Kessel Plays Standards


Kessel Plays Standards is an album by guitarist Barney Kessel released on the Contemporary label and featuring eight tracks originally released on the Barney Kessel Volume 2 10-inch album which were recorded at sessions in 1954 along with an additional four tracks from 1955.
Kessel wrote in the liner notes that it was his purpose "in this album to use an instrumentation that hadn't been recorded before, or at least rarely recorded, and to capture some different sounds, combinations of different instruments."
The cover photograph was taken by California jazz and fashion photographer William Claxton.

Reception

The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow states: "Inventive frameworks and the utilization of Cooper's jazz oboe give the otherwise boppish reissue its own personality".

Track listing

  1. "Speak Low" - 2:45
  2. "Love Is Here to Stay" - 3:26
  3. "On a Slow Boat to China" - 3:18
  4. "How Long Has This Been Going On?" - 3:20
  5. "My Old Flame" - 3:39
  6. "Jeepers Creepers" - 3:51
  7. "Barney's Blues" - 3:00
  8. "Prelude to a Kiss" - 3:13
  9. "A Foggy Day" - 3:10
  10. "You Stepped Out of a Dream" - 2:53
  11. "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" - 3:57
  12. "64 Bars on Wilshire" - 3:17

Personnel