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Kenny Burrell - Soulful Jazz Guitar Legend!
Compiled & Edited By Steven Herron

    Kenny Burrell was born in Detroit, Michigan on July 31, 1931. His music career started in his home town of Detroit. He began to play the guitar at twelve and was at first taught by his older brother Bill. Kenny initially wished to play the saxophone however the high expense of this instrument caused him to start playing the guitar instead!

    Several of Kenny Burrell's good friends at the Miller High School in Detroit were already outstanding artists including jazz pianist Tommy Flanagan and bassist Calvin Jackson. His music director at school was Louis Cabrara and he proved most influential in shaping Kenny's musical profession.

    Kenny Burrell's early influences were jazz guitar players Charlie Christian and Oscar Moore. By 1948 was already legendary in his area for his guitar skills. He played in numerous groups in the Detroit area consisting of a stint in 1951 with trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie at the Club Juana. In 1955 he led his own group but left to replace jazz guitar player Herb Ellis in the Oscar Peterson Trio. Burrell stuck with Peterson for only 6 months however then left Detroit and decided to settle in New York.

    After showing up in New York in 1956 Kenny Burrell initially was hired by pianist Hampton Hawes. He then worked with saxophonist Frank Foster and trumpeter Thad Jones. Over the years he has enjoyed excellent success fronting his own groups in numerous New York City jazz clubs. He likewise gained broad global recognition through his various recordings made there. Although Burrell did invest a substantial amount of time performing with Broadway theater orchestras (consisting of the popular shows "Bye Bye Birdie" and "How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying") he also managed to maintain a constant career in jazz for almost eighteen years on the East Coast.

    From 1952-53 Burrell studied the concert classical guitar with Joe Fava and now sometimes showcases this technique as part of his jazz concerts. He likewise decided to study music theory and composition and in 1955 earned his Bachelor of Music degree from Wayne State University. In 1957 he played with Benny Goodman's orchestra.

    Kenny Burrell's interest in promoting the guitar is seen by his participation for numerous years with a jazz club in New York called "The Guitar". This venture, sadly now closed, was the brilliant idea of fellow Detroit musician Fred Hayes with whom he had studied at Wayne University.

    In 1973 Burrell relocated to Los Angeles where he became actively involved with studio work. At the same time he also maintained a rigorous schedule of jazz club, live show performances, and teaching which continues to this day. Since the year 1978 he has taught the History of Jazz and American Music at UCLA throughout the winter season term.

    While many of Kenny Burrell's outstanding jazz recordings are from several decades ago, he continues to be among the most well-respected jazz guitarists on today's scene. He has won numerous jazz publication readers and critics polls and continues to record regularly. It is said that Duke Ellington let it be known that Kenny Burrell was his favorite jazz guitar player!