ProJazz.net

To Swing or Not to Swing (subtitled Barney Kessel Volume 3) is an album by guitarist Barney Kessel released on the Contemporary label which was recorded at sessions in 1955.

“Guitarist Barney Kessel’s string of recordings for Contemporary in the 1950s included some of the finest work of his career. The unusual repertoire on this set — which includes “Louisiana,” “Indiana,” and “12th Street Rag,” along with four Kessel originals and more usual standards — would by itself make this bop/cool set noteworthy. Add to that a very interesting lineup of players (trumpeter Harry “Sweets” Edison, Georgie Auld or Bill Perkins on tenor, pianist Jimmy Rowles, the rhythm guitar of Al Hendrickson, bassist Red Mitchell, and Shelly Manne or Irv Cottler on drums) and some excellent showcases for Kessel, and the overall result is a recording highly recommended to fans of straight-ahead jazz.” – Scott Yanow/AllMusic.

Track listing:
“Begin the Blues” (Barney Kessel) – 4:29
“Louisiana” (J. C. Johnson, Andy Razaf, Bob Schafer) – 3:57
“Happy Feeling” (Barney Kessel) – 3:58
“Embraceable You” (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 3:24
“Wail Street” (Barney Kessel) – 4:25
“Back Home Again in Indiana” (James F. Hanley, Ballard MacDonald) – 3:13
“Moten Swing” (Bennie Moten, Buster Moten) – 3:58
“Midnight Sun” (Sonny Burke, Lionel Hampton) – 3:10
“Contemporary Blues” (Barney Kessel) – 4:09
“Don’t Blame Me” (Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields) – 2:58
“Twelfth Street Rag” (Euday L. Bowman) – 2:55
Recorded at Contemporary’s studio in Los Angeles on March 28, 1955 (tracks 3, 5 & 9) and July 26, 1955 (tracks 1, 2, 4, 6-8, 10 & 11).

Personnel:
Barney Kessel – guitar
Harry Edison – trumpet (tracks 2, 3 & 6-10)
Georgie Auld (tracks 2, 6, 7 & 12), Bill Perkins (tracks 3, 5 & 9) – tenor saxophone
Jimmy Rowles – piano
Al Hendrickson – guitar
Red Mitchell – bass
Irv Cottler (tracks 1, 2, 4, 6-8, 10 & 11), Shelly Manne (tracks 3, 5 & 9) – drums