The Seth Kessel Band at Otto's Shrunken Head

Seth Kessel

Seth Kessel is a New York native known as the Brooklyn Troubadour. He has played lead guitar for several local artists, but also performs occasionally with his own band. One night he may be playing rock ‘n’ roll and rockabilly at a Brooklyn bar, and on another night he may be dressed in a suit and tie playing jazz at a private event. He often plays guitar in Sean Kershaw & the New Jack Ramblers as well as Jessy Carolina & the Hot Mess. Although he has played on other musicians' albums, Kessel released his own music as Seth Kessel & the Two Cent Band in 2013 on an album entitled In the Golden Days.

The Seth Kessel Band performed tonight at Frank Wood's Wind-Down Sunday series at Otto's Shrunken Head, and performed a vast array of roots music. Kessel sang and played guitar, accompanied by saxophonist Ryan Weisheit, bassist Julian Smith, and drummer Stephen Purcell. The high-voltage set included obvious strains of prohibition-era swing, finger-picking blues, classic honky-tonk, and a big dose of twangy rockabilly. Kessel was quite a guitar virtuoso, and easily shifted his playing to accommodate the diverse genres of the song. He was also a strong vocalist, with a rich tone and broad range. The only question is which genre will lead to his breakthrough to a larger audience.

Visit Seth Kessel at www.SethKessel.com.