Contemporary Records · in the Kissa Kissa racks

Modern Jazz Performances From Bizet's Opera Carmen

Barney Kessel

Recorded	Dec 19-22, 1958
Label	Contemporary Records
Released	1958
Personnel	14 credited players
Discogs	master 272612

The record

Bizet's themes get reworked by a studio orchestra thick with woodwind color, Collette and Terry lending an almost chamber-jazz texture beneath the guitar's clean tone. Manne's swing and Previn's harmonic sense push this curious Contemporary date past mere novelty.

Session personnel

Barney Kessel — adapted by, arranged by, guitar
Herb Geller — alto saxophone
Chuck Gentry — baritone saxophone
Joe Mondragon — bass
Willie Smith — bass clarinet, clarinet
Pete Terry — bassoon, bass clarinet
Shelly Manne — drums
Buddy Collette — flute, clarinet, alto flute
Jules Jacob — oboe, clarinet
André Previn — piano
Justin Gordon — tenor saxophone, flute, alto flute
Harry Betts — trombone
Ray Linn — trumpet
Victor Feldman — vibraphone [vibraharp]

Contemporary reception

No period review located yet. The vintage-press pipeline searches DownBeat, Cash Box, and Billboard for this session.

Pressings

1959	Contemporary Records · M3563 — Vinyl, LP, Album, Mono earliest on file
—	Contemporary Records · OJC-269 (C-7563) — Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo OJC
1963	Contemporary Records · S7563 — Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo · deep groove
1963	Contemporary Records · S7563 — Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo · deep groove
1959	Contemporary Records — MONO
1959	Contemporary Records · S 7563 — Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo
1959	Contemporary Records · SCA 5011 — Vinyl, LP, Stereo
1967	Contemporary Records · LY 1008 — Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Mono
1981	Contemporary Records · K20P 6607 — Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo
1990	Contemporary Records · 99997 — CD, Album, Reissue
—	Original Jazz Classics · OJCCD-269-2 — CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Stereo