This fascinating flip through the Kenton story brings you prime performances by his most influential orchestra of each decade. Join him in '48 in Chicago (Lover; Impressionism; Safranski), in '56 in Monterey, CA (Cherokee; Young Blood; Intermission Riff), in '61 and '62 with his Mellophonium Band (Maria; Malaguena; Gone with the Wind) and in '71 and '73 in Ohio and England (Malaga; of Space and Time; Artistry in Rhythm). 40 tracks!
REVIEW
In 1952, Stan Kenton introduced every member of his band at the time (including the 24-year-old Maynard Ferguson) in a ten-minute opus entitled Prologue: This Is an Orchestra!, composed by Johnny Richards and released in the then-new Extended Play 45 RPM format (the track was later incorporated into the 12-inch LP and CD versions of Kenton s New Concepts album, which was recorded at the same sessions in Chicago s Universal Studios). Nearly six decades later, the British Kenton historian Michael Sparke has appropriated these words as the title of his long-awaited biography of The Old Man , and this companion CD set, lovingly released on the Tantara label which has dedicated itself to the preservation of the Kenton legacy through previously unreleased (and mostly unofficial) recordings, is, in Kenton s own words, a cross-section view of his ensembles over four decades. Beginning with a 1948 broadcast transcription of an SRO concert in the Chicago Civic Opera House (at which Kenton, his eminence grise Pete Rugolo, vocalist June Christy, bassist Eddie Safranski, and drummer Shelly Manne were all honored with awards from Down Beat Magazine) and closing with excerpts from a performance in Bristol, England a quarter-century later, the Kenton band is revealed as an ever-evolving, vital force in large-ensemble music, with contributions from the 1956 Contemporary Concepts band (performing charts by Bill Russo, Gerry Mulligan, and Bill Holman on the eve of the ensemble s departure for its debut UK tour) and the 1961-62 Mellophonium Orchestra, whose rehearsal tapes (recorded spectacularly by the late Wally Heider, who is also responsible for the recordings of the Seventies Kenton band in this set) of the two Richards-arranged selections from Leonard Bernstein s West Side Story (including Richards counting off the tempo as Kenton s piano solo segues into the band intro on Maria are most revelatory). --Big Bands International
These recordings are taken from several sources to give the listener a glimpse at various stages of the Kenton career. The first tracks are taken from a 1948 DownBeat Awards radio broadcast, and give a taste of the Progressive Jazz era. The balance of the first disc is from a 1956 gig at Fort Ord in California. The second disc opens with four Mellophonium Band dates, including three tracks from a 1961 band rehearsal. The remainder of this disc is taken from two 1970s dates, one at Wittenberg University in Ohio in 1971, and the other from a British appearance in 1973. This gives a nice overview of the Kenton oeuvre. Michael Sparke has done a terrific job writing the informative liner notes. Tantara has, as usual, taken great care in mastering the material to provide excellent sound quality. This is the perfect music to pop into your CD player when you are reading the book of the same title by Michael Sparke. --New Jersey Jazz