Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Kenny Burrell: God Bless the Child


I took a flyer on this one.  Only fifty cents, but I bought it only because the album cover is so stark and eerie.  It is by Kenny Burrell, called God Bless the Child.  This is a disturbing image on the cover.  Is this record about Vietnam?  I don't think so, but it looks like it.  A military-esque chopper, smoke and burned out ground, bare-looking trees, odd shapes.  But - it jazz, so anythnig goes.  Rob Carter is on bass, and the great Billy Cobham is drumming.  Cobham is originally from from Panama and a top jazz drummer, composer, and bandleader.  He cut his teeth playing with and for Miles Davis, and later with the Mahavishnu Orchestra.  Back to Burrell. Born in Detroit, he was a charter member of Dizzy Gillespie’s sextet in 1951 and he later toured with Oscar Peterson.  In the 1970’s he began leading seminars about music, particularly that of Duke Ellington.  He was topped several jazz polls and made well over 100 record album.  Check out his take on "C Jam Blues" off his tribute album to the Duke.  A consummate sideman, Burrell has been Director of Jazz Studies at UCLA.

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