Salute to Stan Kenton: Artistry in Contrast

Jack Bowers

Senior Contributor since 1997

A former newspaper writer / editor who has been writing about big-band Jazz for more than fifteen years.

Recent articles (1,750 total)

Published: November 9, 2009

Artistry in Rhythm, the Ken Poston / Los Angeles Jazz Institute's 2009 homage to the renowned bandleader Stan Kenton Stan Kenton
1911 - 1979
piano , 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 Mike Vax

trumpet 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 Gus Arnheim
b.1897 's Orchestra in '37), bassists Howard Rumsey Howard Rumsey
b.1917 and Eddie Safranski Eddie Safranski
b.1918 , percussionist Chico (Alfred) Alvarez Chico (Alfred) Alvarez
b.1920 , trumpeter Buddy Childers Buddy Childers
1926 - 2007
trumpet , singer June Christy June Christy
1925 - 1990
vocal (whose "Something Cool" was sabotaged by a technical glitch), Pete Rugolo Pete Rugolo
b.1915
composer/conductor 's orchestra, tenor saxophonist Stan Getz Stan Getz
1927 - 1991
sax, tenor , trombonist Kai Winding Kai Winding
1922 - 1983
trombone playing "Lover Man" (with Thelonious Monk Thelonious Monk
1917 - 1982
piano on piano, Art Blakey Art Blakey
1919 - 1990
drums on drums, and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie Dizzy Gillespie
1917 - 1993
trumpet and saxophonist Sonny Stitt Sonny Stitt
1924 - 1982
saxophone lurking nearby), drummer Shelly Manne Shelly Manne
1920 - 1984
drums (from the soundtrack of the Bob Hope / Bing Crosby film The Road to Bali), clips from the TV show featuring Herb Geller Herb Geller
b.1928
saxophone , Stu Williamson Stu Williamson
1933 - 1991
trumpet and Laurindo Almeida Laurindo Almeida
1917 - 1995
guitar , and bongo master Jack Costanzo Jack Costanzo
b.1922
bongos performing in the Elvis Presley film Harum Scarum and backing Nat Cole on "Calypso Blues."

The film was followed by the first of five special presentations, "In Search of Bob Graettinger Bob Graettinger
b.1923 ," 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 Shorty Rogers
1924 - 1994
trumpet . 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 Duke Ellington
1899 - 1974
piano 's "In a Mellow Tone," Bill Holman Bill Holman
b.1927
band/orchestra 's "Hav-a-Havana," Gene Roland Gene Roland
b.1921 's "Street Scene," Hank Levy Hank Levy
1927 - 2001
sax, tenor 's "Time for a Change," trumpeter Tim Hagans Tim Hagans
b.1954
trumpet ' "Space Dozen" and Charlie Parker Charlie Parker
1920 - 1955
sax, alto '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 Kim Richmond

saxophone 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 Dick Meldonian
b.1930 , trumpeters Ron Stout and Bob Summers Bob Summers
b.1944 , 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 Eddie Bert
1922 - 2012
trombone , bassist Don Bagley Don Bagley
b.1927 and trombonist Roy Wiegand 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.