Carl Kress

Carl Kress (October 20, 1907 – June 10, 1965) was an American jazz guitarist.

Music career Kress started on piano before picking up the banjo. Beginning in 1926, he played guitar during his brief period in Paul Whiteman's orchestra. For most of his career, he was a studio musician and sideman buried in large orchestras, and his name was little known. His work in the 1920s and 1930s included sessions with The Boswell Sisters, The Dorsey Brothers, Bix Beiderbecke, Hoagy Carmichael, Miff Mole, Red Nichols, Adrian Rollini, and Frankie Trumbauer.

Outside of orchestras, Kress played in several guitar duets with Eddie Lang (1932), Dick McDonough (1934, 1937), Tony Mottola (1941), and George Barnes (1961–1965). In 1938 and 1939, he made some solo recordings, the songs "Peg Leg Shuffle", "Helena", "Love Song", "Sutton Mutton", and "Afterthoughts". During the 1940s, he played Dixieland jazz with Bobby Hackett, Pee Wee Russell, and Muggsy Spanier. Carl Kress died of a heart attack in 1965 while he was on tour with George Barnes (musician) in Reno, Nevada. although he down-tuned the A-string an octave.

All-fifths tuning is used by other instruments besides tenor banjos. For example, it is used by mandolins, violins, mandolas, violas, mandocellos, and cellos.

Discography As leader 1934-37 - The Guitar Genius of Dick McDonough & Carl Kress in the Thirties (Jazz Archives, 1976) 1934-37 - Pioneers of the Jazz Guitar (Yazoo, 1992) (Karl Cress only in four tracks) 1939.02 - Original Guitar Solos (Decca, 1940) 1941 - Fun on the Frets (Yazoo?) w Tony Mottola - Transcriptions 1961 - Guitar Galaxies (Mercury, 1962) (under George Barnes name) 1962 - Something Tender with George Barnes (United Artists, 1963) 1962 - Two Guitars Volume 1 with George Barnes (Stash, 1983) 1962 - Two Guitars and a Horn Volume II (Stash, 1983) with George Barnes under Bud Freeman name 1963.04 - Town Hall Concert with George Barnes (United Artists, 1963) 196?- Guitars, Anyone? Why Not Start at the Top? with George Barnes (Carney, 1963)

As sideman Louis Armstrong, Satchmo in Style (1959) Bix Beiderbecke, The Bix Beiderbecke Story Volume 2: Bix and Tram (Columbia, 1952) Erskine Butterfield, Just for Kicks (Livingston, 1955) Helen Caroll, Singin' & Swingin' (Stere-O-Craft, 1958) Bob Crosby, South Pacific Blows Warm (1958) Jimmy Dorsey, Dixie by Dorsey (1950) Jimmy McPartland, Shades of Bix (Brunswick, 1953) Red Nichols, Rhythm of the Day (1983) Jack Teagarden, Jazz Great (Bethlehem, 1955) Jack Teagarden/Maxine Sullivan, My Memories of You (Everest, 1956)