Barney Kessel Collection Finding Aid (PDF)
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
University of Missouri-Kansas City Dr. Kenneth J. LaBudde Department of Special Collections NOT TO BE USED FOR PUBLICATION TABLE OF CONTENTS Biographical Sketch …………………………………………………………………… 3 Scope & Content …………………………………………………………………… 5 Series Notes …………………………………………………………………………… 6 Container List: Series I: Correspondence …………………………………………………… 9 Incoming, Dated …………………………………………………… 9 From Maurice J. Summerfield …………………………………… 33 Incoming, Undated …………………………………………………… 35 Incoming, Unsigned & Undated …………………………………… 37 Blank Envelopes …………………………………………………… 37 Outgoing, Dated …………………………………………………… 38 To Maurice J. Summerfield …………………………………………… 43 Outgoing, Undated …………………………………………………… 44 Outgoing, Unsigned & Undated …………………………………… 44 Correspondence Including Photographs …………………………… 45 Series II: Personal Documents …………………………………………… 46 Biographies …………………………………………………………… 46 Marriage Documents …………………………………………………… 46 Obituaries …………………………………………………………… 47 Series III: Seminar …………………………………………………………… 48 Business …………………………………………………………… 48 Promotional Material …………………………………………………… 48 Notes …………………………………………………………………… 49 Correspondence …………………………………………………… 49 Questionnaires …………………………………………………… 50 Series IV: Promotional Material …………………………………………… 51 Flyers …………………………………………………………………… 51 Press Releases …………………………………………………… 52 Programs & Booklets …………………………………………………… 53 Interview Transcripts …………………………………………………… 55 Reviews …………………………………………………………… 55 Oversized Posters …………………………………………………… 56 Series V: Notes …………………………………………………………… 57 Notebooks …………………………………………………………… 57 Notes …………………………………………………………………… 57 Series VI: Business and Financial Documents …………………………… 57 Memoranda …………………………………………………………… 57 Financial …………………………………………………………… 58 Tony Sidotti-Related Material (Manager) …………………………… 59 Miscellaneous Business …………………………………………… 60 Contracts/Copyright …………………………………………………… 61 Royalty & Licensure Documents …………………………………… 69 Series VII: Miscellaneous Documents …………………………………… 71 MS295-Barney Kessel Collection 1 University of Missouri-Kansas City Dr. Kenneth J. LaBudde Department of Special Collections NOT TO BE USED FOR PUBLICATION Travel …………………………………………………………………… 71 Discographies …………………………………………………………… 73 Miscellaneous …………………………………………………………… 74 Newsletters & Events …………………………………………………… 75 Foreign Contacts …………………………………………………… 75 Various Other …………………………………………………………… 75 Series VIII: Day Planners …………………………………………………… 76 Series IX: News Clips …………………………………………………… 77 Series X: Periodicals …………………………………………………………… 77 Series XI: Publications …………………………………………………… 79 By Barney Kessel …………………………………………………… 79 By Others …………………………………………………………… 79 Miscellaneous …………………………………………………… 82 Series XII: Music Manuscripts and Sheet Music …………………………… 82 Bound Sheet Music (General) …………………………………… 82 Manuscripts & Professional Scores By Others …………………… 86 Barney Kessel: Original Parts, Scores & Sheets …………………… 89 Barney Kessel Sheet Music: Miscellaneous & Notes …………… 102 Barney Kessel Sheet Music: Full Scores …………………………… 102 Series XIII: Awards and Memorabilia …………………………………… 107 Awards …………………………………………………………… 107 Memorabilia …………………………………………………………… 107 Oversized Memorabilia …………………………………………… 108 Series XIV: Personal Library …………………………………………………… 108 Series XV: Photographs and Scrapbooks …………………………………… 110 ADDENDUM 1 (Maurice Summerfield Addendum) …………………………… 111 Container List: Series I: Correspondence …………………………………………………… 111 Series II: Seminar/Masterclass …………………………………………… 122 Series III: Publications …………………………………………………… 124 Series IV: Summerfield’s Research for Discography …………………… 130 Series V: Summerfield’s Research for Biography …………………………… 132 Series VI: Business/Financial …………………………………………… 135 Series VII: Barney Kessel Music Manuscripts …………………………… 137 Series VIII: Barney Kessel Souvenir Programs …………………………… 139 Series IX: Miscellaneous …………………………………………………… 139 Series X: Photographs and Film …………………………………………… 141 Series XI: Removable Digital Media …………………………………………… 141 Series XII: Books …………………………………………………………… 141 MS295-Barney Kessel Collection 2 University of Missouri-Kansas City Dr. Kenneth J. LaBudde Department of Special Collections NOT TO BE USED FOR PUBLICATION BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Barney Kessel was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma on October 17, 1923. Kessel picked up the guitar when he was 12 years old. Two years later, he launched his professional career playing with an African American band led by Ellis Ezell. After touring with a territorial band, Kessel joined the Oklahoma A&M band, Hal Price & the Varsitonians. Guitarist Charlie Christian's recordings with the Benny Goodman band greatly influenced young Kessel. While playing with the Varsitonians in Oklahoma City, Kessel met and jammed with Christian. After