The Creative World of Stan Kenton -The Rock Years - Part 8

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“Some of the wise boys who say my music is loud, blatant and that's all,” he said, “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 bandstand in an ecstasy all their own.”

Mr. Kenton, a pianist who sometimes played solos with his orchestra, was a lanky 6 feet 4 inches, and had a flamboyant manner that did not diminish the musical turmoil he created. He conducted with great arm‐waving vigor, ending every selection with upstretched arms and an ecstatic expression. He had an unwavering belief in his own work, and was a tireless salesman for it, giving it such descriptive titles as “artistry in rhythm,” “progressive jazz” and “innovations in modern music.”

- The New York Times Obituary, August 27, 1979

Strictly speaking, the following piece is not specifically about Kenton 1970's music, but I chose it to conclude this eight-part look at Stan’s music from this decade for a variety of reasons.

It deals with the entire scope of the band’s 37 years history and in doing so provides a retrospective context for observing and understanding Kenton’s 1970s orchestra.

I also chose it because it’s written by Michael Sparke, the gentleman scholar who has done so much to secure the written history of Stan and his music and to help document the overall place of the band in the history of Jazz.

Another reason for its selection is that in its original format - as the insert booklet to the double companion CD to the definitive Stan Kenton: This Is An Orchestra [2010] - it is not as widely known as the book. Fortunately, copies of the CDs can still be ordered from Tantara Productions.

Instead of writing about the factors leading up to Stan’s death in 1979, I thought it would be more uplifting to close this look at the last decade of his band’s existence by memorializing it through these writings by one of his most ardent and objective fans.

THIS IS AN ORCHESTRA!

“Ask a dozen Kenton fans which was Stan's "best" band, and chances are you'll wind up with twelve different answers, depending on the age and inclination of each individual. A much wider poll would be required to obtain any kind of consensus, but the probability is the winner would be one of the four bands represented on this "Companion" CD-set to the new book "Stan Kenton - This Is An Orchestra!" published in 2010 by the University of North Texas Press.

Despite all his enthusiasm and energetic promotion of his orchestra, Stan Kenton would never have become leader of one of America's top-grossing big bands had the product not been right. After seven years of non-stop growth and experimentation, Stan's 1948 Progressive Jazz orchestra captured the mood of the times and inspired the imagination of thousands of youngsters, who voted the band into top place in both the 1947 DownBeat and Metronome popularity polls. Never before or since has good music and mass appeal come together so closely, as proven by this DownBeat Awards broadcast, played in concert before a SRO audience at Chicago's prestigious Civic Opera House on February 22,1948,

This Is an important document in sound, In addition to Stan four stars from the band receive awards and are featured in special compositions showcasing their individual talents. The years 1946-48 belonged to Pete Rugolo, who wrote the bulk of the Artistry and Progressive Jazz libraries, from the jovial "Lover" to the classically-cryptic "Impressionism". Rugolo somehow captured the hearts and minds of America's youth while unleashing a form of symphonic jazz farther out than any band had ever gone before, and that was due in no small measure to Kenton's charismatic leadership, and the talents of the musicians Stan had chosen to form his orchestra, And very special among those stars was June Christy.

Though perennially popular among Kenton devotees, June never quite attained the A-star status or acclaim that made such singers as Ella Fitzgerald and Mel Torme household names, possibly due to the fact her career was cut short by illness. Certainly no other singer could have tackled Rugolo's abstract background to "Lonely Woman" with similar emotion and authority. As Bill Russo observed, "Christy was a very interesting person and thought about singing in ways I had never heard before. She really emphasized the meaning of the lyrics." And June herself was a firm believer in Kenton's motives, commenting, "I think Stan did a tremendous thing when he moved Progressive Jazz into the concert hall,"

Vital to the success of any jazz band, but particularly to the potentially monolithic Kenton organization, was the drummer, And in Shelly Manne, Stan found his perfect percussionist, who would never be surpassed; a man who possessed the skills and technique to implement Rugolo's intricate arrangements, but with the strength and suppleness to keep the band moving. Shelly could switch from artistic dexterity to swinging a big-band blockbuster with ease, a rare combination of talents. "I approached drums from a more melodic viewpoint in terms of doing more unorthodox things with colors, cymbals, mallets, hands," said Shelly, "according to what the melodic content of the piece dictated. When it came to my feature piece, I told Pete I had never liked machine-gun styled drum solos. I told Pete my ideas, and he put them in the music."

The Stravinsky influenced "Artistry In Percussion'' remains one of the finest compositions for orchestra and drums ever conceived, and was revived in 1972 to feature another of Stan's favorite drummers, John Von Ohlen, But throughout his writing, Rugolo exhibits his classical credentials melded with a strong jazz flavor. The dramatic content and sheer vitality of Progressive Jazz thrilled a generation of young Americans, and as Sonny Dunham said in 1948, "Stan Kenton seems to be on the threshold of a new and exciting combination of jazz and classical music."

