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Dolamon
May-08-2004, 11:41am
This was posted in the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/08/arts/music/08KES.html?ex=1084680000&en=8635f02bfdd53e37&ei=5006&partner=ALTAVISTA1)on Thursday.

If you like Jazz Guitar - he was one of the truly great masters and he will be missed.

AlanN
May-08-2004, 1:44pm
RIP, Barney. Had the good fortune to see the Great Guitars one time at Rutgers U. - Charlie Byrd, Herb Ellis, Kessel and Tal Farlow sat in on a few. They didn't do nuthin' but swing!

Spruce
May-08-2004, 2:49pm
Mandolin Content (Hi Scott!)....

Barney played a 10-string mandolin (custom Gibson as I remember) on one of my favorite records of all time, The Beach Boy's "Pet Sounds"...

Barney also had something in common with Big Mon and the Dawg, putting black electrical tape over the "Gibson" on his axe in reaction to some kind of dispute with Gibson over his signature model. #

I saw him several times in small club situations in Seattle and LA...
A great player...

RIP Barney.

Peter Hackman
Jun-01-2004, 1:22pm
Mandolin Content (Hi Scott!)....

Barney played a 10-string mandolin (custom Gibson as I remember) on one of my favorite records of all time, The Beach Boy's "Pet Sounds"...

Barney also had something in common with Big Mon and the Dawg, putting black electrical tape over the "Gibson" on his axe in reaction to some kind of dispute with Gibson over his signature model.

I saw him several times in small club situations in Seattle and LA...
A great player...

RIP Barney.
Barney's attack appealed to me as an acoustic-oriented
musician/digger. He was fast, funny and funky.
His best work on record was the trio stuff
with Ray Brown and Shelley Manne, the Poll Winners
albums, esp. No. 1.

He played in my home town in 1973. After the show
someone introduced him to two local musicians,
a piano player and a bassist. They tried to jam togehter
and they picked How High the Moon, of all pieces.
The changes descend through three different keys, you will
easily get lost if you don't watch out.

The bass player placed himself between the guitar and
piano and he was out to lunch harmonically,
effectively blocking all communication between the
quite capable piano player and Kessel. They stopped and
started the piece several times, then finally
struggled through it. Afterwards the bass player
said, now I can really say I've played with Barney Kessel.
I had to turn away to hide my reaction.

Spruce
Jun-01-2004, 2:54pm
I just ran into a photo (from the "Pet Sounds" Box Set) of Barney playing what looks like a 50's Gibson 10-string mandolin...
The "Gibson" is very visable, as are the 10 tuners....

It's a dark sunburst, F-holes, and possibly a 'dola body size...

Anyone ever seen anything like this??

Wish I had a scanner so I could post the pic...

Interesting looking instrument...