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.[1]

To Swing or Not to Swing
Studio album by Barney Kessel
Released	1956
Recorded	March 28 & July 26, 1955
Studio	Contemporary Records Studio, Los Angeles, California
Genre	Jazz
Length	40:24
Label	Contemporary C3511
Producer	Lester Koenig
Barney Kessel chronology
Kessel Plays Standards (1954-55) To Swing or Not to Swing (1956) Music to Listen to Barney Kessel By (1956)

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	[3]

The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow states: "the overall result is a recording highly recommended to fans of straight-ahead jazz".[2]

Track listing

All compositions by Barney Kessel, except as indicated

1. "Begin the Blues" - 4:29
2. "Louisiana" (J. C. Johnson, Andy Razaf, Bob Schafer) - 3:57
3. "Happy Feeling" - 3:58
4. "Embraceable You" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) - 3:24
5. "Wail Street" - 4:25
6. "Back Home Again in Indiana" (James F. Hanley, Ballard MacDonald) - 3:13
7. "Moten Swing" (Bennie Moten, Buster Moten) - 3:58
8. "Midnight Sun" (Sonny Burke, Lionel Hampton) - 3:10
9. "Contemporary Blues" - 4:09
10. "Don't Blame Me" (Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields) - 2:58
11. "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

References