ENDEIT
Kenny Burrell
Photo: vernon.hyde, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Guitarists · b. 1931

Kenny Burrell

American jazz guitarist (born 1931)

Born
31 July 1931
Detroit
Country
United States
Active
1951–
Record labels
Blue Note, Columbia Records, Verve Records
Discography
73 albums

Biography

Kenny Burrell is a jazz musician who plays guitar. Kenny Burrell was born on 31 July 1931 in Detroit. The music is usually filed under jazz, blues and soul. Record labels: Blue Note, Columbia Records and Verve Records. The discography here lists 73 albums, from “Introducing Kenny Burrell” (1956) to “Merry Christmas, Baby” (2024). Honours include NEA Jazz Masters.

Kenneth Earl Burrell (born July 31, 1931) is an American jazz guitarist, singer and composer known for his work on numerous top jazz labels: Prestige, Blue Note, Verve, CTI, Muse, and Concord. His collaborations with Jimmy Smith were notable, and produced the 1965 Billboard Top Twenty hit Verve album Organ Grinder Swing. Burrell has cited jazz guitarists Charlie Christian, Oscar Moore, and Django Reinhardt as influences, along with blues guitarists T-Bone Walker and Muddy Waters. Burrell is a professor and Director of Jazz Studies at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.

Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Discography

Studio and live albums

Introducing Kenny Burrell 1956
Jazzmen: Detroit 1956
Kenny Burrell 1956
Opus in Swing 1956
2 Guitars 1957
After Hours 1957
All Day Long 1957
All Night Long 1957
Kenny Burrell 1957
Blue Lights, Volume 1 1958
Blue Lights, Volume 2 1958
On View at the Five Spot Cafe 1959 · Live
Weaver of Dreams 1961
Blue Bash! 1963
Bluesey Burrell 1963
Crash! 1963
Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane 1963
Lotsa Bossa Nova! 1963
Midnight Blue 1963
Soul Call 1964
Guitar Forms 1965
Guitar Soul 1965
Have Yourself a Soulful Little Christmas 1966
The Tender Gender 1966
A Generation Ago Today 1967
Ode to 52nd Street 1967
Blues: The Common Ground 1968
Night Song 1968
Asphalt Canyon Suite 1969
God Bless the Child 1971
’Round Midnight 1972
Both Feet on the Ground 1973
Up The Street, 'Round The Corner, Down The Block 1974
Ellington Is Forever 1975
Recapitulation 1976
Ellington Is Forever, Volume 2 1977
Handcrafted 1978
Freedom 1979
K. B. Blues 1979
When Lights Are Low 1979
Heritage 1980
Live At The Village Vanguard 1980 · Live
Moon and Sand 1980
Swingin' 1980
In New York 1981 · Live
Listen To The Dawn 1983
Groovin’ High 1984
A La Carte 1985
Togethering 1985
Pieces of Blue and the Blues 1988 · Live
Sunup to Sundown 1991
From Vanguard with Love 1994 · Live
Midnight at the Village Vanguard 1994 · Live
Tin Tin Deo 1994
Lotus Blossom 1995
Primal Blue 1995
Blue Lights, Volumes 1 & 2 1997
Collaboration 1998
Lucky So And So 2001
Blue Muse 2003
Asphalt Canyon Suite 2004
75th Birthday Bash Live! 2007 · Live
Essential Masters 2009
Live At The Downtown Room 2009 · Live
Be Yourself: Live at Dizzy’s Club Coca‐Cola 2010 · Live
Tenderly 2011 · Live
Special Requests (& Other Favorites) 2013 · Live
Special Requests (And Other Favorites) Live at Catalina's 2013 · Live
The Road to Love 2015
Unlimited 1 2016 · Live
Merry Christmas, Baby 2024
Guitar Forms
Live at the Village Vanguard · Live

Also plays on

Albums where Kenny Burrell is credited as a sideman

1956 Lady Sings the Blues — Billie Holiday guitar, electric guitar
1956 The Champ — Dizzy Gillespie guitar
1957 School Days — Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Jackson & Joe Carroll guitar
1959 The Birth of a Band — Quincy Jones guitar
1959 Last Recording — Billie Holiday with Ray Ellis and His Orchestra guitar
1961 Soul Meeting — Ray Charles & Milt Jackson guitar
1970 Louis Armstrong and His Friends — Louis Armstrong guitar
1989 Soul Brothers / Soul Meeting — Ray Charles & Milt Jackson guitar
1994 Quincy Plays for Pussycats — Quincy Jones guitar

Standards written by Kenny Burrell

TitleKeyFormGroove
Cheetah B♭ major AABA · 32 Up-tempo swing
Lyresto C major ABB · 24 Up-tempo swing
Midnight Blue A♭ major ABBCDD · 48 Medium swing

Awards

Historic 78 rpm records

  • Tin Tin Daeo Dizzy Gillespie · Milt Jackson · John Coltrane · Kenny Burrell ·… · 1951 archive.org ↗

Listen on Spotify

Frequently asked questions

What instrument does Kenny Burrell play?

Kenny Burrell is known for playing guitar.

When and where was Kenny Burrell born?

Kenny Burrell was born 31 July 1931 in Detroit.

What are Kenny Burrell's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include Introducing Kenny Burrell (1956), Jazzmen: Detroit (1956), Kenny Burrell (1956), Opus in Swing (1956) and 2 Guitars (1957).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.