The Evolution of Jazz Guitar
- by Richie Zellon
Part 1: The Swing Era (1930's) Part 2b: The Bebop Era (1940's)
Part 2a: The Bebop Era (1940’s)
Barney Kessel Tal Farlow Wes Montgomery
Most Jazz historians agree that the foremost architects of the Bebop era were trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, saxophonist Charlie Parker and pianist Thelonious Monk. Along with bassist Milt Hinton, and drummer Kenny Clarke, the quintet began jamming informally at “Mintons Playhouse” (Harlem, NY.) in 1941. Due to a fight between the American Federation of Musicians and the record labels, a two year ban took place on all recordings thus not allowing this new jazz idiom to be documented on record until 1944.
Be-bop musicians experimented with various sophisticated concepts of improvisation, harmonic substitutions, polyrhythms and developed a higher degree of interaction between the soloist and the rhythm section. In doing so they set the foundation for jazz improvisation as we know it today. Unlike the soloists of the Swing Era, when improvising they were not bound (swayed) by the main melody of the piece. As a matter of fact, many Bebop originals were created as the result of an improvised solo played over the chord progression of a familiar standard (e.g. Parkers “Anthropology” & “Dexterity” are based on “I Got Rhythm”, “Ornithology” is based on “How high the Moon”,”Donna Lee” is based on “Indiana” and Bud Powell’s “Hot House” is based on “What is this thing called Love”).
By mid World War II, Bebop began to be embraced by many jazz musicians as their preferred idiom. As a result jazz was transferred from the dancehall back to the small club and likewise from the big band to the small combo. Jazz was no longer music for the masses and its popularity was never recovered from that day on. As the music moved away from big business, it became an art form reserved for a niche of musicians and jazz connoisseurs forcing the major labels to explore other markets for their source of profit. This gave rise to several small independent jazz labels such as Blue Note, Prestige and Savoy, who specialized in catering to that loyal minority of followers that has kept the music alive to the present day.
After Charlie Christian passed away in 1942, his legacy was continued by Barney Kessel who emerged as one of the first and finest bebop guitarists of the day.
Barney Kessel was born on October 17, 1923 in Muskogee, Oklahoma and after teaching himself to play guitar at the age of 12 began to play with several local dance bands during his teen years. An
opportunity to play with idol Charlie Christian was a life-changing experience for Kessel, inspiring the young protégée to move to Los Angeles a year later. There he found work as a dishwasher while he searched for gigs. It wasn’t too long before Kessel landed a gig with the Chico Marx Orchestra (of Marx Bros. fame!). Throughout the 1940’s his growing reputation as a sideman enabled him to tour with the bands of Charlie Barnet and Artie Shaw among othrs. In 1947 he recorded with Charlie Parker on the session that produced the classic “Relaxin’ at Camarillo”. In the early 1950’s he joined the Oscar Peterson trio and went on to be rated #1 guitarist for almost a decade according to the jazz polls conducted by Downbeat, Esquire and Playboy magazines.
By the 1960’s Kessel had established himself as one of the most sought after commercial studio musicians in Los Angeles. He played on hundreds of TV and movie soundtracks as well as hit recordings by many pop icons including Elvis Presley, Ricky Nelson, Phil Spector, Sonny and Cher, The Beach Boys and The Monkees. As a matter of fact, most people who were alive during this period, even if not interested in jazz, have unknowingly heard Kessel’s guitar at some point, either on a commercial, a movie soundtrack or backing up their favorite singer!
Although his studio work paid the bills, what was most important for Kessel was his jazz career. This is well documented in his series of trio recordings for Contemporary Records (“The Poll Winners”) featuring Ray Brown and Shelly Manne, as well as in his participation with “The Great Guitars” featuring fellow guitarists, Herb Ellis and Charlie Byrd.
Throughout most of his career, Kessel played a Gibson ES-350 premier. His wife, Phyllis Kessler during an interview claimed that Barney was very disciplined and practiced 5 hours every day of his life except when he got ill. It is said that his practice regimen included exercises for clarinet, violin and piano to help maintain both his technique and sight-reading ability.
Kessel suffered a stroke in 1992 and remained in poor health until his death on May 6, 2004 as the result of a brain tumor.
Selected Discography:
Kessel Plays Standards Contemporary, 1955.
To Swing Or Not to Swing Contemporary, 1955..
Let's Cook Contemporary, 1957.
Barney Kessel Plays "Carmen," Contemporary, 1958.
Some Like It Hot Contemporary, 1959.
Barney Kessel's Swingin' Party at Contemporary Contemporary, 1960.
