Barney's Tune

ly John Tynan g “Hope I didn’t catch you too early.” Barney Kessel was right on time. As he smilingly made the remark at our office door we downed a slug of y>ck coffee and ungraciously mut- toed something about 10 o’clock in the morning being the middle of the n^h«- “Hey, some coffee’d be a dam good idea,” he had suggested. It was immediately ordered. The tall, dark haired 84-year-old guitarist settled on the office couch, removing for a moment the dark glasses which are rnndard equipment for Hollywood- ians in the month of June. In a town where musicians’ off-the-stand dress is restricted in the main to in formal sports clothes Barney’s at tire verged on the sartorially ele gant Under a very light tan summer ig it.” suit he sported a pink shirt set off dy trip to by a narrow black necktie. The dark I with the glasses undeniably completed this up. I think picture of the successful California ie Africa» jazz musician. too cultur- Barney moved to a chair alongside J first time, the desk and remarked on his four infectious principal areas of activity these days. iie tops. In “My big preoccupation right now is working on my guitar book,” he said. “Then, ot course, comes play i 52nd St, estrictiom. ing. From now on I’m restricting ren’t work- my playing to concerts and very lim • and draw ited engagements in clubs where 1 for new- perhaps I can function as sort of guest artist. Then, too, freelance tion to me commercial arranging keeps me on ig 10 yean the go—vocal backgrounds, instru te for ner." mental charts, and so on. Finally, out buying there’s jazz writing. For example, Barney’s Tune I’ve written an arrangement for a I’ve ever brass group to be used on one of can touch Shelly Manne’s dates.” “I’m not of the school that feels but only if the experience measures “The writing is really a sideline,” ring.” be pointed out, “but I love to write.” if I do a three-hour session with up to a personal standard: “It’s got junt Basie; Then he added as a quick after Lawrence Welk, I’m ruined forever," to be either for money, or fun, or unt Basie." thought, “I’d much rather play than he grinned. “With such work the learning something — otherwise it’s ae wearing write, though.” trick is to find out just what it is the just a waste of time.” For the better part of the previous band you’re working with is out to A by now classic story dealing t milk, the year Kessel’s time for playing and achieve. losest thing writing jazz has been preempted by with Kessel’s attitude toward ses his activities as an artists and reper “Working commercial jobs hurts sions speaks for itself. During one ly it again: toire supervisor for Norman Granz. a jazz player,” he continued, “only of Charlie Parker’s visits to the coast every band Recently, however, he took stock, if it deprives him of time to go out many years ago Barney, Bird, and u don’t be- concluded that his career should take and play jazz. It’s as basic and simple some other players decided to start a course away from directing rock as that” a session after the job at a restaurant 11 roll dates or making r&r guitar called Bird In A Basket. Trouble records under a nom de plume. Al- Barney, of course, is celebrated ■ryone who was, the session was top heavy with g so that a though he personally is no longer among musicians as one who will saxophone players and after each »test single concentrating activity in this area, show up at a session whenever and , and mosi Rainey does not feel such work nec- wherever possible. He makes the tenor man (there were about six of c^arily hurts a jazz musician. time to “. go out and play jazz”, (Continued on Page 47) July 24, 1951 • 15.

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