#StanKenton Legacy Orchestra

Stan Kenton Legacy Orchestra - Big Band #Jazz on Tour in Florida

The Stan Kenton Legacy Orchestra is made up of musicians who played with Stan Kenton when he was alive, plus musicians who also played with Maynard Ferguson, Woody Herman, Count Basie and other "name" bands. The band comes together every year to tour all over the United States and also record live CD's from our tours. Most of our concerts are done in high schools, colleges and universities, in keeping with Stan Kenton's commitment to jazz education. Any school that books the band for an evening concert gets a FREE clinic in the afternoon.

Stan Kenton's Paris concert in 1953

At JazzWax, Stan Kenton's Paris concert in 1953 with one of his finest orchestras of daring individualists. https://t.co/m06cI80UP1 pic.twitter.com/yQgTqQSuhn

— Marc Myers (@JazzWax) 5 de janeiro de 2017

Chris Connor: Live with Kenton

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

Following my Friday post on vocalist Chris Connor and her months with Stan Kenton in 1953, many readers emailed wanting to know where I had acquired the tracks that I featured. Truth is I have a rather extensive collection of Chris's recordings, and many of my live Kenton recordings in 1953 come from Stan Kenton's Concert in Miniature and Concert Encore road broadcasts.

Chris joined Stan Kenton's band in January 1953. She began singing at the University of Missouri in the late 1940s and then teamed up with Bob Brookmeyer's jazz group in Kansas City before going on to New York to join Claude Thornhill in '49. During a radio broadcast of her singing with Jerry Wald's orchestra in '52, Kenton vocalist June Christy heard Chris and recommended her to Kenton. Christy had left Kenton's band in '51 but continued to make guest appearances with the band. Kenton hired Chris and soon after she began appearing on the band's road broadcasts between March and June of '53.

Here are Chris's live appearances with Kenton, thanks to the meticulous work of Terry Vosbein:

March 17, 1953—Trianon Ballroom, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (go here)

March 28, 1953—Blue Note Club, Chicago (go here).

April 4, 1953—Blue Note Club, Chicago (go here).

April 14, 1953—Sampson Air Force Base, Geneva, N.Y. (go here).

April 21, 1953—Municipal Auditorium, Springfield, Mass. (go here).

April 24, 1953—Birdland, New York City (go here).

April 28, 1953—Birdland, New York City (go here).

April 29, 1953—Birdland, New York City (go here).

May 1, 1953—Birdland, New York City (go here).

May 5, 1953—Birdland, New York City (go here).

May 12, 1953—Glen Echo Park Ballroom, Washington, D.C. (go here).

May 19, 1953—Palm Gardens, Columbus, Ohio (go here).

June 2, 1953—Star Ballroom, Dakota City, Iowa (go here).

Notes: Chris's June 30 appearance was her last known broadcast with Kenton. She recorded in the studio with Kenton's band for Capitol on July 8, 1953. Then she left to become a solo recording artist.

Reader Ed Frank sent along a link to an in-depth discography of Chris Connor by Iván Santiago Mercado (go here).

You'll find a main menu of Kenton's complete road broadcasts between 1952 and '56, compiled by Terry Vosbein, here.

Used with permission by Marc Myers

Stan Kenton by Bill Gottlieb

Steven A. Cerra
Friday, March 4, 2016

Stan Kenton and Marion "Buddy" Childers photographed through a fractured mirror to suggest the shattering effect of the Kenton hand's loud, dissonant brass.

I have always found it fascinating to explore how those on the periphery of Jazz relate to it.

The manner in which authors write about the music, photographers take picture of the musicians performing it and artists and poets depict it in paintings and in verse can be as distinctive as the styles in which Jazz is played.

Take for example, photography.

Both Herman Leonard and Francis Wolff took primarily black-and-white photographs, but Herman used back lighting and smoke-filled “live” performances as his venue while Francis used high speed film and slow shutter speeds to photograph musicians in repose, concentrating on the written scores and playing their horns during the studio rehearsals for upcoming Blue Note recordings.

