able to take him out in a wheelchair in a car.”
CUE # 5-26-92
“I have thousands of letters that came to the house from the time he had his stroke, that was in ‘92, right after we were married. We had only been married for four months. He had a major stroke that ended his career. And so it changed our life plans, totally.”
1991 was a great year for Barney Kessel. His tour schedule would make even the most popular rock and roll band envious. He had successful tours in the United States, Canada, Portugal, Sweden, Italy, Germany, the British Isles and Japan. 1991 also marked his induction into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame as well. The early part of 1992 found him earning rave reviews from audiences in Australia, New Zealand and the United States.
“He had a massive stroke which took away his movement and his speech in 1992, after we’d been married for four months. Before that he was the most energetic, vibrant person, he was playing better than ever, funny, and traveling all over the world. He could go for weeks of one-night-stands and come home fresh as could be and ready to go out to dinner.
“He loved going out to dinner. He had never had the time to do what we did so he loved going out to dinner when he got far enough along in his therapy to do that. He loved going to concerts - chamber music concerts.
“He was just incredible. He loved being on the road. He liked being at home too, but he loved that life so it got taken away from him very suddenly but you know that man was never depressed. He was always positive, always upbeat. He was an inspiration to everybody around him, including me, all through all of this boring therapy, time to walk with a cane, trying to get his speech back, I mean it took years. And then when he was diagnosed with brain cancer in late 2001, we had another whole therapy recovery period. They had gone into the brain to do a biopsy and relieve pressure on the brain. They told me they couldn’t operate. It was a cancerous tumor but they couldn’t take it out. We did some gamma radiation which shrank the tumor and probably bought Barney a couple more years of life. He would have died much sooner if we hadn’t done that.
“After the radiation it was more months and months of therapy just to keep him going and he was always positive. He was the most wonderful patient to take care of. The nurses, and later the hospice people that I had at the end, I mean they couldn’t believe him. They never had a patient like him. He was inspirational no matter how ill he was.”
Barney Kessel’s brilliant, swinging guitar touched people worldwide. Considering the state of instrumental music, this is an absolutely amazing accomplishment for a jazz guitarist. But hey, we’re talking about Barney Kessel, a man who dedicated his life to God, his wife, his family and music. A man who lived for music and guitar perfection.
“Barney’s obituaries talked so much about the Beatles and the Beach Boys and the Wall of Sound with Phil Spector - but those were just freelance jobs to him. Though he always tried to do a fantastic job, his jazz career was what was important to him.
“In the archives now are the most wonderful letters from all over the world of people that he touched. They’re people that remember him from the ‘40s, the ‘50s, all the way to the 2000’s. The one thing that comes through loud and clear is not only was he the greatest jazz guitarist, but he was a gentleman and the greatest of human beings. And that meant so much to Barney when I’d read him those letters because that’s what he really wanted to be, was a great human being - good to his fellow man, an inspiration to other people.”
“So this is one of the legacies he left. The things that people wrote to Barney while he was still alive and to me after he died, were about what a great human being he was - how kind he was. He would help young fifteen year olds, twelve year olds. He’d be on a gig and he’d take time to help out these young enthusiasts because he remembered being there himself.”
Keeping In Touch
“We kept the union books on hand from New York and Los Angeles. Even after his stroke, as soon as he could speak a little bit, and all those years that he was ill, he was calling up people that he had worked with in the early days. People who maybe were older than he was, he was wondering how they were. In some cases they were sick or in nursing homes. He kept in touch with people from his childhood all the way up, despite the fact that he was traveling all over the world. That was another thing that impressed me - how he could do that. Well, that was his discipline.”
Jim LaDiana: “What a great guy!”
“He was the best. Oh, what a great guy. (lol) He led a very full life. He was never still until the stroke struck him down, just never. We were terribly in love. I was the love of his life apparently, and he was sure the love of my life. We didn’t have nearly enough time together. I treasured every day.”
