Stan Kenton Music (Used, New, Hard-to-Find)

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1	Kenton in Hi-Fi (1956) more music like this by Stan Kenton After years of big band experimentation, Stan Kenton seemed to settle into a more grounded groove on 1956's In Hi-Fi. To his credit, Kenton did keep things swinging before, even in the midst of high brow bombast like the string-laden, 39 piece Innovations in Modern Music orchestra and numerous jazz meets Stravinsky projects. This uncanny balance ... see all copies from £5.11! new only from £6.39!
2	An Anthology of Big Band Swing (1930-1955) (1931) more music like this by Various Artists This two-CD set is an unusually successful sampler. Although there are a few hits among the 40 selections, many obscurities are also included, and not all of the big bands represented are major names, such as Tiny Bradshaw, Noble Sissle, Spud Murphy, Teddy Powell and Jan Savitt. The emphasis is very much on jazz, and this worthy reissue is ... see all copies from £6.72! new only from £18.01!
3	Ultra-Lounge: Christmas Cocktails, Pt. 2 (1997) more music like this by Various Artists Christmas Cocktails, Vol. 2 is an entertaining but unspectacular collection of classic carols performed in a lounge fashion. For connoisseurs of kitsch, it's an entertaining disc, but other listeners might find the camp a little too much to take. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide see all copies from £8.01! new only from £8.01!
4	Those Were Our Songs: Music of World War II (2001) more music like this by Various Artists World War II and big-band pop-era compilations are released almost as regularly as Christmas albums, and the glut has caused more harm than good; it seems any good ones are quickly swallowed up by the racks full of short, ill-advised, uninformative collections. Though any single label could never do justice to the war years, with a little clever ... see all copies from £12.45! new only from £13.90!
5	Adventures in Jazz (1961) more music like this by Stan Kenton This excellent outing by the 1961 edition of Stan Kenton's orchestra has one classic (Bill Holman's arrangement of "Malaguena"), a superior solo by altoist Gabe Baltazar on "Stairway to the Stars," a feature for Ray Starling's Mellophonium ("Misty"), a good workout by veteran tenor Sam Donahue on "Body and Soul," Holman's reworking of "Limehouse ... see all copies from £6.83! new only from £7.69!
6	Cuban Fire! (1956) more music like this by Stan Kenton This CD contains one of the classic Stan Kenton albums, a six-part suite composed and arranged by Johnny Richards. The Kenton orchestra was expanded to 27 pieces for these dates including six percussionists, two French horns and six trumpets. With such soloists as tenor-great Lucky Thompson (on "Fuego Cubano,") trombonist Carl Fontana, altoist ... see all copies from £5.46! new only from £8.74!
7	New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm (1952) more music like this by Stan Kenton Stan Kenton's 1952 Orchestra was a very interesting transitional band, still performing some of the complex works of the prior Innovations orchestra but also starting to emphasize swing. This CD contains the rather pompous "Prologue" and Bill Holman's complex "Invention for Guitar and Trumpet" (starring guitarist Sal Salvador and trumpeter Maynard ... see all copies from £3.64! new only from £8.70!
8	Back to Balboa (1958) more music like this by Stan Kenton For this LP, Stan Kenton's Orchestra performs seven Johnny Richards arrangements and two from Marty Paich, along with Bill Holman's "Royal Blue." The 1958 Kenton big band had several excellent soloists, and there is a generous amount of individual space for tenor saxophonist Bill Perkins, altoist Lennie Niehaus, trumpeter Sam Noto, and trombonist ... see all copies from £6.83! new only from £8.70!
9	Kenton Showcase (1953) more music like this by Stan Kenton This recording contains eight compositions apiece by Bill Russo and Bill Holman for the Stan Kenton Orchestra of 1953-54. All of the inventive music has since been reissued on CD by Mosaic but those Kenton collectors not having that deluxe set will want to pick this up. Quite a few different soloists have their spots (including trumpeters Sam Noto ... see all copies from £4.78! new only from £10.95!
10	Sketches on Standards (1953) more music like this by Stan Kenton This LP contains six Bill Russo arrangements, five from Stan Kenton, and one by Lennie Niehaus. The repertoire features many songs not associated with Kenton (such as "Sophisticated Lady," "Pennies from Heaven," and "Over the Rainbow"), but the inventive yet melodic treatments certainly sound like the Kenton band. The main soloists are altoist Lee ... see all copies from £5.52! new only from £8.70!
11 view cover	Portraits on Standards (1951) more music like this by Stan Kenton While most of Stan Kenton's recordings in the 1950s tend to be complex and sometimes bombastic, his versions of standards could often be sentimental and very melodic. This LP from the Creative World catalog (music originally released by Capitol) alternates between ballads and boppish romps, mostly featuring the 1953-1954 orchestra, a band that ... see all copies from £4.09! new only from £5.93!
12 view cover	Sophisticated Approach (1961) more music like this by Stan Kenton An early-'60s Kenton Orchestra release, Sophisticated Approach features the ensemble when it was beginning to acquire a reputation for being more interested in structure and discipline than swing. The arrangements are tight, there's a minimum of solo space, and the songs are uneven. Ron Wynn, All Music Guide see all copies from £6.83! new only from £9.89!
