Tim Lerch and Bruce Forman Blues for Barney 

I met BARNEY KESSEL in NEW YORK CITY at the VILLAGE VANGUARD - I recall it was summer of 1985 - HE sat with my mom and I in between sets - wow - I held and played HIS 1946 Gibson guitar that night - !

I met Barney in 1968. I visited his shop in LA, and when I entered the store, I saw him talking with a guy. I didn't want to just walk up and introduce myself, so i grabbed a blonde L-7 and parked myself on the other side of the shop. I played 'Our Love is Here to Stay' as I learned it off of his Kessel Plays Standards album. When I finished, he was standing there and he said, 'That all sounds very familiar.' He laughed when i told him the story about how i happened to learn that particular tune. IN 1961, an associate who worked at a big music store in Houston gave me the 'Standards' album and said he'd give me an amp (which i didn't have) if i learned one cut verbatim! I worked on 'Our Love' for weeks but never got the whole thing exactly right. Barney thought that was hysterical. He made me play it again for his friend. I told him that i didn't get the amp, but i did get a course in 'jazz guitar 101.'

Bruce and I are playing duo gig together 7/29 at Corkscrew in Portland OR! He's the best!

You guys are a gift to the guitarists of the world. Your humility, friendliness, warmth, and passion for the art inspires us. Thank you.

Somehow happened upon this.. Very cool Tim and Bruce... wonderful fun happy incredible music.. thank you

An album together? This happiness is audible and contagious.

Dont you wish you could have as much fun as those two obviously are? Can't help but smile watching it.Those 13ths hit you right in the dimple.

Please consider clicking on the “Thanks Button” to show your appreciation ..

2 of my favourite guitar players,, teachers and people...

I had the great privilege of seeing and hearing that great ES-350 in a number of Barney's performances in the SF Bay Area in the '70's. Thank you for keeping that guitar and Barney's incredible spirit alive!

Johann Sebastian would have loved be here, listening to this, especially the simultaneous improvisation near the end of Softly As In … Maybe he IS here, inspiring these delicious and delightful musicians, whose joy in each others creative outpouring is our joy in watching. Thank you, guys! 👏👏👏

I can't believe it. I always follow and watch each of you and today you're just playing together! You both are definitely top guitarists around and I've been blessed seeing you playing beautifully.

When Bruce played that opening phrase to "Cry Me..." ALL the feels!

Gosh dang! We got some ripping jams here….!~

The joy is palpable, thanks for this you two.

Loved this, thanks guys! So cool that Barney's guitar isn't sitting in some collector's house behind glass. Let it do what it was meant to do..so awesome!

cool I have a lot of fun and remember barney you have a cool drive

This is one of the best duets I hear in a long time, you guys consider to make an album together, the tone you guys got is just amazing 🙏🏻 thank you for the beautiful music

Absolutely wonderful playing and nerdy information! Thank you

Barney is smiling down from Heaven for sure 😇👍

Are used to go hear Bruce play in San Francisco during the late 80s. He was great then and he’s great now.

Hé les gars, c'est un vrai plaisir de vous voir jouer ensemble et de voir votre propre plaisir. Merci à vous deux . Hey guys, it’s a real pleasure to see you play together and see your own pleasure. Thank you both

I just love hearing two masters play these irreplaceable jazz artifacts.

Beautiful instruments in loving hands. Old guitars are my favorite guitars. When I grow up I wanna play like ya ll.

Manny manny years ago I met Barney Kessel in a small club in the Netherlands. He showed me the guitar and told me about the plywood and the special dials etc.etc. But he also told me that on the inside the pick up was wrapped in tinfoil to prevend noise. He said he had a lot of problems with it on TV shows were there was a lot of light and and consequently a lot of electrical buzz...

Love the chord chatter. Like a Hammond player. And also everything else about this post. I love how Bruce is just going around getting people to play Barney’s guitar and just being himself! So much life lessons on how to be your best self from your posts and his posts. I’m leaning more then just guitar from you thank you.

YEESSS 🤝😎 … and with Barney’s guitar… just awesome guys! Thank you very much for Videos like this one 🙏

OMG - the cover of Softly - two masters killin’ it on improv and trades🤯. This is just wonderful!!!👏👏👏🔥🔥😁 Two of my favorite players swinging and hanging (with Barney’a spirit watching over things blessing each note 🎶😁). Obviously having a ball… this should somehow be a regular thing❗️

lovely to hear from bruce still..remember pearl's..and sausalito jam

Boy am I glad RU-vid recommended this to me today. Wonderful treat at the end of working day.

Awesome! Two of the best. Thanks for posting 🎸

Blues Power...yeah!!

So many lessons here all jammed into one video! Thank you!!

Thanks

WOW !!!!

Wow!! What a privilege it is to listen to you.

