Barney Kessel discusses his approach to leisure time.

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Barney Kessel discusses his progression as a musician.

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Barney Kessel discusses racial awareness and working with a black band in the '30s.

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Transcription

Q: “How did you work into a black band? Boy, in the thirties that must have been not a problem for yourself or the musicians but socially…”

A: “There was no problem. And we played mostly for black dances. But it really wasn't any problem and I learned to play that way. I learned to play and they had all played with Charlie Christian. They all knew him because he was born a 150 miles away and they kept telling me as I was playing, you know, they're always ... they invited me to play solos all the time. I didn't know anything about solos, but they invited me, "Take one, take a solo." And I would try to tremble, oh, like a mandolin or play it in some awful way and you know, and they would say, "Play it like a horn." I didn't know what they meant. They said, "Play it like a horn. Play ideas. Play like a horn player." I didn't know what they meant, and then I finally heard Charlie Christian and I knew what they meant.”