Kenny Burrell

Kenny Burrell
Burrell in Buffalo, New York, 1977
Burrell in Buffalo, New York, 1977
Background information
Birth nameKenneth Earl Burrell
Born (1931-07-31) July 31, 1931 (age 93)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
GenresJazz, blues, soul jazz
Occupation(s)Musician, educator
InstrumentGuitar
Years active1951–present
LabelsBlue Note, Prestige, Verve, Fantasy, Fortune, Concord Jazz, Highnote

Kenneth Earl Burrell (born July 31, 1931) is an American jazz guitarist 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.[1] He has cited jazz guitarists Charlie Christian, Oscar Moore, and Django Reinhardt as influences, along with blues guitarists T-Bone Walker and Muddy Waters.[2][3][4]

Burrell is a professor and Director of Jazz Studies at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.[5]

  1. ^ "Kenny Burrell". Billboard. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  2. ^ Collar, Matt. "Kenny Burrell". AllMusic. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  3. ^ Cohassey, John. "Kenny Burrell: Guitarist, Educator." Contemporary Musicians. Profiles of the People in Music. Ed. Julia M. Rubiner. Vol. 11. Detroit, MI: Gale Research, 1994. 29–31. Print.
  4. ^ Nash, Sunny. "Kenny Burrell Biography". PRLog, May 13, 2009.
  5. ^ O'Connell, Sean J. (January 24, 2014). "A Jazz Elder Becomes A UCLA Professor". NPR. Retrieved July 30, 2019.