  |
|
|
 |
| The World We Know / Finian's Rainbow & Great Movie Songs |
| Stan Kenton |
| első megjelenés éve: 2003 |
|
| (2003)
|
|
CD |
| 5.676 Ft
|
|
| 1. | Sunny
|
| 2. | Imagine
|
| 3. | A Man and a Woman
|
| 4. | Theme for Jo
|
| 5. | Interchange
|
| 6. | Invitation
|
| 7. | Girl Talk
|
| 8. | The World We Knew
|
| 9. | This Hotel
|
| 10. | Changing Times
|
| 11. | Gloomy Sunday
|
| 12. | Old Devil Moon
|
| 13. | If This Isn't Love
|
| 14. | When I'm Not Near the Girl I Love
|
| 15. | How Are Things in Glocca Morra?
|
| 16. | That Great Come and Get It Day
|
| 17. | Lullaby From "Rosemary's Baby"
|
| 18. | People
|
| 19. | Theme From 'Villa Rides"
|
| 20. | Theme From "The Chastity Belt"
|
| 21. | Theme From "The Odd Couple"
|
Jazz / Progressive Jazz
This installment in Collectors' Choice Music's reissue series of classic and erstwhile out-of-print Stan Kenton (piano/arranger) titles includes two soundtrack-laden long-players, World We Know (1968), and Finian's Rainbow (1968). The former collection gathers fresh readings of both popular music standards along with Kenton originals, all bearing his unique style of modernizing familiar themes via his intricate harmonic phrasings. With a jazzy flare, the rendering of Bobby Hebb's "Sunny" has been reworked with a breezy visage that incrementally builds from the melodic piano lead into a full-blown big band outing. The same approach is adapted to Neal Hefti's "Girl Talk," taken from the film Harlow (1965). The song now sustains a more sensual style that unravels into a brash and effervescent conclusion. "Man and a Woman," which originates from the Claude Lelouch film Un Homme et une Femme (1966), is given an almost 180 degree departure from a whimsical to a darker and more plaintive place. Kenton's "Changing Times," and the wistful romance of "Theme for Jo" provide him an outlet for his interpretive piano lines that weave against the subtle ensemble. Finian's Rainbow (1968) is another anthology of arrangements that tackle ten well-known melodies -- five from Finian's Rainbow [Original Broadway Cast] (1947), and five from films. His inventive overhaul of "Old Devil Moon," and "If This Isn't Love" are tangents within a framework, as the driving percussive rhythms accentuate the robust rendering, taking the tunes to an infectious samba groove. This is directly contrasted by the laid-back and lush "When I'm Not Near the Girl I Love," with an easy and temperate brass and woodwind section. Of the great movie songs, listeners can revel in the frenetic recreation of the "Lullaby From 'Rosemary's Baby'," or a bouncy, yet refined "Theme From "The Odd Couple." ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
Stan Kenton
Active Decades: '30s, '40s, '50s, '60s and '70s
Born: Dec 15, 1911 in Wichita, KS
Died: Aug 25, 1979 in Los Angeles, CA
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Big Band, Progressive Jazz, Traditional Pop
There have been few jazz musicians as consistently controversial as Stan Kenton. Dismissed by purists of various genres while loved by many others, Kenton ranks up there with Chet Baker and Sun Ra as jazz's top cult figure. He led a succession of highly original bands that often emphasized emotion, power, and advanced harmonies over swing, and this upset listeners who felt that all big bands should aim to sound like Count Basie. Kenton always had a different vision.
Kenton played in the 1930s in the dance bands of Vido Musso and Gus Arnheim, but he was born to be a leader. In 1941 he formed his first orchestra, which later was named after his theme song "Artistry in Rhythm." A decent Earl Hines-influenced pianist, Kenton was much more important in the early days as an arranger and inspiration for his loyal sidemen. Although there were no major names in his first band (bassist Howard Rumsey and trumpeter Chico Alvarez come the closest), Kenton spent the summer of 1941 playing regularly before a very appreciative audience at the Rendezvous Ballroom in Balboa Beach, CA. Influenced by Jimmie Lunceford (who, like Kenton, enjoyed high-note trumpeters and thick-toned tenors), the Stan Kenton Orchestra struggled a bit after its initial success. Its Decca recordings were not big sellers and a stint as Bob Hope's backup radio band was an unhappy experience; Les Brown permanently took Kenton's place.