13 view cover	A Merry Christmas! (2003) more music like this by Stan Kenton When bandleader Stan Kenton was approached to record an album of holiday music in 1961 he agreed, on one condition -- no songs about singing snowmen or flying reindeer. The resulting album, A Merry Christmas, is a polyphonic masterpiece that is at once progressive and traditional. Included are such well-known classics as "O Tannenbaum" and "The ... see all copies from £2.73! new only from £8.74!
14 view cover	Stan Kenton Today (1972) more music like this by Stan Kenton This double LP with its lengthy liner notes does not give a complete listing of the personnel of Stan Kenton's 1972 orchestra; an unintentional but ironically understandable omission because Kenton's young band had few original personalities at this point. Other than veteran Willie Maiden (heard here on baritone), the soloists are at best semi ... see all copies from £5.49! new only from £15.18!
15 view cover	At the Las Vegas Tropicana (1959) more music like this by Stan Kenton see all copies from £3.74! new only from £8.70!
16 view cover	The Best of Stan Kenton [Capitol] (1995) more music like this by Stan Kenton Between 1943-1961, the Stan Kenton Orchestra paved the way for a progressive style of big-band jazz that marked a departure from previous groups. For many, they epitomized their generation of jazz music, with Duke Ellington's bands and an emerging Gil Evans being clear exceptions. As a centerpiece for the Capitol label, Kenton's hitmaking machine ... see all copies from £3.93! new only from £10.55!
17 view cover	West Side Story (1961) more music like this by Stan Kenton When the producers of the film West Side Story heard a sampling of what the Stan Kenton Orchestra had done to their score, they were disappointed that they had not thought to ask the band to play on the soundtrack. Johnny Richards's arrangements of ten of the famous play's melodies are alternately dramatic and tender with plenty of the passion ... see all copies from £5.29! new only from £7.15!
18 view cover	Live at Redlands University (1970) more music like this by Stan Kenton & His Orchestra This double album is pretty definitive of Stan Kenton's later orchestras. Few of the musicians ever became even minor names; not counting veteran saxophonist Willie Maiden, trumpeters Mike Vax and Warren Gale, trombonist Dick Shearer and drummer John Von Ohlen are the only recognizable players. The arrangements are generally workmanlike and ... see all copies from £4.10! new only from £7.52!
19 view cover	Kenton '76 (1976) more music like this by Stan Kenton This reasonably enjoyable LP features the Stan Kenton Orchestra during its final period. The ensemble sound remained impressive but among the sidemen only trumpeter Tim Hagans (and to a lesser extent bassist Dave Stone) would go on to greater heights, although baritonist Greg Smith is impressive on his feature, "A Smith Named Greg." Hank Levy ... see all copies from £7.52! new only from £11.61!
20 view cover	16 Big Band Hits, Vol. 8 (1988) more music like this by Various Artists see all copies from £4.10! new only from £5.96!
21 view cover	City of Glass: Stan Kenton Plays Bob Graettinger (1947) more music like this by Stan Kenton Bob Graettinger was arguably the most radical arranger to ever work in jazz. In fact, it is doubtful if any other big-band leader other than Stan Kenton (who always encouraged adventurous writers) would have used his very complex charts during this era. Graettinger's works, which were influenced by aspects of modern classical music (but were not ... see all copies from £4.96! new only from £7.85!
22 view cover	Instrumental Gems of the Fifties (1999) more music like this by Various Artists Instrumental Gems of the Fifties rounds up 40 hits, some of which are otherwise difficult to find on CD. Although most of the tracks are orchestral hits, the inclusion of Ernie Freeman's "Raunchy" and Santo & Johnny's "Sleepwalk" add variety and a little context, considering that many of these orchestral intrumentals coexisted and competed with ... see all copies from £14.45! new only from £18.27!
23 view cover	Capitol Sings Cole Porter: Anything Goes (1991) more music like this by Various Artists As far as all-star Cole Porter compilations go, Capitol Sings Cole Porter: Anything Goes is recommended as an entertaining sampler of 25 titles performed by some of the label's biggest stars. These include, on the hip end of the spectrum, Nat King Cole, Nancy Wilson, Frances Faye, Jo Stafford, and Annie Ross, a disarming vocalist who collaborates ... see all copies from £6.90! new only from £8.74!
24 view cover	Contemporary Concepts [Bonus Tracks] (2003) more music like this by Stan Kenton Contemporary Concepts is one of the less-important Stan Kenton LP reissues on Creative World. Six veteran standards (all arranged by Bill Holman) and Gerry Mulligan's "Limelight" (with a chart from its composer) were adapted for the 1955 Stan Kenton & His Orchestra; all but "Limelight" are available on CD. The music swings well (with drummer Mel ... see all copies from £7.65! new only from £8.74!
25 view cover	The Ballad Style of Stan Kenton (1958) more music like this by Stan Kenton Stan Kenton's early arrangements set the tone for his orchestra, but through the years, he generally farmed out the writing chores to other talented arrangers who could move the big band forward. However, he did arrange occasional ballad charts, and this 1958 album (reissued on CD in 1997) showcases Kenton's writing. The Ballad Style of Stan ... see all copies from £5.47! new only from £8.74!

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