Kenny Burrell

Kenny Burrell caught Dizzy Gillespie's attention with his fluid guitar mix of cool-toned Bop and blues on a visit to Detroit in 1951. With a tip of the hat from the master, he moved to NYC and has never looked back. Even when he spits out fiery guitar lines, Burrell never appears to break a sweat. A melodic player whose sound fits in with Stan Getz, the Gil Evans Orchestra, or John Coltrane, Burrell has had a long partnership with Hammond B-3 master Jimmy Smith. His clean, bluesy guitar works exceptionally well over Smith's gritty organ riffs. Even though he resisted Fusion guitar and refused to adopt it into his style, Burrell has remained popular to this day.