Loved the electrified and amplified “ dark brown” sound and voicings of Barney with this guitar. Saw and heard him playing several time in the Netherlands, with a trio and together with Charly Byrd and Herb Ellis. I myself play a Gibson L5 Wes Montgomery what is a horrible instrument to perform with on stage due to terrible feedback with the amplifier even on low volume. I searched for solutions and a luthier suggested to fill the body with foam. No way ! Well played you guys. Keep the good things going on . Regards from the Netherlands

yeahhh very nice sound

Bruce such an unruly beast! Great playing .

So cool

I can't watch more than one and a half minutes at a time, it's just too beautiful. They set each other free. Magical. Album please.

I met Barney Kessel some 30-31 years ago. He told me that Charlie Christian playied downstrokes only. I'll never forget when I could touch (just touch) his - THAT - guitar.

Right person to have Barney’s guitar！

If there are two more down to earth, personable and infectiously joyous practitioners of the Jazz guitar idiom on this earth, where might you find them? Thanks for making me smile throughout as you so generously share the joy.

Awesome playing by two legends!

Absolutely swingin’ and superb interplay, Tim & Bruce! Highly inspiring duets and info. Thanks to you both and glad to support y’all!

Took me on a music vacation! Felt every note. Thank you.

The crown on the headstock ("what's it called?") in Europe we call it "the tulip"! 😀 BTW, so exciting to see Bruce and you together!

Two masters who always play with such joy! Love it -- thanks for posting!

Thanks for the jam session

Thank you to both of you for your fantastic inspirational playing best wishes and good health to you and your families from Glasgow in Scotland

Great playing! You two sound wonderful together

Kick ass fellas, that was on fire. Learned a lot from those first 16 choruses of the day haha.

fantastic meeting ! only pleasure !! great great thanks

A beautiful start to my day by two wonderful musicians. Thanks for posting! Glad to hear that Barney's guitar is still singing.

Great seeing you guys together! Awesome to see BK's guitar too.

A joy to watch and listen to

You guys sound great. So much fun in that room!

Been waiting to see these two greats together for a long time. Thanks for all the great work guys, keep it up. A Bruce Forman, Tim Lerch duo album would be awesome!

Wow that sounds great, fellas.

Fine playing! I was watching a video of Barney playing a trio gig in Paris in 1969 with that guitar, before he painted over the headstock. Dot board and the Charlie Christian pickup. He was one-of-a-kind.

Thanks for making me smile and laugh at how incredible both of you are individually and together. Wow!

Really beautiful music. Thanks Tim!

This made my day. Thanks!

Unbelievable, thanks so much guys , wonderful soulful, audacious playing!

Great Sounds!!!!!

Soo joyful, thank you both!

Thank you guys for sharing this, so good 🙏🏼

Thank you!!! This is so great

Don't know if it was being near that axe or Bruce, but you were especially inspired on this one Tim. Sooooo tasty & Bruce's chord run at 1:47 - gonna be studying that one for weeks ( who am I kidding? MONTHS :-D ) It's beyond wonderful that he's keeping the queen of guitars from the king of players alive.

Thank you so much for your offering so we can hear aboutp a n two performlngabout am

Absolutely amazing musicality and interplay.

Just great!

Such a treat... THANK YOU!

killer

Wonderful playing!! Both you and Bruce are marvelous improvisers!

Beautiful playing guys! And cool guitar history too... A great way to start the day!!!

This is like a gift to me 👌👌👌👌👌

Thanx, great playing and guitars.

Great stuff Gents and killer guitars

Really nice.

This is just too cool...What an opening jam ! Grumps got the Jump !

More!!!

Definitely an album guys! I'm down for a pre-order as long as Bruce weilds that axe :-)

this s awesome

You should be a guest on Guitarwank Tim!

I love seeing you guys together -- great interplay! The sound is great on what I think is an acoustic-only recording.

Most awesome :)

Dudes! Yeah!

Thanks!

Really Great Playing. My 2nd cup of Joe, and away we go. Copy this kids, and you will go far on the jazz guitar. 👏👏👏👏👏☮☯⏪

I kinda lost my mind at the end- those dual solos, so good.

That's what I'm talking about Willis !!!

Happiness!

Holy Cow coach, I'm onely three minutes in and my cheeks hurt from smiling so much, that shit is swingin' cat.

Thanks for making jazz blues fun for those folks who are new to it...you guys swing...enjoyed the hell out of this. Great sounding P90 and I believe that's a Charlie Christian pickup on Bruce's guitar? (never mind...Bruce answered that question)

Great feel and interplay. You guys should make a record together!

Nice hat !!🤣

Bravissimi

I went to see Barney Kessel at McCabe's in Santa Monica do a solo guitar show. Barney about halfway thru the night stopped to do a Q&A. Someone asked why the name on the his guitar was taped over. Barney said because some guitar maker don't respect Jazz musicians, but for $5 I'll write you name on a piece of tape and put it up there for the rest of the night. Then Barney went back to playing.