If you looked at a line-up of jazz artists that included Barbara Morrison, Tierney Sutton, Steve March-Torme, Andrea Miller, Anthony Wilson, Doug McDonald, Frank Potenza, Dr. Robby Rodriguez, Ron Barrows, Kim Richman, Scott Mayo, Andre Delano, Gary Herbig, Scott Whitfield, Phil Ranlin, Joey Sellers, Duane Benjamin, John Beasley, Billy Mitchell, Tamir Hendelman, Gerald Clayton, John Clayton, Brent Fischer, Trevor Ware, Derek Oles, Richard Simon, Clayton Cameron, Kevin Van Del Elzen, Paul Kreibich and Munyungo Jackson; and then say it was late May/early June, you might be thinking that’s part of the line-up for the Playboy Jazz Festival. But you’d be wrong. There’s one man that’s responsible for all these insanely talented musicians to get together: jazz guitar legend Kenny Burrell.
This Friday and Saturday night at Catalina Jazz Club these artists are coming together to help Burrell as he recovers from an accident two years ago. He is facing mounting medical bills, plus theft and bank fraud that have left him and his wife, Katherine Goodrich-Burrell, in dire financial straits. Katherine started a Go Fund Me page that has exceeded its goals, but no doubt has not met all their obligations.
Burrell made his recording debut with Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane, Milt Jackson, and Percy Heath. Looking at his career from there is like reading a list of who’s who in jazz: Tony Bennett, Lena Horne, Billie Holiday, Gil Evans, Stanley Turrentine, Donald Byrd, Elvin Jones, Oscar Peterson, Nat Adderly, Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Betty Carter, Aretha Franklin, Shirley Horn, Coleman Hawkins, Quincy Jones, Sonny Rollins, Jimmy Smith and dozens more.
In addition to performing, Burrell is the founder and director of the Jazz Studies Program at UCLA.
If this astonishing career and amazing line-up don’t inspire you to go to one of these shows to help out a true legend, perhaps there’s one song Burrell played that proves his mastery of his instrument, the passion he has for music and the reason all these people are coming together.
Tickets for this event are only $25.
For tickets on Friday night go here.
For tickets on Saturday night, go here.
Photos of Kenny Burrell by William Claxton/Courtesy of BlueNote Records
