75th Birthday Bash Live

Product Description On July 31, 2006, guitar legend Kenny Burrell celebrated his 75th birthday. This lifetime milestone was further heightened as Kenny began to record his 99th album with live performances from Yoshi's in Berkeley, CA and the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz, CA. Highlights from these special performances featuring such greats as Gerald Wilson and his Orchestra, Hubert Laws, Joey DeFrancesco, and Herman Riley, have been distilled into this wonderful album. Amazon.com Kenny Burrell turned 75 on July 31, 2006. That night he finished a five-day run at Yoshi's in Oakland and then the next day played with the Gerald Wilson Orchestra in Santa Cruz. This CD commemorates the occasion with performances from both nights, presenting Burrell?s sparkling guitar in settings that range from an intimate trio to fronting Wilson's 17 ?piece band. The material reflects Burrell's long career and broad associations. Among the small group tracks, there's a beautiful quartet sequence of Wayne Shorter's "Footprints," J.J. Johnson's "Lament," and Miles Davis's "All Blues," each demonstrating Burrell's consummate lyricism and absolute mastery of the mainstream modern. The big-band tracks pick up on associations with Duke Ellington, including the elegant "Sophisticated Lady" and "Don't Get Around Much Anymore," with the 88-year-old Wilson providing a sparkling foundation that has Burrell and company soaring. Best of all is the extended "A Night in Tunisia" with a septet that has organist Joey DeFrancesco and flutist Hubert Laws. --Stuart Broomer