Remembering Barney … with Bob Bain and Mitch Holder
“I had the distinct pleasure of spending some time with two, very highly regarded names of the Hollywood recording studio scene; guitarists Bob Bain and Mitch Holder. As they talked about their individual relationships and feelings of Barney Kessel, I realized that he had not only influenced them, very early on in their musical careers, but still continues to inspire and evoke a wonderful sense of friendly well-being within them.”__Jim LaDiana
“Barney enjoyed studio playing. He approached it just like he approached jazz. It was like, “be prepared.” That was his famous line - to have a beginning and have an ending. If you’re gonna play a jazz solo or make a jazz record, have a beginning and have an ending before you go into the studio. Don’t go in there - fake an ending or think of an ending, but have it set in your mind.”__Bob Bain
“After he had the stroke I didn’t know how bad it was ... if he was gonna survive. I thought to myself, I need to tell him the impact he had on my life.”__Mitch Holder
During the late 30’s, the sound of the big bands began to dominate the radio airwaves in America. These swinging ensembles had people dancing and lifted their spirits to new heights. There was a genuine connection between the performers and the audience. Every music lover had their favorite band and leader, and there were many to choose from and enjoy. Barney Kessel and Bob Bain toured with several of the biggest big band names during the ‘40’s. Kessel played and recorded with Chico Marx, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman and Charlie Barnet. Meanwhile, Bain worked with Freddy Slack, Tommy Dorsey, Bob Crosby, Harry James, Les Brown and Louis Bellson. Their individual big band stints were followed by live performances on many popular national radio broadcasts.
The end of that decade found Bain establishing a foothold in the West coast recording scene. His guitar playing has been heard on a innumerable films, albums and commercials. Bain was one of the busiest studio players from the 50’s thru the 70’s and became the “first call” guitarist for many of Hollywood’s major recording studios. He also held the guitar chair on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson for 19 years.
Kessel would later enjoy great success in the Hollywood recording studios as well, playing on hundreds of films and TV shows such as Steve Allen and Hollywood Palace, and created original music for many commercials including Der Wiener Schnitzel and Rice Krispies. He performed and recorded with such diverse talents as Nat King Cole, Sarah Vaughn, Spike Jones, Lawrence Welk, Barbara Streisand, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Maurice Chevalier, Gene Autry, Sonny and Cher and the Righteous Brothers. Nevertheless, it was playing jazz guitar that would establish his true musical legacy. He played and recorded with a long list of jazz greats including Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Billie Holiday, Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Ben Webster and Sonny Rollins. A winner of all the major jazz polls including Downbeat, Metronome, Melody Maker and Playboy for several years, he was the most popular jazz guitarist of the ‘50’s and ‘60’s.
Although their playing fields differed - Bain, a commercial success in the studios and Kessel, a successful jazz career, the brother guitarists continued a friendship for many years. Ultimately, they both dedicated their lives to maintaining the highest standard of excellence in music. It was in the early ‘40’s while Bain was rehearsing with the Freddy Slack Band when he first heard Kessel play. Despite the fact 60 years had past since he and Kessel first met, Bain remembers it like it was yesterday ...
Jim LaDiana: Bob, how did your relationship with Barney begin?
Bob Bain: “I first met Barney at a rehearsal hall in this big building on Vermont Avenue and Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles called Bimini Baths. It was a bath house. In those days they had a lot of them around. It was strictly a therapeutic type place but they had a big hall on the second floor. It was a huge rehearsal hall and bands used to rehearse there. And they had smaller rooms that had a piano in them. They were renting it out - University of Southern California wasn’t to far from there and City College wasn’t to far. So if they needed extra rehearsal space they could come over there and rent that stuff. Freddy Slack rehearsed there once a week when he was putting the band together. That’s where I first met Barney Kessel.
“All of a sudden I’m in there rehearsing and I hear this other band down the hall and I went down and there’s Barney Kessel. He was rehearsing with Chico Marx (Marx Bros.). So I waited around for them to break and I walked over and we started talking. I told him I was gonna be working with Freddy and we were going to be opening that weekend with Slack at a place called Casa Manana in Culver City - big ballroom, held a couple of thousand people. We started playing Friday night and I think Barney came in maybe Sunday night. A couple of the guys in the band knew him.
“Freddy had a pretty good band. It was a pickup band from L.A. but he had good brass players. Howard Rumsey was the bass player I remember. I had a Charlie Christian guitar - that was my electric guitar, and I had an old L-5 cutaway, blonde model - big, big guitar. So I played rhythm guitar and electric. Barney was there and I said, “Hey, do you want to sit in?” He said, “Sure.” ‘So I went up to Freddy and I said, “This guy’s a great guitar player.” ‘And he said, “Sure, let him sit in.”