On the West Coast, Ray Avery was a photographic chronicler of The Stars of Jazz TV show which originated in Hollywood while William Claxton was extremely adept at posing many of the stars of West Coast Jazz either in his studio or on locations such as the mountains, deserts and canyons of sunny Southern California, many of which appeared as cover art for World Pacific and Contemporary Records LPs.

I posted recently about William Paul Gottlieb’s The Golden Age of Jazz, a compilation of his photographs and annotations from the “Hot Jazz Era” through to the beginnings of Bebop, circa 1935 - 1950.

What was unique about Gottlieb’s work in comparison to most other Jazz photographers was that Mr. Gottlieb took his photos largely in support of articles he was writing for the major Jazz magazine such as Down Beat and Metronome and for his work as the Jazz editor of The Washington Post newspaper.

Some of his photographs were posed; some were impromptu; some were thematic.

Take for example the lead-in photograph to this feature with its theme of the “glass-shattering effects of Kenton’s powerful brass” or the ones that follow his annotation about Kenton which appears in Mr. Gottlieb’s Golden Age of Jazz, some of which were intended to underscore the written description of life on the road with Stan’s orchestra, both in performance and at play.


I don’t recall viewing very many photographic retrospectives of life on the road with a big band so in this regard, Mr. Gottlieb’s approach to Jazz photography provides some very unique insights into the music and its makers.

read more: http://jazzprofiles.blogspot.com.br/2016/03/stan-kenton-by-bill-gottlieb.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+JazzProfiles+(Jazz+Profiles)

Stan Kenton: The Relentless Searcher

Steven A. Cerra
"Some of the wise boys [i.e. Jazz critics] who say my music is loud, blatant, and that's all, should see the faces of the kids who have driven a hundred miles through the snow, to see the band ... to stand in front of the stand in an ecstasy all their own." And it is indisputable that Kenton does have an almost magnetic attraction for some and that, once pledged to the international Kentonian fraternity,  the youngsters remain devout fans."

 During an Easter Week break [known today as Spring Break], I was one of the kids who stood in front of the Kenton Orchestra in a state of ecstasy, although in my case the drive was only about 40 miles and there was no snow involved.

 My trip took place under the clear blue skies of sunny Southern California because a high school buddy of mine worked for the Benge Trumpet Factory in the San Fernando Valley area north of Los Angeles and asked me if I wanted to make the drive with him to a rehearsal of the Stan Kenton Orchestra at the Rendezvous Ballroom Balboa/Newport Beach in Orange County to deliver a trumpet to Al Porcino who at the time was the lead trumpet player in the band.

 It was quite an experience standing on the highly polished, football field size dance floor of the Rendezvous Ballroom in Balboa when the Kenton Band in all its might and glory let loose on Artistry in Rhythm [Stan’s theme song].

 Spine-tingling would be an understatement; I was completely blown away by the power and the majesty of the Kenton Sound.

 Still am.

 Love Duke’s imaginative arrangements; Basie’s swing; Woody’s Band That Plays The Blues: but the music of the Stanley Newcomb Kenton Orchestra at its best was electrifying. 

 It’s quite remarkable to look back on many of the comments in this piece from the standpoint of 2016, an era of instant, consistent and persistent communication.

 Another aspect of Ralph Gleason’s interview with Stan Kenton that may impress you is how dedicated Stan was to his music and his career in it.

read more: http://jazzprofiles.blogspot.com.br/2016/01/stan-kenton-relentless-searcher.html

Stan Kenton: Germany, 1953

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

Between January 1950 and January 1952, Stan Kenton led a 39-piece band known as the Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra on two tours. The orchestra's dreamy, Wagner-esque jazz arrangements were hip for a brief period but soon took on the characteristics of a wobbly truck transporting too much fine furniture. The orchestrations didn't click with young audiences and Kenton's musicians grew weary performing the syrupy modern-classical material. Kenton also led a dance band during this period that fell just short of swinging.

