Requiescat in Pace

We lost another great one last week: Jazz guitarist Kessel dies

SAN DIEGO - Barney Kessel, a high-profile jazz guitarist who performed with Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, and Art Tatum and backed countless other music greats, has died, his wife said. He was 80.

Sad to say that hearing he had died, I was not sure that he was alive. The article explains that he stopped performing in 1992 after a stroke. What an awesome guitar player.

We are fortunate to have some incredible young(er) guys now keeping the flame alive. But Joe Pass is gone, Tal, and now Barney Kessel. I will be seeing Bucky Pizzarelli next September at the Summit Jazz show -- he is becoming one of the last of that great generation of guitar players.

Thanks for all the tunes, Barney! RIP

Posted by jk at May 13, 2004 08:53 AM