Workin' Out Contemporary, 1961.
Autumn Leaves Black Lion, 1968.
Feeling Free Contemporary, 1969.
Soaring Concord, 1976.
Poor Butterfly Concord, 1976.
Live at Sometime Storyville, 1977.
Jellybeans Concord, 1981.
Solo Concord, 1981.
Spontaneous Combustion Contemporary, 1987.
Red Hot and Blues Contemporary, 1988.
With others
(With Ray Brown and Shelly Manne) The Poll Winners Contemporary, 1957.
(With Ray Brown and Shelly Manne) The Poll Winners Ride Again Contemporary, 1958.
(With Ray Brown and Shelly Manne) Poll Winners Three! Contemporary, 1959.
(With Ray Brown and Shelly Manne) Exploring the Scene Contemporary, 1960.
(With Ray Brown and Shelly Manne) The Poll Winners Straight Ahead Contemporary, 1975.
(With Herb Ellis and Charlie Byrd) Great Guitars Concord, 1976.
(With Herb Ellis and Charlie Byrd) Great Guitars at Charlie's Georgetown Concord, 1982.
Video:
Barney Kessel Rare Performances 1962-1991 (DVD)
Barney Kessel Clips on You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAgwe8lSTgw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAsEfhU2Ehg (Autumn Leaves)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjI0XyrgtCU (Misty)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4wjpnG91LQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3ihPU7ezEE (Orfeo Negro)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYfbPUf3NlM (You are The Sunshine of My Life)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rg_GXXinlyQ (Wave)
Born in Greensboro, North Carolina on June 7, 1921, Tal Farlow was encouraged to play the guitar by his father as a kid but didn’t take it up seriously until age 21.
In an interview with Guitar Player, Farlow reminisces: “At that time, playing was a sort of hobby with me - I was an apprentice in the sign writing business, learning to do lettering. My father was an engineer in the textile industry, and spent some time in a sanatorium with suspected T.B. - there was a lot of dust and dirt where he worked, from the cotton. He didn't think I would survive that sort of existence - I was in real delicate health myself. When I was a kid, I almost died with pneumonia; also an infection in the pleura that had to be drained. So, as soon as I left school, I started at the sign shop for about two dollars a week. After working there for a few years, when I was competent enough to sell my work, my boss let me work at night. This allowed me to listen to the radio and hear what they called remotes - outside broadcasts of the big bands of the day. I heard bands like Artie Shaw, Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, and Benny Goodman. It was then that I first heard Charlie Christian playing. I bought all the records he made with Benny Goodman and had a standing order for any new ones that came out. Listening to them, I started to copy the solos by relating what he was playing to the chords that I knew - he seemed to play pretty firmly in chord positions. My interpretation of what he did was that he spelt out certain chords: 9th and 6ths that I was playing in chord style. From these I was able to work out his choruses note for note; and in that way I got a little insight into why he played certain things in some places and how they related to the harmonic flow.
Sometime later I heard the piano playing of Art Tatum - he would make little harmonic changes to a song in order to get his jazz phrases to fit better. This fired my interest in restructuring harmony to get the feeling of the jazz concept. I also discovered Lester Young, who was playing with the Count Basie Band. Listening to him, I heard similar phrases to those played by Charlie Christian and came to the conclusion - I don't know if it's correct but I believe that it is - that Charlie was listening pretty sharply to Lester's solos. So I did the same, and learnt quite a few of them. His style was really effective, but also not too complicated. Then I heard Coleman Hawkins. He explored the changes a little more thoroughly than Lester did - Lester sort of floated on top of the chord changes and stuck nearer to the tunes. Of course, all that sort of thing fascinated me a lot”
Farlow’s reputation as a great bebop guitarist began to grow upon joining vibraphonist Red Norvo’s Trio in 1949. After a short stint with Artie Shaw's Gramercy Five in 1953, Farlow began his own group featuring pianist Eddie Costa and in the decade that followed recorded close to a dozen albums primarily for the Norgran and Verve labels. Tired with the pressures of the music industry, in 1958 the guitarist retired from full time performing and returned to his career as a sign painter in Sea Bright, New Jersey. Farlow kept on performing and recording occasionally. In 1962 the Gibson Guitar Corporation introduced the Tal Farlow model in homage to his artistry.
Tal Farlow died of cancer in New York City on July 25, 1998 at the age of 77.
