Breakfast at Tiffany's is Kessel's handling of Henry Mancini's music from the classic Blake Edwards film with Audrey Hepburn. With a number entitled "Moon River Cha Cha," listeners pretty much know what's in store for them with this set:
instrumental treatments of
pop music that was riding high both on the airwaves and on the big screen. The tracks are brief and the playing doesn't stray far from the arrangements. The
Bossa Nova session is a step closer to
jazz, but the context is still a commercial one. Kessel surprises with a twangy personality right out of Steve Cropper's work with the MG's or Mickey Baker's extroverted solo work. Ray Johnson's cheesy organ is an ideal complement to Kessel's bluesy surf guitar. Contemporary
Latin Rhythms is a
jazz date, but still with a
pop attitude. Kessel is the only soloist on the sunny, unassuming arrangements. The guitarist's spirited work on Tad Dameron's "Lady Bird" is a highlight that showcases Kessel's fluency in moving between chorded and single-note soloing.
Students of Kessel's playing will find this compilation an intriguing display of the guitarist's range and adaptability. Fans of Kessel the
jazz player, though, will want to stick with his fine series of releases for Contemporary from this same period.
Tracks:-------
Breakfast At Tiffany's [Written-By – Mancini, Mercer]1 Moon River 2:27
2 Something For Cat 2:56
3 Sally's Tomato 2:46
4 The Big Blow Out 2:54
5 Breakfast At Tiffany's 2:40
6 Holly 2:33
7 Loose Caboose 2:56
8 The Big Heist 3:27
9 Moon River Cha Cha 2:31
Bossa Nova 10 Love For Sale [Written-By – Porter] 2:30
11 A String Of Pearls [Written-By – DeLange, Grey] 2:44
12 They Can't Take That Away From Me [Written-By – George, Ira Gershwin] 2:40
13 Summertime [Written-By – Hayward, Gershwin] 2:11
14 You Came A Long Way From St. Louis [Written-By – Russell, Brooks] 2:48
15 Muscrat Ramble [Written-By – Ory, Gilbert] 2:22
16 It Ain't Necessarily So [Written-By – George, Ira Gershwin] 2:30
17 Sweet Georgia Brown [Written-By – Bernie, Casey, Pinkard] 2:23
18 Bye, Bye,
Blues [Written-By – Lown, Grey, Bennett, Hamm] 2:22
Contemporary Latin Rhythms 19
Blues In The Night [Written-By – Mercer, Arlen] 2:37
20 Days Of Wine And Roses [Written-By – Mancini, Mercer] 2:28
21
Latin Dance #1 [Written-By – Kessel] 2:30
22 Lady Byrd [Written-By – Dameron] 3:28
23 One Note Samba [Written-By – Jobim, Hendricks, Mendonca] 4:13
24 The Peanut Vendor [Written-By – Sunshine, Simons, Gilbert] 3:08
25 Quizas, Quizas, Quizas [Written-By – Davis, Farres] 3:11
26 Everytime\Hear This Song [Written-By – Kessel] 3:45
27 Twilight In Acapulco [Written-By – Kessel]2:22
Personnel:------
Bass – Keith Mitchell
Drums – Earl Palmer, Stan Levey
Guitar – Barney Kessel
Marimba – Emil Richards
Saxophone, Flute – Paul Horn
Trumpet – Conte Candoli
Vibraphone – Victor Feldman
All thanks to original releaser