Released in 1970, George Barnes And Carl Kress – Ten Duets For Two Guitars was actually recorded before June 1965, the time of Carl Kress's death. The long-play album offers a rare opportunity to duet with Carl Kress. Kress is playing an amplified guitar (Guild). He had moved from the acoustic archtop (Gibson) around 1946 to an amplified Gibson guitar. Sadly, it appears that he never returned to the acoustic instrument, which he performed with great effect throughout the 1930's and into the mid 1940s, bringing out the subtleties of his unique orchestral style.

Chicagoan George Barnes, a unique stylist in his own right, is one of those artists who is immediately recognizable for his swinging, short, trumpet-like, and very melodic (often humorous) single-string solos. His partnership with Carl Kress began in 1961 and continued until Kress's passing in June 1965. Barnes is the producer and arranger of this recording session.

Music Minus One (MMO) was an American educational music company founded in Westchester, New York. The company released play-along albums intended to accompany a melodic instrument or vocalist as an aid for practice and music education.

Music Minus One was founded in 1950 by Irv Kratka, then a 24-year-old college student. The company's first recording was based on Franz Schubert's Trout Quintet, with one instrumental part omitted in each version so performers could play along with the remaining ensemble.

In subsequent years, the company expanded into chamber music, jazz, opera, vocal music, and educational accompaniment recordings. Musicians appearing on MMO recordings included Stan Getz, Hank Jones, George Barnes, Max Roach, Julius Baker, Elaine Douvas, Armando Ghitalla, Stanley Drucker, and Christian Reichert.

SOURCE

George Barnes And Carl Kress – Ten Duets For Two Guitars, Music Minus One, MMO 4011, 1970.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_Minus_OneMusic Minus One, www.musicminusone.com

Parent Company: Hal Leonard, www.halleonard.com