Barney Kessel - Three Classic Albums Plus: Some Like It Hot & The Poll Winners & Carmen & The Poll Winners Ride Again! [2CD Set] (2012)

AVID Jazz here presents three classic Barney Kessel albums plus including original LP liner notes on a finely re-mastered and low priced double CD. 'Some Like It Hot', 'The Poll Winners', 'Carmen' and eight of nine tracks from 'The Poll Winners Ride Again' Barney Kessel was voted the most popular jazz guitarist for three straight years between 1956- 1958 by three major US polls for Down Beat, Playboy and Metronome. All but one of our selections were recorded during this period and the fourth when he was still riding high in 1959! 'Some Like It Hot'- a modern jazz album version of the songs from the classic movie 'Some Like It Hot' starring, of course, Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis. As Barney observed 'This was a lot of fun for all of us the arrangements were head arrangementsit has a relaxed loose feeling'. Hardly surprising when the line up we have here alongside Barney includes Art Pepper, Jimmy Rowles, Monty Budwig and the great Shelly Manne! 'The Poll Winners' features a classic trio of jazz greats, alongside Barney are Roy Brown on bass and Shelly Manne (again) on drums. All three had just won the major US jazz polls from Down Beat, Playboy and Metronome. As the liner notes attest this was..'primarily a conversational set between kindred spirits'. For 'Carmen' we can hear 'modern jazz performances of music adapted by Barney Kessel from the score of Bizet's Carmen'. Take a look at the line up Kessel assembled for this 1958 recordingAndre Previn- piano, Shelly Manne-drums, Buddy Collette- flute, Ray Linn-trumpet, Victor Feldman- vibraharp and Joe Mandragon- bass. In Kessel's words 'it is my hope that the album will please jazz fans and not offend lovers of Bizets music.I would like to feel that as one hears this one realises it's Bizet and that it's also me'. 'Poll Winners Ride Again'the return of the titanic trio, Barney, Roy Brown and Shelly Manne, two years after their first meeting where they were fresh from their Poll Winners successes. Summed up by Shelly Manne'the kind of playing on this album ..really appeals to meeverything happens spontaneouslyyou get a feeling of freedom.I think this interplay..is the most wonderful way to playit's the kind of playing I really enjoy the most'. And we enjoy listening to it the most!! We know you will! All three albums plus have been digitally re-mastered for probably the finest ever sound quality!