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Big Band Report
Salute to Stan Kenton: Artistry in Contrast
Jack Bowers
A former newspaper writer / editor who has been writing about big-band Jazz for more than fifteen years.Artistry in Rhythm, the Ken Poston / Los Angeles Jazz Institute's 2009 homage to the renowned bandleader Stan Kenton, was held October 8-11 at the Sheraton LAX Four Points Hotel. As always, there was much to see, hear and admire: films, panel discussions, special presentations and, last but not least, no fewer than nineteen concerts by groups large and small including four lunchtime events at the Sheraton's outdoor swimming pool. A number of Kenton alumni were there, almost all of whom were performing in various ensembles and / or taking part in the panels. The music was, with at least one notable (and overlong) exception, well worth hearing. More about that later.
Prologue
Betty and I arrived in L.A. two days early (on our thirtieth wedding anniversary), not for the "bonus" event at Capitol Records in Hollywood (at which the Mike Vax Band performed twice) but to spend Wednesday morning and afternoon with Betty's sister Barbara in Encino. After a few harrowing miles on the Interstate we had a pleasant visit and delicious lunch, returning to the hotel around suppertime to rest and prepare for the opening of the Kenton extravaganza.
Thursday, October 8
Artistry began, as is customary, at 9 o'clock Thursday morning with the first of four films, all devoted to "The Kenton Era." This one, spanning the years 1941-48, included clips of Kenton (with Gus Arnheim's Orchestra in '37), bassists Howard Rumsey and Eddie Safranski, percussionist Chico Alvarez, trumpeter Buddy Childers, singer June Christy (whose "Something Cool" was sabotaged by a technical glitch), Pete Rugolo's orchestra, tenor saxophonist Stan Getz, trombonist Kai Winding playing "Lover Man" (with Thelonious Monk on piano, Art Blakey on drums, and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and saxophonist Sonny Stitt lurking nearby), drummer Shelly Manne (from the soundtrack of the Bob Hope / Bing Crosby film The Road to Bali), clips from the TV show The film was followed by the first of five special presentations, "In Search of Bob Graettinger," overseen by Werner Herbers, former principal oboist in the Netherlands Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and Robert Morgan, director emeritus of the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, Texas. While they were searching for Graettinger I went in search of band rehearsals, and found one delving into the more congenial music of Shorty Rogers. At noon, it was off to poolside for a bite to eat and a concert by the splendid Cal State University-Fullerton Jazz Ensemble led by Chuck Tumlinson. The weather was cool but pleasant for a sleek hour-long program that included Duke Ellington's "In a Mellow Tone," Bill Holman's "Hav-a-Havana," Gene Roland's "Street Scene," Hank Levy's "Time for a Change," trumpeter Tim Hagans' "Space Dozen" and Charlie Parker's "Anthropology" (with obligatory SuperSax passages for the reed section). The ensemble was tight, the soloists strong. Nice program. After a short break, the Pete Rugolo Orchestra directed by Ron Jones was first up in the California Ballroom, playing music written by Rugolo for his own big band. With Rugolo's daughter Gina in the audience, the orchestra opened with "California Melodies," "Painted Rhythm" and "Early Stan" before featuring flautist Kim Richmond on a seductive version of "Poinciana." Richmond returned on alto for the venerable "Eager Beaver," which followed "Come Back Little Rocket." Rugolo was a consummate arranger of ballads, as shown on the next three numbers—"You Stepped Out of a Dream," "Sunday, Monday or Always" and "Laura." The orchestra closed the session with the lively "Fancy Meeting You." Besides Richmond, the first-rate improvisers included alto Dick Meldonian, trumpeters Ron Stout and Bob Summers, tenor Billy Kerr and pianist Rich Eames. A panel discussion, the first of four, followed in the San Diego Room with moderator Kirk Silsbee overseeing a quintet whose members were Rumsey, "Mr. Bongos" Costanzo, trombonist Eddie Bert, bassist Don Bagley and trombonist Roy Wiegand. Rumsey, who appears to have gotten his second wind at age ninety-two, offered several perceptive sketches of Kenton and his orchestras, as did the other panelists.
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