Stan Kenton The Ballad Style of Stan Kenton Capitol 1958

Stan Kenton The Ballad Style of Stan Kenton Capitol 1958 CAT# T1068

This album is a nice set of slow-moving, romantic ballads Kenton arranged. It's nice and all, but I find it hard to believe anyone cares about this album anymore. Unless you're playing it a swanky dinner party, someone MIGHT say, "This music is nice," and that'd be your extent of anyone caring about Kenton, anymore.

Truth is, I only bought it because Kenton is a Wichita, KS, native and the price. Check that out, 49 cents and buy one get one free. I got it for a quarter. For a quarter, I'm cool with having some square Wichita jazzman's LP that only listen for the sole purpose of this blog, then shelve it and never pull it out again.

The Night We Called It a Day

Stan Kenton Kenton with Voices Capitol 1957

Stan Kenton Kenton with Voices Capitol 1957 CAT #T810

I think this is my last Kenton record until someone just dumps them on my lap. Which, judging by the water stains on this LP, I think someone did just give me this...I hope I didn't buy it (although, the vinyl is pretty nice).

I've been through multiple Kenton releases and I'm at the point where I'm pretty sure I don't need to hear anymore. This sat on my 'To Be Listened To' shelf for months before I finally put it on. And, like all the Kenton LPs I've heard, it's about ten times better than I though it would be. He's just an artist that's really easy to listen to. Sure, he's square, but he excelled at taking sophisticated musical ideas and making them sound natural.

Kenton With Voices sounds a product of it's time in many places, you know, like grandma and grandpa music with a mix of some torch songs. Then, out of nowhere, there's these songs that just come out of left-field with space-age, bachelor pad sounds and exotica drum work. Those parts are worth listening in addition to the classier torch songs.

Softly

Stan Kenton Artistry in Rhythm Capitol 1947

Stan Kenton Artistry in Rhythm Capitol 1947 CAT #H167

There's a bunch of Kenton comps that go by this title and there's even an album previously discussed, New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm.  It's all because this is widely considered his signature album during his big band period.

It's an enjoyable collection of music.  If someone just threw it on and listened to it today, I'm not sure they'd call it jazz.  It sounds much more like a soundtrack score.  The stuff Kenton was doing wasn't really for dancing, he was trying to advance the art form and usually comes off pretty pompous in liner notes.

The best moments and the ones I think people can grab onto easier now-a-days are the tracks featuring a cool-toned June Christy, "Willow Weep For Me" and "Ain't No Misery in Me."

Ain't No Misery in Me

Stan Kenton Presents: Capitol 1950

Stan Kenton Presents Capitol 1950 CAT# L248

Wichita born Stan Kenton tried a lot of things, some of which stuck in jazz for decades.  This LP however represents one of his attempts at innovation that did not catch on. Regardless, it is a fairly interesting listen and a good attempt at something new.

The album saw Kenton putting together an amazing set of players, some tunes even feature names of the band, "Maynard Ferguson," "Shelly Manne," "June Christy," and "Art Pepper" are all track names and players on the LP.  Throughout the tracks, Kenton took highly sophisticated jazz structure and merged it with classical movements and ideas.

The release isn't as challenging as some of his later work and experiments, it's fairly pleasant and easy to listen to.  It's easy to see why the classical/jazz merger didn't stick with others or even Kenton, it sounds forced and segmented.  Still, it's interesting hearing something tip toeing around Stravinsky before it goes full out jazz band.

"Maynard Ferguson"

Stan Kenton Kenton in Hi-Fi Capitol 1956

Stan Kenton Kenton in Hi-Fi Capitol 1956 CAT#W724

Stan Kenton was born in Wichita, Kansas.  He would later move to Colorado at a young and also to California.  Can't find much on how much time he spent in Kansas, but nevertheless, he was born in the state.

Looking at records and photos of the guy, he looks awful square for a jazz musician.  More square than Glenn Miller.  It's not like he was on a label known for spitting out ultra-hip Jazz in Capitol, either.  So, all indications, not that cool of a guy (there's also some personal issues going on with Kenton, but I'm just saying as a Jazz musician right now, he's no Coltrane).  However, listening to some of his material, there are some definite high points and creative exploration.  I have some 10"s of his that really surprised me, nothing I would call abstract, but certainly not expected.  He was initially focused on what he termed "progressive jazz," focusing on movement and shying away from anything considered to be dance music.

Later, he explored the big band sound and attempted to maintain creative exploration within the tunes.  This LP represents that period.  It does swing, you could dance to it easily, but it wasn't cut and dry and maintained the Kenton sound.  It also further explored the Kenton Wall of Sound that he developed previously in the 1940's.  He layers everything up, so much so it feels as if your speakers could explode.  Phil Spector would use the term later when recording his doo-wop masterpieces and rock and roll.

His personal stuff I'll share another time.  Rather focus on the good for now.  The artists this guy worked with and brought to the scene is incredible.  Just a few, June Christy, Chris Connor, Art Pepper, Neal Hefti, Stan Getz, Kai Winding, Maynard Ferguson, Lee Konitz, Bud Shank; it's an amazing list that just goes on and on.  I mean, it's almost as if you had to first play in Kenton's band prior to venturing out as a stand alone musician.

Artistry in Boogie & Minor Riff