“Well, when Freddy would conduct the band, he’d get up from the piano and stand in front of the band so it would just be bass, guitar and drums in the rhythm section. Barney just used my guitar. He sat in and when it came time for him to play a solo it was just like, “What happened?!” ‘Everybody just turned around and looked. He got grooving and played about four, five or six choruses. From then on, I mean every time they changed a tune, Freddy would add a guitar solo to the chart - you know, he’d point to Barney. It was just great. He just knocked everybody out with the style he was playing. Those records of Goodman’s had just come out with Charlie Christian on electric guitar. Everybody was still listening to “Seven Come Eleven,” “Airmail Special” and all those tunes. He played exactly like Charlie Christian. He really played so well. And then, of course, I would keep seeing him around town because he stayed in town then and worked a bunch of clubs with his own trio or with somebody else.
Mitch Holder: Now had he moved here then or was he traveling?
Bob Bain: No, I don’t think he had moved. I think he was still traveling. He just stayed here for awhile. He kinda liked it and there was work. He played a lot on Central Avenue. There were a lot of jazz joints then. For instance, Nat Cole would play on Vine Street. Art Tatum was at the 331 Club on Third Street. There was a place on La Brea called the Swanee Inn that had all kinds of jazz players in there - mostly black. There were lots of clubs that featured little jazz trio’s, quartet’s. A lot of them didn’t have drums - bass, guitar, piano, like the Nat Cole trio. Not long after that, Les Paul played at the Tom Tom on Vine Street. His band was just two guitars and bass.
JL: How did Barney’s transition into the studio’s come about?
BB: Finally, Barney went from playing these clubs in town and somehow Norman Granz discovered him and he joined the Norman Granz’s Jazz at the Philharmonic (1952). He went on the road with that, with Coleman Hawkins, and all those great players. He was gone, I don’t know how many years, and then he got tired of that and came back to L.A. He wanted to stay in town and wanted to be a studio player.
MH: So he consciously wanted to do that huh?
BB: Oh yeah! He wanted to be a studio player. When Barney decided to stay in town, he wanted to be a studio player. He decided that it would be the thing to do. He was a good studio player. It just was that there was no demand for a “jazz solo” in probably 95% of the calls. He’d sit there and count bars and come in, or maybe have a banjo part or a mandolin part. It was a waste of time. But it was work and working in the studios was what everybody wanted to do. So Barney got into the studios and did a lot of studio work.
Barney enjoyed studio playing. He approached it just like he approached jazz. It was like, “be prepared.” That was his famous line - to have a beginning and have an ending. If you’re gonna play a jazz solo or make a jazz record, have a beginning and have an ending before you go into the studio. Don’t go in there - fake an ending or think of an ending, but have it set in your mind. He felt that you should be well prepared for studio playing. Barney was always fun to have on a date or be on a date with Barney because he had stories and he loved to tell all the anecdotes that he knew, but he was real serious when it came to the music. We were kind of half joking some of the time looking at the music, it wouldn’t be that hard, but Barney, he concentrated. To him, if you came to a studio date you played the music and then on the ten’s (10 minute breaks), you did the funny stuff. You didn’t do the funny stuff in between takes. He was serious.
MH: There’s one famous story that everybody used to tell. A kid was in a date or something and said, “Barney, what’s the hardest thing about studio work?” ‘And Barney said, “Finding a parking place.” (LOL’s)
BB: That’s one of his things. You learn every thing there is, you know how to read, but the most difficult thing about studio work is finding a parking place.
MH: Especially at MGM.
BB: Well yeah, it got to be that way.
BK at the BC
The beautiful thing about most musicians is that they love to play. They work to play. The gig, club, what have you, isn’t as important as the opportunity to make music - to play. During the late ‘50’s - early ‘60’s, Kessel played. However, every once and awhile, a particular engagement may even have the greatest musical disciple stymied for years to come.
BB: There were so many places where you could go hear Barney and now you kick yourself that you didn’t go every time to hear him. There was a place on Robertson Boulevard, south of Olympic, but not far. It was a steak house. It had been there for a long time. It was called The Blarney Castle.