So in January 1952, Kenton retooled  and began commissioning more modern, swinging charts by Johnny Richards, Shorty Rogers, Gerry Mulligan, Bill Holman, Gene Roland and others. In 1953, Kenton's swinging New Concepts band toured the U.S. and Europe, exciting audiences wherever it played. Unfortunately, there's little footage of the early stages of what would go on to become the heart of Kenton's signature sound. 

Last week, a reader in Germany made me aware of an amazing clip. It's from a German film directed by Erik Ode called Schlagerparade [Hit Parade]. It features a thin story about an unknown German composer whose works are credited to another artist. For the most part, it's a showcase for performers including Kenton, Rolf Kühn, the Werner Müller RIAS orchestra and others—many of whom play themselves in the film (more information here.)

For the film, the Kenton Orchestra was captured in Berlin on August 27, 1953 and featured Buddy Childers, Vic Minichiello, Conte Candoli, Don Dennis, Don Smith (tp) Bob Burgess, Frank Rosolino (tb) Bill Russo (tb) Bill Smiley (b-tb) Dave Schildkraut, Lee Konitz (as) Bill Holman (ts,arr) Zoot Sims (ts) Tony Ferina (bar) Stan Kenton (p,arr) Barry Galbraith (g) Don Bagley (b) and Stan Levey (d).

The song is Gerry Mulligan's arrangement of Swing House. As you'll see, the lighting guy had a field day. Solos by Frank Rosolino, Lee Konitz, Zoot Sims and Conte Candoli. This is an orchestra!

- See more at: http://www.jazzwax.com/2014/01/stan-kenton-germany-1953.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Jazzwax+%28JazzWax%29#sthash.fTVdmeT4.dpuf

Used with permission by Marc Myers

Early Stan Kenton on Film

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

Back in the 1940s, when radio, record company and movie studio efforts began to merge, shorts were viewed as a highly strategic way to promote bands in movie theaters before feature films came on. Here's a series of short films made with Stan Kenton...

Jammin' in the Panoram (1942), with Howard Rumsey on bass...

Reed Rapture (1942)...

Tampico with June Christy in 1945...

Eager Beaver (1945)...

It's Been a Long, Long Time with June Christy (1945)...

- See more at: http://www.jazzwax.com/2013/12/early-stan-kenton-on-film.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Jazzwax+%28JazzWax%29#sthash.NjXg2ht0.dpuf

Used with permission by Marc Myers

Video: Kenton in 1945

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

Friday is as good as a day as any for Stan Kenton. The following Warner Bros. biographical short was filmed in December 1945 and released in '46. Here's the band personnel in October '45: Buddy Childers, John Anderson, Russ Burgher, Bob Lymperis (tp) Ray Wetzel (tp,vcl) Fred Zito, Jimmy Simms (tb) Milt Kabak (tb,arr) Bart Varsalona (b-tb) Boots Mussulli (as,arr) Al Anthony (as) Vido Musso, Bob Cooper (ts) Bob Gioga (bar) Stan Kenton (p,arr) Bob Ahern (g) Eddie Safranski (b) Ralph Collier (d) June Christy (vcl) Gene Howard (vcl).

Here's the Stan Kenton short—featuring a 20-year-old June Christy...
Used with permission by Marc Myers

Stan Kenton: Portrait of a Legend

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

For years, if you wanted a documentary on Stan Kenton, you were pretty much out of luck. You either had to find DVDs that included clips of the band over the years or you scrounged around YouTube hoping someone put up something fresh. Now Graham Carter at Jazzed Media has produced and directed Stan Kenton, Artistry in Rhythm: Portrait of a Jazz Legend. The new DVD offers a biographical look at the bandleader and his many orchestras through narration, musician interviews and rare footage, photos and promotional materials.

