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

Jimmy Witherspoon with Jay McShann and His Band Goin' to Kansas City Blues RCA 1957

Jimmy Witherspoon with Jay McShann and His Band Goin' to Kansas City Blues RCA 1957 LPM-1639

Jimmy Witherspoon was a blues shouter from Arkansas-Jay McShann a piano player from Oklahoma.  McShann settled in Kansas City and founded a band featuring a young Charlie Parker.  In 1944, Witherspoon was hired as the singer for McShann's band (several years post-Parker) and from there, his career blossomed.  After a four years with McShann, Witherspoon left and found brief success as a solo artist.  However, by the 50's, the shouter style had run it's course and Witherspoon was thin on material and interest in his music.

Witherspoon cut this album in 1957 with McShann as somewhat of a reunion and somewhat as an attempt to comeback for both artists.  It's a pretty mellow affair and despite that Witherspoon's shouting was well placed in jazz circles, he tones it down here.  That's not to say it's not a good album or that he doesn't still belt it out (see "Blue Monday Blues"), but just a relaxed feel to the album.  There are some great tunes written by Parker and McShann way back when.  There's also 5 1/2 minute rendition of Joe Turner's Piney Brown Blues which is phenomenal and pays tribute to Witherspoon's idol Joe Turner, as well as making a solid tribute to Kansas City.

Further, you got to love this cover, right?  The Union Station was still a working train depot.  Just a lot to look over and find what's still there and what's changed.

Joe Tuner Rock & Roll Atlantic 1957

Joe Tuner Rock & Roll Atlantic 1957 CAT# 8005

Known as Big Joe Turner, credited here as Joe Turner for this Atlantic LP.  The Kansas Citian is easily Kansas City's best link to the birth of rock and roll.  He started as an underage blues shouter in Kansas City clubs of the1930's.  Rumor has it that he was so "big," that no one questioned his age and as a minor, tended bars and shouted blues at Kansas City night clubs.  The term "shout blues" stems from the fact these guys were performing without a microphone.  The shout out style would become a genre and lead to jump blues, to which Big Joe excelled at.  In his early days, he began performing boogie-woogie after meeting pianist Pete Johnson.

Johnson and Turner would leave Kansas City for New York and begin a professional recording career.  Cutting sides and scoring some substantial R&B hits for various labels.  He wound up on Atlantic by chance.  At the famed Apollo theater, Turner was singing for Count Basie and only  filling in for Jimmy Rushing.  Atlantic was there to catch Count Basie, but were encourged to sign Turner to contract despite that most accounts indicate Turner struggled to fill Rushing's shoes.  With Atlantic, Turner was able to reach everybody.

His shout style latched on with rock and roll pioneers.  Black and white artists covered his tunes, songwriters were influenced by his delivery.  At the time of this release in 1957, Turner was somewhat of an icon in rock n' roll circles, a grandfather figure to the genre.  Atlantic wasn't stupid and capitalized on  Turner's clout, releasing records like this that contained his most rocking sides.

Turner's version of "Shake, Rattle & Roll" is here, which is clearly the biggest link to the development of Rock and Roll as a genre.  Bill Haley would later polish up the arrangement and make a massive hit out of it.  However, Turner's versions of "Flip, Flop & Fly", "Honey Hush," "Corrine Corrina," and "Sweet Sixteen" are all just as fundamental to early rock and roll and all placed on this LP.  Outside a greatest hits compilation, this is great starting point for his work.

Shake, Rattle & Roll
Corinne Corinna