God Bless the Child

by Kenny Burrell

Overview

Kenny Burrell's guitaristry is well-documented on his first dates as a leader on the Blue Note label, but God Bless the Child, his only date for CTI in 1971, is an under-heard masterpiece in his catalog. Burrell's band for the set includes bassist Ron Carter, percussionist Ray Barretto, Richard Wyands on piano, flutist Hubert Laws, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, and drummer Billy Cobham. CTI's house arranger, Don Sebesky, assembled and conducted the strings in a manner that stands strangely and beautifully apart from his other work on the label. Sebesky understood Burrell's understated approach to playing guitar; Burrell didn't belong with the fusioneers, but he could groove better than any of them. Sebesky built a moody, atmospheric soundscape behind him, one that was as impressionistic as it was illuminating of a player who could dig in and chop it up -- as he does on his own composition, "Love Is the Answer," and "Do What You Gotta Do" -- and stroke it smooth and mellow, as on the title track, the truly sublime "Be Yourself," and Thad Jones' "A Child Is Born." This is Burrell at his level best as a player, to be sure, but also as a composer and as a bandleader. Magnificent. ~ Thom Jurek

Product Details

Release Date:	12/17/2013
Label:	King Japan
UPC:	4988003444075
Rank:	68777

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Kenny Burrell   Primary Artist,Guitar
Airto Moreira   Guest Artist,Percussion
Ray Barretto   Guest Artist,Percussion
Billy Cobham   Guest Artist,Drums
Ron Carter   Guest Artist,Bass
Richard Wayands   Guest Artist
Hugh Lawson   Guest Artist,Piano
Freddie Hubbard   Guest Artist,Trumpet
Charles McCracken   Cello
Seymour Barab   Cello
George Ricci   Cello
Don Sebesky   Conductor
Richard Wyands   Piano
Lucien Schmit   Cello
Hubert Laws   Flute
Alan Shulman   Cello

Technical Credits

Rudy Van Gelder   Engineer
Mark Wilder   Mastering Engineer
Tommy Wolf   Composer
Steven Berkowitz   A&R
Kristin Kozusko   A&R
Todd Whitelock   Mixing Engineer
Kurt Weill   Composer
Darren Salmieri   A&R
Don Sebesky   Arranger
Patti Matheny   A&R
Fran Landesman   Composer
Howard Fritzon   Art Direction
Maxwell Anderson   Composer
Thomas Wolf   Composer
M. Anderson   Composer
Stacey Boyle   Tape Research
Didier C. Deutsch   Reissue Producer,Liner Notes
Creed Taylor   Producer
Thad Jones   Composer
Arthur Herzog, Jr.   Composer
Billie Holiday   Composer
Kenny Burrell   Composer