Kenny Burrell Handcrafted

Enjoyable budget sampler from Warner/Jazz Les Incontournables series highlighting guitarist Kenny Burrell's recordings for the Prestige, Original Jazz, and Fantasy labels. These 12 tracks stem from four decades of material, with appearances by Bill Evans, Jack Mcduff, Coleman Hawkins, and John Coltrane. Essential sessions for those unfamiliar with Burrell's work, however, there is nothing new here for collectors. ~ Al Campbell, All Music Guide

Kenny Burrell - Kenny Burrell (1957) {Prestige OJCCD 019-2 rel 1992}
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© 1957, 1992 Prestige / Fantasy | OJCCD 019-2
Jazz / Hard Bop / Straight-ahead Jazz / Guitar

Guitarist Kenny Burrell, 25 at the time, is heard during one of his earlier sessions playing in his already recognizable straight-ahead style with a quintet that also features the underrated baritonist Cecil Payne, pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Elvin Jones. This album is a bit brief in time (just over 36 minutes) but contains plenty of fine swinging on tunes such as "Don't Cry Baby," "Drum Boogie," "All of You" and Bud Powell's "Strictly Confidential." It's enjoyable music.

As Detroiters like Kenny Burrell, Pepper Adams, and Tommy Flanagan were migrating to New York in the mid-'50s in a modern jazz takeover, Pittsburgh drummer Kenny Clarke made known his intentions to support these new Young Lions by being their drummer of choice. This album is nearly the same as the equally excellent and highly recommended effort Kenny Clarke Meets the Detroit Jazzmen, save one extra selection. Burrell is the ostensible leader on this six-track set, but the members of this finely honed quintet (including dual Detroit/Pittsburgh claimant citizen bassist Paul Chambers) can all take equal roles, and eventually would as frontmen in their own right…

This is a typically tasteful Kenny Burrell record (reissued on CD) with the guitarist mostly emphasizing ballads. Five of the seven songs (which include "Make Someone Happy," "Since I Fell for You" and the theme from "A Streetcar Named Desire") find Burrell assisted by pianist Richard Wyands (who also played electric piano), bassist Reggie Johnson and drummer Lenny McBrowne. "'Round Midnight" is played by Burrell with pianist Joe Sample, bassist Johnson and drummer Paul Humphrey while "Blues in the Night" is an unaccompanied guitar solo. Although the music overall is well-played, no real sparks fly and the results often border on being sleepy.

For his final Prestige-related session as a sideman, John Coltrane (tenor sax) and Kenny Burrell (guitar) are supported by an all-star cast of Paul Chambers (bass), Jimmy Cobb (drums), and Tommy Flanagan (piano). This short but sweet gathering cut their teeth on two Flanagancompositions, another two lifted from the Great American Songbook, and a Kenny Burrell original. Flanagan's tunes open and close the album, with the spirited "Freight Trane" getting the platter underway. While not one of Coltrane's most assured performances, he chases the groove right into the hands of Burrell. Allmusic****