Barney Kessel's Jacques Favino Gypsy Jazz Guitar

This is Jazz and Be-Bop Great Barney Kessel's 

Jacques Favino Gypsy Guitar. Not only a great guitar to play but a collectable guitar from a great provenance, the estate of of Barney Kessel one of the greatest Jazz, Be-Bop  Stuido and Movie musicians of his era.  The guitar is constructed with a  Spruce top, Rosewood sides and back, Five piece Maple neck, 26 & 1/2 in scale length, 1 & 3/4 inch nut width, 16 & 9/16 inch lower bout, 12 inch upper bout and five ply wood binding front, sides and back,

Beautiful workmanship!

 No cracks or repairs. Barney engraved his and Django's name on the back of the head stock. The 17" Epiphone brown hardshell case is included.The guitar plays and sounds great!  Here is a statement from Mrs. Barney Kessel about the history of the guitar. The signed statement will be included with the guitar. 

Barney Kessel “Gypsy Guitar”

Barney Kessel met Django Reinhardtonly once, in 1953 at the Salle Pleyel in Paris where Barney was playing withthe JATP. There is a much reproduced photo of the two of them together when Django came to hear this young lion (Barney) play. Django died later that same year.

Later, Barney was on a GeorgeWein Newport All Star European Tour in 1968 which played in Paris. Barney was living in London in 1969 and went to Paris to record with Stephane Grappelli at Studio Davout, Paris, June 1969, recording released as I Remember Django, Black Lion. Barney wrote I Remember Django and Barney and Stephane recorded it at that time. During one of these stops in Paris by Barney, most probably 1969, Barney recalled for me that he went to Monmartre to a club to see two cousins of Django Reinhardt play. At that time these members of Django Reinhardt’s family gave this guitar, which they said had been Django’s, to Barney. Barney told me he didn’t think Django had ever owned or played it.

It is not marked, no labels at all, as it is known that Django favored acoustic guitars, Maccaferri-Selmer, commonly known as Selmer style guitars. They were produced by Selmer in France from 1932-1952, originally designed by Maccaferri.The typical wear near the oval F-hole marks it as having been played by a gypsy guitarist for sure. A professional guitarist and dealer once examined it for me and said it was a Jacques Favino. The lack of markings or label make dating difficult.

Maurice Summerfield’s 2008biography Barney Kessel: A Jazz Legend,Ashley Mark Pub Co. confirms the period when Barney received the guitar and Barney’s time in Paris. A promotional brochure written by Maurice Summerfieldin 1973 for a Barney Kessel seminar states, “Barney Kessel has a fine collection of twenty-five guitars including a rare D’Angelico acoustic and a Maccaferri presented to him by Django Reinhardt’s family some time after the gypsy guitarists death”. Summerfield had not seen the guitar at that time and took Barney’s word for it. More recently Summerfield has said many details it point to its not being a Selmer-Maccaferri, but a Jacques Favino.________PhyllisKessel, Barney Kessel’s widow, 3/10/17