MH: I remember that.
BB: Well, what do I see in the paper? ... “Barney Kessel featured at The Blarney Castle” (LOL’s). I couldn’t believe it! I knew this area real well cause I’d gone to high school not to far from there. So the opening night ...
MH: You had to go.
BB: I had to go and brought a couple of guys with me. Barney was there with a bass player I’d never seen before and a drummer I didn’t know - just two guys that he had found somewhere. Obviously, the job - it didn’t pay a lot of money, you knew that because it couldn’t. This place was basically a steak house, but the guy had music on the weekends. I went there that night and Barney just played so great. From then on I’d would always say to him, you know, “Barney, is it true you worked at the Blarney Castle?” ‘Cause it was just like, “How is this possible?” ‘But he did and he worked there more than once. That was the beautiful thing about Barney - just to play he’d go and work, and play just as great as he could.
MH: Did you ever see him at the Haig?
BB: Yeah. I saw him play at the Hyatt Hotel on Sunset. He just played there with a bass player and a drummer. I didn’t know either one of those guys. I think they maybe had been on the road with him. I remember Barney played this solo thing and he played “Come Rain or Come Shine.” You know how he grabbed with his thumb and all of that?
MH: Right.
BB: Just watching him, the changes that he played on that tune. Nobody could play that solo like Barney. You could copy it but it wouldn’t come off. Even in the blues, he was way ahead of a lot of guys. You know, he played different turn arounds to get there, but still 12-bars. Barney had his own thing way before anybody. Like in “Barney’s Blues” or any of those blues tunes. He kind of always found a little different change in there that guitar players weren’t playing. They learned an awful lot from Barney just listening to his records, such great things - not too difficult, just harmonically made sense. He was one of the first guys to think that way, and of course he played with a lot of guys that were thinking that way too. He was in on all of that good beginning of bebop and everything.
MH: He had that two line counterpoint going on.
BB: Oh, yeah.
MH: He was one of the first ...
BB: ... first guys to do that.
“Herrreee’s Barney”
During his 19 year stint playing on the Tonight Show, Bob Bain had seen and heard it all. Artists covering every musical style had performed on that NBC stage. Still, there is one performer that remains as one of Bain’s all time favorites.
Bob Bain: The Great Guitars played The Tonight Show one time. It was Charlie Byrd, Herb (Ellis) and Barney. They each had a dressing room. I went over to Barney’s and I knew enough to bring my guitar with me. I was playing that ...
Mitch Holder: 175? (Gibson ES 175).
BB: ... 175, made a little sound without an amp. I knocked on Barney’s door. “Come in.” ‘I walked in and Barney’s playing, practicing, and he said, “Sit down.” ‘And he started playing “Honeysuckle Rose.” (LOLs) I didn’t even get to say, “Hello, how are you?” What’s going on?” ‘We just started playing.
MH: Tal Farlow said that whenever he was in L.A. and went to visit Barney, every time that Barney answered the door, he always ...
MH/BB: ... had the guitar in his hand.
MH: Always.
BB: Barney was very intense about playing the guitar. That’s all he really wanted to do.
Barney Kessel ... Music Consultant
During the early ‘60s, Kessel decided to leave the recording studios and become more personally involved with others seeking to break into the music industry. He would apply his extensive musical knowledge and experience as a teacher and professional advisor. Some of these subjects included:
* Guitar instruction
* How to be an accompanist/soloist
* How to read music
* How to write for guitar
* How to be a vocal coach
* The in’s and out’s of the record business, etc.
Bob Bain: He took an ad out in The Overture (Union local 47 monthly newsletter). He was done with the studio playing and now said he will teach. He had a whole package.
You could go to Barney - he had a studio, a room somewhere. Like if you went to him and said, “I’m managing a girl singer. What should I do to get her a “Cry Me A River,” like you did with Julie London?” ‘And he would say, “The first thing you do is find a song.” ‘He would do this seriously and he had good advice, great advice. He was so sincere about teaching and telling people anything he knew about how to approach writing an arrangement - how you actually get set up to write an arrangement. The pitfalls, you know, give yourself enough time, but don’t give yourself too much time, and so forth and so on. It’s almost like a “How To Succeed in the Music Business,” not necessarily from a guitarists point of view.