Though the DVD is a tad long (its running time is close to two hours) and the narration hits flat spots at times (even main talking head Ken Poston of the Los Angeles Jazz Institute appears to run out of gas after a while), the result remains a fabulous document that will more than satisfy hardcore Kentonians and offer the curious a strong sense of what made the bandleader special.

After opening on a Kenton concert from the 1970s, the documentary goes back in time to the beginning, when Kenton was just getting started in California. The DVD is divided neatly by Kenton's different bands: the Early Years (1937-43), Artistry in Rhythm (1943-47), Progressive Jazz (1947-48), Innovations in Modern Music (1950-51), Contemporary Concepts (1955-59) and so on.

What you learn along the way is that Kenton was disliked by critics early on (Leonard Feather referred to him as "Can't Stand Him"); radio played a big role in the band'semergence in 1941; Capitol's early signing with the musicians' union in 1943 during the recording ban gave Kenton an advantage; Kai Winding transformed the trombone section with elongated notes; commercial hits likeTampico allowed Pete Rugolo to arrange the more modern instrumentals; Kenton went broke funding his 43-musician Innovations orchestra, and Al Porcino and Mel Lewis were instrumental in convincing Kenton to scrap the stuffy Euro-jazz efforts in '50 and '51, and swing again. And this takes you just halfway through the documentary. [Photo of Kai Winding by William P. Gotlieb/Library of Congress]

The DVD is loaded with interviews, including on-screenappearances by Howard Rumsey, Bill Holman [pictured] and Eddie Bert as well as lesser-known Kenton alums. Tremendous film and photo research went into this DVD. Your screen is almost constantly occupied by little known clips and images of the bands. There's even a bio clip of Kenton standing on the empty lot where the Rendezvous Ballroom in Balboa, Calif., used to stand.

Graham Carter is to be commended for a tireless effort to interview top surviving Kenton talent and providing fans with a documentary worthy of the bandleader. This is an orchestra!

JazzWax tracks: You'll find Stan Kenton, Artistry in Rhythm:Portrait of a Jazz Legend (Jazzed Media)here.

JazzWax clip: Here's Stan Kenton and his orchestra with Eddie Safranski on bass in 1946 performing Southern Scandal...

Used with permission by Marc Myers

Stan Kenton Alumni Band - Have Band, Will Travel (SUMMIT RECORDS [2010])

By Thomas Conrad
Stan Kenton stipulated in his will that he wanted no ghost band after his death. Mike Vax was once Kenton’s first trumpet and road manager, and now directs the Stan Kenton Alumni Band, 12 of whose 20 members played with Kenton. Still, Vax has respected Kenton’s wishes. Have Band Will Travel is only partly an immersion in nostalgia. It is more a dreamlike Kenton montage, a meditation on his music.

Kim Richmond’s new arrangement of “Intermission Riff” takes Carl Fontana’s trombone solo from the classic Kenton in Hi-Fi album and voices it out for the whole band, turning it gigantic. Kenton also played “Long Ago and Far Away,” but here there is a suave solo by baritone saxophonist Joel Kaye newly woven through the sections of the band.

“Tonight” is from the 1963 Grammy-winning Kenton’s West Side Story. Johnny Richards’ arrangement is retained, but with different instrumentation (no mellophoniums here). The high point of the album is hearing this song again, reconfigured in Richards’ achingly slow impressionism, intricate orchestration in the service of emotion. Liz Sesler-Beckman’s piano and Don Rader’s muted trumpet are like secular prayers. At the end, long trombone chords sing amen.

These live recordings were made at seven different concerts during a 2009 bus tour. The sound is somewhat pale and distant, but clear. Signature Kenton elements (complex contrasting inner melodies, jarring chords, blaring brass) materialize and submerge and flash out again, on tunes that Kenton played, or might have played, or should have played, like “Swing House” and “The Shadow of Your Smile” and “Softly as I Leave You.”
http://jazztimes.com/articles/26054-have-band-will-travel-stan-kenton-alumni-band