That was certainly the intention, but Kenton subsequently came a cropper with Innovations, which took the music even further into the realms of abstract intellectualism. The financial losses forced Stan to adopt a more conciliatory line, leading to the "Bill Holman band" of 1955-56. (So-called because Holman's writing was the dominating force in the band's repertoire.) Progressive Jazz did not figure in Holman's vocabulary, but it certainly did in Bill Russo's, whose "Theme Of Four Values", featuring sparkling trombone from Bob Fitzpatrick's full-toned horn, provides a perfect link between the two eras.

There is unanimous consent among the musicians that Bill Holman was their favorite arranger. Bill had learned his lessons well, and his "teacher" was Gerry Mulligan. Holman has a lot to thank Gerry for, not least the probability that had Mulligan remained with Kenton longer, Bill's own opportunities would have been at best delayed. "Playing with Stan gave me the chance to associate with some of the inspiring people in that band," says Bill. "And Gerry Mulligan was a big influence on me when I started to write." In fact, everyone adored Gerry's charts - except Stan! The sudden switch in style to outright swing, plus an intense temperamental clash of personalities, proved too much, but the spirit, joy and enthusiasm with which the band tackles 'Young Blood" and "Limelight” is self-evident.

But it was Holman who became chief arranger, a role fully justified by the re-compositions of "standards" Bill wrote in 1955, as he shook himself free of any lingering Mulligan image to become his own man. And foremost among those arrangements were the charts written to feature the band's talented soloists, here Lennie Niehaus on “Cherokee.” Kenton was always impressed by musicians with extraordinary technique, like Skip Layton and Maynard Ferguson, and with his exceptional agility, fleetness and fluency, Niehaus was similarly gifted. Though some critics questioned his ability to express pain as readily as he asserted elation, Lennie's reliability and adroitness endeared him both to Stan and the fans, who rated him alongside the band's other top soloists Bill Perkins and Carl Fontana.

Holman gave Fontana a head start with his delicately structured orchestration of the lovely "Polka Dots and Moonbeams," and this is the finest improvisation I have ever heard Carl devise on this beautiful ballad, exquisitely performed and note-perfect in every respect. Nor was Fontana's incredible flair confined to slow tempos. Both "Intermission Riff" and 'Take the 'A' Train'' are upbeat head arrangements that benefit from Carl's full-bodied tone, incredible flexibility and solo eloquence. As Steve Voce commented, "Fontana's several disciples approached and even matched his speed and technical agility, but no one ever matched his sublime streams of improvisation." Those who appreciate the "straight jazz" Kenton music most will especially welcome these new performances, as by 1956 Stan was already re-asserting his authority over the music by introducing two French horns and tuba into the band, while reducing both the trombone and saxophone sections to four men each.

By 1961 the French horns were long gone, but in their place was a complete section of four mellophoniums. Also largely missing were the top-echelon solo-stars prevalent in previous Kenton bands. From now on Stan would recruit many of his musicians directly from the colleges and music-schools, often from North Texas, a University with which Stan had a close relationship, and to which he donated his entire music library on his death. Despite this lack of experience, the mellophonium orchestra remained a totally professional, high-precision unit, and one of Stan's most popular bands with the fans, too.

In the Sixties, ballroom dates were essential to a band's success, and Kenton carried an extensive dance library in addition to the concert book. Apart from Stan's own iconic ballads, the bulk of the dance charts were written by Lennie Niehaus, often mentioned by alumni as second only to Bill Holman for his sense of rhythm and swing. Unlike Kenton, Lennie also involved the soloists (Marvin Stamm, Gabe Baltazar, Sam Donahue), adding spice and variety to the orchestrations, "I think everything Niehaus wrote for the band could be considered dance music," opined Don Reed, "but they lent themselves to jazz as well, and they were fun to play. Lennie was a great guy, and very talented, too."

Off-stage, Jean Turner was a quite demure and rather reticent lady, but there were certainly no signs of shyness in her strong, bold, singing voice. She toured with the band for two years, but was not destined for the stardom many of the sidemen considered she deserved. "Jean was one of my all-time favorite singers," declared Bob Curnow, "and such a sweet, sweet lady" And John Worster opined, "Jean Turner was special. It was just unfortunate for her that Nancy Wilson hit it big on Capitol just the year before, because to me Jean was very similar - only BETTER!" Stan explained why it didn't happen; "She's an excellent musician, one of the finest singers we've ever had. But Jean was her own worst enemy, because she was a very timid person, and very reluctant to meet people, For example, if some disc-jockeys came into the place and were interested in meeting her, she wouldn't respond by being introduced to them, A lot of times she just sat on the bus wearing dark glasses until it was time for her to sing a few tunes, and then she'd get back on the bus and hide."

