Song Rig

Let's Cook!

Barney Kessel · Let's Cook! · 1957

Tone Overview

What Makes This Sound Unique

Kessel at his most swinging — an uptempo blowing vehicle that shows his speed and bebop fluency. The tone is identical to Easy Like but the faster tempo and more aggressive picking create a brighter perceived quality as the attack becomes more prominent relative to the sustained body of each note.

Signal Chain

1Gibson ES-350 or ES-175 (1957 model)
2Small clean amp

Amp Settings

Gain / Volume1

Bass6

Mid7

Treble7

Same warm clean tone but slightly brighter perceived quality at high tempo — the faster the playing, the more the pick attack dominates the tone relative to the body. No EQ change; the speed creates the apparent brightness.

Technique

How to Play It

Bebop single-note lines at swing tempo — Kessel navigates chord changes using bebop vocabulary (ii-V-I patterns, chromatic enclosures, target notes) at full swing tempo. His lines have a flowing, melodic quality despite the high speed.

Budget Alternative

Achievable With

ES-175 or archtop → clean amp → practice bebop ii-V-I patterns over a rhythm track: (Am7-D7-Gmaj7) running at increasing tempos. The target is ii-V-I fluency at 200+ BPM with melodic, connected lines.

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