Kenny Burrell – God Bless The Child

AllMusic Review by Thom Jurek  [-]

Kenny Burrell's guitaristry is well-documented in his years with Oscar Peterson and 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.

00:00 1 Be Yourself (Kenny Burrell) 05:54 2 Love Is The Answer (Kenny Burrell) 10:47 3 Do What You Gotta Do (Kenny Burrell) 20:20 4 A Child Is Born (Thad Jones) 28:58 5 God Bless The Child (Arthur Herzog, Jr., Billie Holiday) Arranged By, Conductor – Don Sebesky Bass – Ron Carter Cello – Alan Shulman, Charles McCracken, George Ricci (tracks: 4), Lucien Schmit, Seymour Barab Drums – Billy Cobham Flute – Hubert Laws (tracks: 3) Guitar – Kenny Burrell Percussion – Airto Moreira (tracks: 2), Ray Barretto Piano – Hugh Lawson (tracks: 2), Richard Wyands Trumpet – Freddie Hubbard released in 1972
CTI Records