Mitch Holder has been featured in every form of popular music for over thirty years. He has played on over twenty-five gold records, five platinum records and more than ten Academy Award winning films. Applying his own distinctive touch to jazz, pop, rock, heavy metal, country, blues, and R&B styles has made Mitch one of the most popular of today’s L.A. session musicians.
Jim LaDiana: Mitch, how did Barney come into your life?
Mitch Holder: I didn’t meet Barney for awhile. My father used to bring albums home. Over the course of a period of time he brought one of Barneys’ albums over. He brought me a Segovia record one time, then he brought me a Chet Atkins record one time. And then later, he brought me a Howard Roberts, which we put on. I’m listening and he says, “Do you like that?” ‘I said, “Yeah!” ‘He said, “How would you like to study with him?” But with Barney, my first teacher got me into him, actually. He was a jazz teacher and I didn’t know what jazz was, but he lent me two, 10-inch records - one of Johnny Smith and one of Barney. I was eight years old. Could you imagine leaving your cherished records with an eight year old?
Bob Bain: No.
Jim LaDiana: (lol)
MH: He left them for a couple of weeks and I sat and listened to them.
BB: Who was this?
MH: His name was Bill Pellegrini. He taught at Splevins. Remember Splevins on Pico?
BB: Oh, Splevins. Sure.
MH: He started out teaching in a teaching studio but I can’t remember where. It was on La Cienega, and then he wound up coming over to the house. He had a little L-4 and he had an old Gibson amp, probably like the rest of you guys had. But he left me with these Johnny Smith and Barney Kessel 10-inch records. He was probably doing Johnny Smith - with the stretches and everything, and it was way over my head. But Barney had this bluesy style in his jazz playing that just caught my ears. I said, “Yeah, I like this guy.” Eventually, my dad brought me an album. My dad was a doctor and knew Marv. Remember Marv Limonick?
BB: Oh sure, the fiddle player.
MH: My dad took the album jacket to Marv. Marv took it to Barney and Barney signed it - which I still have. But I didn’t meet Barney untill my dad took me over to the a club on Sunset Boulevard - The Seventh Veil, this is probably in the early ‘60’s. It was normally a belly dancing place, but on Monday nights they had jazz groups. So Barney was playing on Monday night and that’s when we went, and I met him. I was a little kid, about 12 or 13 years old.
JL: Do you remember when you first saw Barney on a recording date?
MH: I really didn’t meet Barney until I started going out on dates with Howard. Howard took me on a date. I remember the first date I went on with Howard was at Universal with Pete Rugolo with Run For Your Life. Barney was there, Shelly Manne, Artie Kane, Joe Mondragon, and there were horn players. I didn’t pay attention to them, it was the rhythm section!
“I didn’t really know Barney well at all until after he had the stroke. After he had the stroke I didn’t know how bad it was - if he was gonna survive. I thought to myself, I need to tell him the impact he had on my life, so I wrote him a letter. This was about ‘95. I think. I wrote him a letter. A few weeks later Phyllis called me up and said, “Barney wants to talk to you, but he can’t talk so I’ll talk for him.”
A Musical Mission
Mitch had made several trips to San Diego to visit Barney following his stroke in 1992. His subsequent visits, calls and letters to Barney, early on, found his friend’s condition improving - giving testament to his incredible determination and perseverance. During Mitch’s stay, they would spend hours listening to cassette tapes Barney had received from his fans of his live performances in Europe and elsewhere.
In 1995 Barney started a special program at a gym and could only speak via his wife, Phyllis. In 1998, he answered the phone and was able to talk. By August of 2000, Barney was very excited that he could walk around the block. An amazing accomplishment as he was wheel chair bound and couldn’t talk after his stroke. Still, his long term memory remained sharp, however, his short term memory began to deteriorate. At the end of 2002 a brain tumor was discovered.
Mitch Holder: I asked him during my first visit - he had been doing a little bit of teaching when he could, but he couldn’t play. I flat out asked him. I said, “Barney, are you at all bitter that you can’t play the guitar anymore?” ‘He was adamant - he said, “No.” ‘He said, “Probably out of 50 years of playing the guitar, I might have missed two days.” ‘He was completely honest. He wasn’t joking, he was totally okay with that.