By late 1943 with a Capitol contract, a popular record in "Eager Beaver," and growing recognition, the Stan Kenton Orchestra was gradually catching on. Its soloists during the war years included Art Pepper, briefly Stan Getz, altoist Boots Mussulli, and singer Anita O'Day. By 1945 the band had evolved quite a bit. Pete Rugolo became the chief arranger (extending Kenton's ideas), Bob Cooper and Vido Musso offered very different tenor styles, and June Christy was Kenton's new singer; her popular hits (including "Tampico" and "Across the Alley From the Alamo") made it possible for Kenton to finance his more ambitious projects. Calling his music "progressive jazz," Kenton sought to lead a concert orchestra as opposed to a dance band at a time when most big bands were starting to break up. By 1947 Kai Winding was greatly influencing the sound of Kenton's trombonists, the trumpet section included such screamers as Buddy Childers, Ray Wetzel, and Al Porcino, Jack Costanzo's bongos were bringing Latin rhythms into Kenton's sound, and a riotous version of "The Peanut Vendor" contrasted with the somber "Elegy for Alto." Kenton had succeeded in forming a radical and very original band that gained its own audience.
In 1949 Kenton took a year off. In 1950 he put together his most advanced band, the 39-piece Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra that included 16 strings, a woodwind section, and two French horns. Its music ranged from the unique and very dense modern classical charts of Bob Graettinger to works that somehow swung despite the weight. Such major players as Maynard Ferguson (whose high-note acrobatics set new standards), Shorty Rogers, Milt Bernhart, John Graas, Art Pepper, Bud Shank, Bob Cooper, Laurindo Almeida, Shelly Manne, and June Christy were part of this remarkable project, but from a commercial standpoint, it was really impossible. Kenton managed two tours during 1950-1951 but soon reverted to his usual 19-piece lineup. Then quite unexpectedly, Kenton went through a swinging period. The charts of such arrangers as Shorty Rogers, Gerry Mulligan, Lennie Niehaus, Marty Paich, Johnny Richards, and particularly Bill Holman and Bill Russo began to dominate the repertoire. Such talented players (in addition to the ones already named) as Lee Konitz, Conte Candoli, Sal Salvador, Stan Levey, Frank Rosolino, Richie Kamuca, Zoot Sims, Sam Noto, Bill Perkins, Charlie Mariano, Mel Lewis, Pete Candoli, Lucky Thompson, Carl Fontana, Pepper Adams, and Jack Sheldon made strong contributions. The music was never predictable and could get quite bombastic, but it managed to swing while still keeping the Kenton sound.
Kenton's last successful experiment was his mellophonium band of 1960-1963. Despite the difficulties in keeping the four mellophoniums (which formed their own separate section) in tune, this particular Kenton orchestra had its exciting moments. However from 1963 on, the flavor of the Kenton big band began to change. Rather than using talented soloists, Kenton emphasized relatively inexpensive youth at the cost of originality. While the arrangements (including those of Hank Levy) continued to be quite challenging, after Gabe Baltazar's "graduation" in 1965, there were few new important Kenton alumni (other than Peter Erskine and Tim Hagans). For many of the young players, touring with Kenton would be the high point of their careers rather than just an important early step. Kenton Plays Wagner (1964) was an important project, but by then the bandleader's attention was on jazz education. By conducting a countless number of clinics and making his charts available to college and high-school stage bands, Kenton insured that there would be many bands that sounded like his, and the inverse result was that his own young orchestra sounded like a professional college band! Kenton continued leading and touring with his big band up until his death in 1979.
Kenton recorded for Capitol for 25 years (1943-1968) and in the 1970s formed his Creative World label to reissue most of his Capitol output and record his current band. In recent times Capitol has begun reissuing Kenton's legacy on CD and there have been two impressive Mosaic box sets.
---Scott Yanow, All Music Guide |
|
CD bolt, zenei DVD, SACD, BLU-RAY lemez vásárlás és rendelés - Klasszikus zenei CD-k és DVD-különlegességek |  | | Webdesign - Forfour Design |
|
|
