Granz was trying to advocate for the end of segregation in music, both for audiences and band members. Most notably, and somewhat controversially, Kessel was the only white musician in the film. When it came time to simulate playing along with the recording, the two didn’t always match up. Years later Kessel chuckled at how the musicians couldn’t always recall exactly what they had played during the recording sessions because it was very improvisational. The way the film was made was by first recording the music to be used in the film, and then filming the musicians playing along to the music as it was played back to them. Kessel recalls that Director Gjon Milli encouraged he and the other musicians to dress and behave as they would if they were going to play a regular show. Granz allowed the musicians to choose their own songs for the film. He had been a regular in many of the local jazz clubs, and already had a strong reputation with Norman Granz. Kessel recalled that he became involved with the film because he was one of few musicians playing electric guitar in Los Angeles at the time. The list of performers included Lester young (Tenor Sax), Red Callender (Bass), Harry Sweets Edison (Trumpet), Marlow Morris (piano), Kessel (guitar), John Simmons (Double Bass) Illinois Jacquet (Tenor sax) Marie Bryant (vocals) and Sid Catlett and Jo Jones (drums). Granz selected an impressive roster of musicians for the film.

Turner Movie Classics, which has aired the film as part of a tribute to the National Film Registry, called it “one of the greatest of all jazz films.”Īccording to a 1982 interview, Kessel explained that the film came about because Jazz producer Norman Granz (right) wanted to recreate on film the jam session music format he had helped popularize in the Los Angeles jazz scene in the 1930s and early ‘40s. In 1995, the Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the United States National Film Registry because the film is “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. Kessel was proud of his role in the film – its musical style was close to his own musical roots and playing in it was a big step forward in his own career. In the Barney Kessel collection are 2 records with music from the film, as well as a 38-page interview in which Kessel discusses the film, its origins, its impact, and the backstory of many of the artists involved. However, Kessel’s involvement in film dates back to at least 1944 when, at the age of 21, Kessel played guitar in the Warner Bros musical short “Jammin the Blues,” released May 5 of that year. On this blog we’ve already covered a little bit of Barney Kessel’s work on film music, discussing how he adapted composer Henry Mancini’s score for “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” into his own record.

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