Music Therapy
Kessel’s daily practice regimen came to an abrupt end following his stroke. However, it wasn’t long until his innate persistence found him occupied in another form of practice. It was a daily therapeutic listening regimen. Unable to play the guitar, Kessel would spend many hours listening to his live performances on cassette tapes and cd’s that had been sent to him from admirers the world over. He began to mentally edit his performances and had assembled nearly 60 hours of material for future release.
Bob Bain: I had to be in San Diego for something and I called Phyllis and said, “I’m gonna be in San Diego. How about if I come over and see Barney?” ‘She said, “That would be great!” I took a cab from wherever I was to their place and spent two or three hours with him. He was very lucid. I mean, he was talking. He was sitting up. He was in that mood where he had all these tapes or cd’s - a lot of them were on cd’s, you know guys had burned a CD of a tape they had. He said, “Listen to this.” ‘Like say he’s playing “Cherokee.” You’ve heard him play “Cherokee” two or three times on records maybe, or at a club a lot of times. He’d say, “Yeah, but listen.” ‘He’d have this all figured out. This is a chorus he liked. You know, out of this whole record he liked this, and he had another one.
“Finally, Phyllis came in and said, “Hey, would you fellas take a break and come on in.” ‘She had made a little sandwich or something. So we went in and sat at that same kitchen table and talked. I brought up some of the old jokes and things that we remembered. As soon as we finished, he went right back and said, “Now I want you to hear this. This guy from Sweden recorded this and such and such. Listen to the third chorus.” ‘He was just editing all this stuff in his mind.
“That’s when I first got to know Phyllis and realized what she was doing - how much time she was devoting to Barney - all her time to him, and then going to work. One of the times I remember he did come up here to Northridge for something. He was in a wheel chair and she was pushing him. Phyllis was right there all the time. Amazing. She really did take care of him.
MH: Barney was talking about Phyllis. He said that it was really true love for him. It was really the real deal.
A Memorable Journey
Holder made another visit to Barney’s home on February 16, 2003. Heading South with him on an Amtrak train was co-traveler; Bob Bain. Unbeknownst to them, the events that transpired during their stay provided their ailing friend a wonderful, final rhapsody of fond recollections, emotions and joy.
Jim LaDiana: What were those first moments of your visit like?
Bob Bain: It’s difficult to be there with somebody that was your idol player and he can’t get out of bed. We’re laughing and talking, he was having a good time.
JL: Did you happen to recall first seeing him playing with Chico Marx?
Bob Bain: Barney remembered it real well. He said, “Oh yeah, that’s where I first met you. I was with Chico Marx.” ‘Barney remembered every detail.
Mitch Holder: Barney remembered that day.
BB: The interesting thing with Barney was that he wanted to hear stories. He wanted to hear us talk about what was going on now - what’s happening, I mean he was really interested.
MH: Bob was telling stories and Barney was laughing so hard. He was belly laughing and I thought he was gonna roll right out of the bed. It was great. I didn’t do that much talking. I was listening mostly to the two of them and Bob was bringing up these reminiscences of stories of them. And Barney, his memory was all there. He remembered everything.
BB: He remembered everything.
MH: He was laughing so hard. It was just great cause all the times that I’d been there, he never laughed. He was listening to the tapes like Bob said. That’s what he was doing all the time. I was happy to be there as a witness. I had been there four or five times prior to Bob and I being there. I’d never seen him like it was when we were down there. I got so uplifted from it for his well-being, as it were. The next day after we got back I called Phyllis to tell her that it was just great to see Bob with Barney - the two of them reminiscing, and Barney was able to remember all that stuff, and Barney was laughing. It was so great. Phyliss told me that she hadn’t seem Barney laugh like that since the stroke.
BB: His spirits that day were so great.
MH: Yeah, absolutely.
BB: He made it easy for us, because you know, sometimes you can visit somebody that’s really that sick, it can be very difficult to keep the conversation going. Barney made it real easy for us.
MH: And he hung in there with us the whole time. We were there for quite a while.