The concert arrangements by Johnny Richards of music from "West Side Story" were taped by Wally Heider at a band rehearsal which must have been held only hours before the Capitol recordings cut the same day. They are not alternate takes - the orchestral balance is totally different. Richards was a master musician, with a greater command of the subtleties and dynamics of a large orchestra than even Rugolo. Kenton loved the sense of power and drama that John brought to his music, and "Prologue" remains a highly complex orchestration even without the dramatic introduction present on the Capitol version. Johnny also loved ballad writing and his inspired interpretation of "Maria" emphasizes the richness of Bernstein's gorgeous melody. This is top-form Kenton, and the type of music for which he is best revered and remembered.

"Malaguena" wouldn't be Capitol-taped for another nine months, and this

first-ever recording of the iconic Holman masterpiece is unique, in that it is played at the tempo Bill originally intended. The slower rhythm means it lacks some of the fiery eloquence Kenton so adored, but has its compensations, emphasizing the majesty and grandeur of the melody, and allowing Sam Donahue more space to stretch out his solo tenor. Probably on balance Stan was right to up the tempo, but this version affords the listener a different and intriguing reading of the Holman classic.

Like a clap of thunder, Stan's piano announces the concert orchestra of the Seventies. Ballrooms no longer played a major role in people's lives, and the few touring bands that remained relied on the reputations of their ageing leaders to draw the fans into the concert halls. Later alumni might differ, but a consensus would agree that the best band from this last decade was that of 1971-73. And to supply the new music necessary to keep pace with the changing times, Stan relied primarily on three arrangers: Ken Hanna, Hank Levy and Willie Maiden. Each man could, and did, write outside his "box", but in the main Hanna wrote the ballads. Levy the "time" charts, and Maiden the swingers.

Ballads in the Seventies were very different from the dance charts of previous decades. These were concert arrangements every bit as much as the other material, played at a very slow tempo, and of extended duration. Most follow a familiar pattern, opening relatively softly and rising to a central crescendo, before subsiding to a softer conclusion. Kenton made the unlikely analogy of comparing these ballads (here, Hanna's skillful orchestration of Michel LeGrand's tuneful 'What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life") with a slumbering gorilla who awakens for a short stretch to demonstrate his strength, before returning to his state of rest. Hanna told me he thought the band reached its apex in early 1973, largely because of the presence of John Park, perhaps the last decade's only truly major, distinctive soloist. Older at 38 than most of the youngsters in the band, John was aware of his value, and would quietly tell his peers how he'd like them to back him during his feature solo "Street Of Dreams". With traces of Lester, Bird, Lee, even Ornette, but no one dominating influence. Park was his own man, his taste and technique unquestioned in an age of solo anonymity. To quote Dick Shearer: "Everyone respected John, and there were so many nights when he was in peak form, As a jazz soloist he was it."

Hank Levy represented the music of the future, a mixture of alternative time signatures with the rock influence that Kenton needed to please younger audience at college performances, Not all the musicians adapted easily to the different rhythms -Willie Maiden for one was implacably opposed - and Stan was fortunate after Von Ohlen left to find Peter Erskine, an exceptional 18-year old with a fondness for traditional Kenton music as well as the beat of his own generation. Erskine's drums dominate "Of Space And Time", a well-structured piece with a memorable theme and more compelling Park alto.

Of the three staff arrangers, the best-liked by the band and well appreciated by audiences was Willie Maiden, because his arrangements SWUNG, and were the most fun to play, "Willie was like one of a kind," said Dick Shearer. "Everybody loved his writing." Which isn't to say Maiden wrote simple things; in fact, some of his charts were the most complex in the book, but they were most always based on a 4/4 meter, and offered space for solo improvisations. "No Harmful Slide Effects" is typical of Maiden's work, swing-based but adventurous enough to satisfy both Stan and the fans who looked for something stronger than riff-based music. Not without reason has Maiden been referred to as the "Bill Holman of the Seventies."

Holman himself was certainly not on the Kenton staff, but every so often he would contribute to the book, usually a more meaningful concert work than some of the lighter music. "Malaga" is from Bill's "Spanish period", an original composition that deliberately sets out to capture the temper of his spirited "Malaguena", and which brings any concert to a rousing climax ; though Stan would always wisely lower the heat to close with something a little calmer, often the extended version of his famous Theme. "Artistry In Rhythm," the work that more closely personifies "Stan Kenton" than any other, whether played by the Forties Progressive Jazz or the seismic Seventies bands, remains today an evocative, emotional force. To paraphrase Stan's concluding comment from his famous 1952 "Prologue", This, by God, was an Orchestral”

— Michael Sparke, London 2010