jamming with Christian for three days, Kessel decided to develop his own distinctive hard swinging style. In 1942, Kessel moved to California where he worked with bands led by Chico Marx, Ben Pollock, Hal McIntyre, Charlie Barnet, Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman. In 1944, he performed in the film short Jammin’ the Blues featuring saxophonist Lester Young and other jazz greats. Kessel, who was the only white musician in the group during that time of racial segregation, was filmed in a shadow to hide his skin color. In 1947, he played with Charlie Parker on the Relaxin’ at Camarillo sessions for the Dial label. In 1951, Kessel joined the pianist Oscar Peterson’s Trio. Kessel toured extensively with Norman Granz’s Jazz at the Philharmonic as a member of the Peterson Trio and as a sideman. In 1953, Kessel formed his own trio and recorded a string of critically acclaimed albums for the Contemporary label. During the 1950s and 1960s, Kessel worked with a group of studio musicians, who later became known as the “Wrecking Crew.” Phil Specter often employed the group for his “wall of sound” recordings. Kessel also played on recordings and movie soundtracks featuring Sam Cooke, Elvis Presley, the Beach Boys, Sonny & Cher and other rock and roll icons. His iconic guitar was featured on Billie Holiday’s Body And Soul (1957) and Julie London’s “Cry Me A River” (1955). Over the years, he appeared as a sideman on hundreds of recordings. During the 1970s and 1980s Kessel teamed up with fellow guitarists Herb Ellis and Charlie Byrd to form the Great Guitars, one of the most successful jazz guitar trios of all time. Their 1970s recordings, including Great Guitars: Straight Tracks (1978) and Great Guitars At The Winery (1980), are milestones in jazz guitar history. He later recorded Spontaneous Combustion (1987) with the Jamaican-born pianist Monty Alexander. Kessel was also a respected music educator. He wrote a regular jazz tuition column in Guitar Player magazine during the 1980s and produced several instruction videos for guitar players. He gave up playing after a major stroke in 1992. Barney Kessel died on May 6, 2004 from complications due to cancer. Biography by Chuck Haddix MS295-Barney Kessel Collection 3 University of Missouri-Kansas City Dr. Kenneth J. LaBudde Department of Special Collections NOT TO BE USED FOR PUBLICATION ADDENDUM 1 – BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH (Maurice J. Summerfield) Maurice J. Summerfield was born in 1940 in Newcastle upon Tyne in England. Summerfield is a guitarist, businessman, author, and publisher. He was first introduced to the jazz genre when listening to the recordings of famous guitarist Django Reinhardt (1910 – 1953). Summerfield began playing guitar in 1955, quickly finding gigs with local jazz groups and dance bands. In 1958, Summerfield joined his family’s distribution company eventually ushering in the import of musical instruments, specifically the guitar. The company distributed Ibanez guitars, D’Addario strings, and several models based on the Selmer-Maccaferri guitars that were popular with Django Reinhardt. Maurice Summerfield wrote to jazz guitarist Barney Kessel for the first time in 1957, striking up a friendship. They wouldn’t meet in person until 1972 in London. The majority of the collection details their work together. When Summerfield completed his first book, The Jazz Guitar: Its Evolution and Its Players, he was convinced by Kessel to self-publish, which prompted Summerfield to open the Ashley Mark Publishing Company in 1978, naming the company after his two sons. Kessel and Summerfield worked together and stayed close friends until Kessel’s death in 2004. In 2008, Summerfield published the only authorized Kessel biography, Barney Kessel: A Jazz Legend. He said of the project, “in some small way it [is] my thank you to Barney for the pleasure his music has given, and still gives me, and his warm friendship over so many years.” Summerfield has been active in promoting the classical and jazz guitar genres. He founded Classical Guitar Magazine in 1982, was awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 1997, and has served on the Court of the Worshipful Company of Musicians since 2003. Most recently, he was made an Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in 2010, and in 2013 received the Industry Leadership Award from the Guitar Foundation of America. In May of 2018, both the Ashley Mark Publishing Company and Summerfield Musical Instruments Ltd. announced they were closing “due to the retirement of its directors”. MS295-Barney Kessel Collection 4 University of Missouri-Kansas City Dr. Kenneth J. LaBudde Department of Special Collections NOT TO BE USED FOR PUBLICATION SCOPE AND CONTENT The Barney Kessel Collection was donated to LaBudde Special Collections in May 2016 by Phyllis Kessel. The collection contains