BB: It was nice the way Phyllis said, “Why don’t we go and have a little bite to eat” - she made a dessert that he liked real well. She said, “Why don’t you rest for half an hour and then I’ll bring you your dessert” - which she did before we went back. We talked for 45 minutes with her over in the kitchen I guess, and we went back in and spent some more time with Barney, and then it was time to grab the train and get back home.
MH: I really credit Phyllis. She’s an angel, just an angel.
Bob Bain: And to think that they’d only been married six months or so when he had that stroke. She worked all through that and managed to keep her job. An unbelievable love story, it really is. It’s just a beautiful story.
A Melancholy Sojourn
Mitch made two more trips to San Diego. Unfortunately, Barney’s condition had deteriorated. He was totally bedridden and unable to respond. Phyllis put on a video of Jammin’ The Blues. In this 1944 award-wining documentary film, Barney’s hands are covered with dark makeup to make it look like he was black, as he was the only white musician in the film.
During his final visit on Tuesday evening April 27, 2004, Phyllis graciously prepared dinner. While they sat and talked she mentioned that it was the first time she had sat down to dinner for a long time and couldn’t remember the last time she was able to do it. Afterwards, Mitch spent several hours with Barney in his bedroom. Phyllis put on a video that Terry Clarke, a drummer in Canada, had sent of Barney playing with him and his bass player partner Don Thompson from the ‘70’s or early ‘80’s. Barney hardly stirred.
Around 9:00pm, Mitch got up to leave as Phyllis needed to tend to Barney. He turned to Barney and told him that he loved him. There was no response, but Phyllis believed that all the way to the end, Barney was aware in his mind of what was going on. She felt his mind was still sharp and he was thinking of things to himself, knowing full well what was in store.
An admirer in the ‘50’s, a companion in the ‘80’s, and a wife in the ‘90’s, it was Barney’s guitar playing that brought him and Phyllis together. Sadly, his most memorable playing would find them both listening together, one last time.
On Thursday, May 6th, at 7PM, Barney Kessel passed away. Phyllis had been playing his CD’s all day and had Barney in her arms while she played a recent compilation disc that had come out; Barney Kessel Plays For Lovers. Barney took his last breath on the last chord of the last song on the CD. Such a peaceful ending to a very difficult twelve years.
Coda
The University of Oklahoma bestowed an honorary doctorate degree upon Barney Kessel in May, 1996. Barney wrote a short speech, which Phyllis gave for him. Kessel’s own words reveal the true essence and the internal impetus of a truly remarkable individual.
(Barney’s speech)
“I’m very thankful to President Boren and the University of Oklahoma for this honorary degree. I am almost entirely self-educated. I never went beyond the ninth grade, so this honor is particularly meaningful to me. In my life, I have sought to be an inspiration to others, first as a human being, and secondly as a musician. I recognize my importance in the history of jazz, but my priorities are and always have been my spiritual relationship with God, my relationship with my wife, my family and friends, and then music, in that order. I am very proud and pleased to be called home to receive this honor. Thank you.”__Barney Kessel
“My heartfelt thanks to Phyllis Kessel, Bob Bain and Mitch Holder for their memories of Barney.”__ Jim LaDiana May, 2005
Editor’s Note:
Lead photo by Dean Hirschfeld, 1981, courtesy of Concord Records.
Jim LaDiana is a musician, journalist, and educator residing in Southern California. Although he tends to gravitate towards jazz players, Jim strives to spend time with those who cause his inner chord to resonate. Besides being available on several web-sites, his articles and reviews also appear in Just Jazz Guitar and Vintage Guitar magazines featuring Tommy Tedesco, John Pisano, Robert Conti, Randy Johnston, Guild, and Benedetto to name a few. In his column, “Studio Aces” Jim introduces Vintage Guitar readers to many of the major West coast session players. Jim is also writing the biography of legendary Hollywood recording studio guitarist Bob Bain.
In addition to songwriting, playing the guitar and singing in a variety of musical contexts, Jim also works with children with disabilities. His unyielding compassion and enthusiasm coupled with a fun; animated hands-on approach has resulted in accelerated progress with many of these “special” kids. He has also created a unique music program with an emphasis on rhythm and group participation.
Jim can be contacted at ZAming@juno.com
©Copyright 2005 Classic Jazz Guitar
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