American jazz guitarist Kenneth Earl “Kenny” Burrell was born July 31, 1931. His music is rooted in blues and bebop. He has recorded and performed with many jazz musicians. Burrell was the son of a musical family in Detroit, Michigan. He began playing guitar when he was 12. He was influenced by Wes Montgomery, Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian as a guitarist. He made his debut recording in 1951 as a member Dizzy Gillespie’s sextet while a Wayne State University student. After graduating in 1955, he toured with Oscar Peterson and moved to New York City the following year. Burrell was a consummate sideman and recorded with many prominent musicians. Burrell also started his own bands in 1951 and recorded many popular albums. He began to lead seminars on music in the 1970s, especially Duke Ellington’s. He is a highly-respected performer and has been nominated for several jazz polls in Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. There have been 106 albums by Burrell, including Midnight Blue (1963), Blue Lights and Guitar Forms (1990), Sunup To Sundown (1997), Soft Winds (1993), Then As Come Kenny (1993), Lotus Blossom (1995) and Soft Winds (1993). Burrell sang “C Jam Blues”, with Medeski and Martin in 2001.