Selected Discography:
The Artistry of Tal Farlow (1955)
The Swinging Guitar of Tal Farlow (1957)
This is Tal Farlow (1958)
The Guitar Artistry of Tal Farlow (1960)
The Return of Tal Farlow (1969)
Tal Farlow Guitar Player (1974)
Trinity (1976; CBS Sony)
A Sign of the Times (1977)
Chromatic Palette (1981)
Cookin' on all Burners (1983)
Poppin' and Burnin' (1984; Verve)
The Legendary Tal Farlow (1985)
All Strings Attached (1987; JazzVisions)
Jazz Masters 41 Tal Farlow (1995)
Tal Farlow's Finest Hour (2001)
Two Guys with Guitars (2004; Frozen Sky Records)
The Complete Verve Tal Farlow Sessions (2004)
Video:
Talmage Farlow (DVD)
Tal Farlow Live at Bowling Green State University (DVD)
Tal Farlow Clips on You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIaseicCzFk (Misty)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kjl2LPLjWPw (All of Me)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmRVLn5sZSg (I Hear A Rhapsody)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbUXISDYXfk (Autumn Leaves part1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4gydBZtBgQ (Autumn Leaves part2)
Wes Montgomery
Selected Discography
John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery was born on March 6, 1923 in Indianapolis, Indiana and was a late bloomer on the guitar first learning how to play in 1942, at age 19. Montgomery was born into a musical family; his brother Buddy played piano and vibraphone while his brother Monk played bass. They later released various albums together as the Montgomery Brothers.
Wes Montgomery like most of his contemporaries was greatly influenced by Charlie Christian. Montgomery learned Christian’s recorded solos note per note and in 1948 was hired by Lionel Hampton (who had played alongside Christian in Benny Goodman’s band). After 2 years of touring Montgomery returned to Indianapolis to support his family of eight. There he worked in a factory from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm and in the evenings kept his chops up by performing in local clubs from 9:00 pm to 2:00 am! It was at one of these late night sessions that saxophonist Cannonball Adderley first heard Wes. He was so impressed that first thing next morning Adderley phoned record producer Orrin Keepnews, who signed Montgomery to a recording contract with Riverside Records. He stayed with the label from 1959 until its bankruptcy in 1963. During this period Montgomery produced what critics consider his best recordings.
In 1964 Montgomery signed with Verve records. After releasing a live recording with the Wynton Kelly Trio and a couple of collaborations with organist Jimmy Smith, Verve and later A&M records led Montgomery to record music aimed at a more commercial music market. This was accomplished by producing the guitarist playing instrumental versions of top mid 60’s pop hits. As a result jazz aficionados and critics complained that his solos were too short and restricted while the arrangements sounded like “elevator music”. On the other hand, this period which lasted until Montgomery’s premature death in 1968, exposed his guitar artistry to audiences worldwide who otherwise probably would have never heard him. Not only did Montgomery earn him a Grammy in 1965 but he got to enjoy much wider recognition not to mention financial success.
In spite of not being skilled in reading music notation, Montgomery who usually played a Gibson L-5CES guitar, developed a very personal and sophisticated style becoming one of the most influential jazz guitarists after Charlie Christian. Montgomery’s signature sound soon became recognizable to jazz listeners worldwide due to the fact that unlike other guitarists who used a plectrum, Wes used his thumb exclusively to pluck the strings. In addition he pioneered the use of octaves (playing the same note on two strings in a low and high pitch simultaneously). Although even Django Reinhardt had played them occasionally, Montgomery developed the ability to solo over entire choruses of a tune, exclusively playing octaves at very fast tempos.
Wes Montgomery died of a heart attack on June 15, 1968.
Selected Discography:
Fingerpickin' (1958)
Far Wes (1958)
The Wes Montgomery Trio (1959)
The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery (1960)
Movin' Along (1960)
So Much Guitar! (1961)
Groove Yard (1961)
Bags Meets Wes! (with Milt Jackson) (1961)
Full House (1962)
Boss Guitar (1963)
Smokin' at the Half Note (1965)
Jimmy & Wes: The Dynamic Duo (with Jimmy Smith) (1966)
Video:
Jazz Icons: Wes Montgomery Live in '65 (DVD)
Twisted Blues (DVD)
Live in Hamburg 1965 (DVD)
Wes Montgomery Clips on You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXOrj7QAc8M (Jingles)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXvdU7f-q7I (Impressions)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihke6p7xaCg (Yesterdays)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOm17yw__6U (Round Midnight)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLdcBqzjDVw (Blue Monk)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a1W3Wtqdj8 (Full House)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbuRMYi2F6Q (West Coast Blues)
Click here to go to Part 2b: The Bebop Era