Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Kenny Burrell: 12-15-78

Kenny Burrell: 12-15-78

By Jim Santella
September 1, 1999
View read count

The Kenny Burrell Trio recorded Live At The Village Vanguard and Kenny Burrell In New York on December 15, 1978; hence, the title for this two-disc reissue. It doesn’t get much better for those who appreciate a guitar trio performing mainstream jazz. Burrell combines a great respect for the lyrical with harmonic chorded lines and a sweet tone in his work. It was in 1978 that the guitarist began teaching a course at UCLA on the life and music of Duke Ellington. Quite popular with students, the course still has a long waiting line for admission, after all these years. Burrell includes a few Ellington numbers on this program and works in a quote from "It Don’t Mean a Thing" on his upbeat arrangement of "Love, Your Magic Spell is Everywhere."

Bass and drums solo infrequently on this session. Drummer Sherman Ferguson takes a few extended solos and fours that express his penchant for space and a variety of textures. Ferguson’s drums are tuned loosely at different pitches; this, in support of a lyrical outing. Although he stays way in the background for most of the club date, Larry Gales’ big fat round tones jump out on "Makin’ Whoopee," as he has a lot to say and all of it tied to the melody. Ballads "Willow Weep for Me," "Come Rain or Come Shine," "Don’t You Know I Care?" and "But Beautiful" drive home the message that Burrell’s unmistakable singing guitar style comes naturally and falls on ears that appreciate the reissue of this long out of print material.

Track Listingfor Live At The Village Vanguard : Second Balcony Jump; Willow Weep for Me; Work Song; Woody‘n You; In the Still of the Night; Medley: Don’t You Know I Care? / Love You Madly; It’s Getting Dark.

Track Listingfor Kenny Burrell In New York : Pent Up House; But Beautiful; Bags’ Groove; Makin’ Whoopee; Come Rain or Come Shine; Love, Your Magic Spell is Everywhere.

Personnelfor both sessions: Kenny Burrell- guitar; Larry Gales- acoustic bass; Sherman Ferguson- drums.

Personnel

Kenny Burrell

guitar, electric

Album information

Title: 12-15-78 | Year Released: 1999 | Record Label: Blue Note

PREVIOUS / NEXT

The Prestige Records Story
< Previous

Reemergence
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.