Stan Kenton: Adventures in Blues

In addition to being a great arranger, Roland was also an outstanding instrumentalist, and we get to hear him on this album soloing on both mellophonium and soprano sax. "Reuben's Blues," based on the old children's song "Reuben, Reuben," was a staple of the Kenton library for a number of years and this recording is the best version of that arrangement and features the haunting soprano sax of Roland. Marv Stamm is shown to great effect in several muted solos, none more engaging than that on "Blue Ghost," a piece dedicated to a mysterious woman who always showed up whenever the Kenton ensemble played in Ohio and who always wore a blue dress. Although not on this album, another chart from the Kenton library, "Design for Blue," had a similar dedication.

"Night at the Gold Nugget" is a medium tempo swing chart, and it's the most Basie-like of all the compositions ever recorded by Kenton. It is also unusual in that the saxophones actually use vibrato, something that was almost non-existent after the "Artistry in Rhythm" days of the 1940s. A real roof raiser is "Fitz," a work featuring the blazing trombone of Bob Fitzpatrick, one of a long line of Kenton virtuoso trombonists.

As bonus items in this CD reissue, Roland's "Ten Bars Ago" and Kenton's own "Lady Luck" also appear here. Neither tune is a major work, but they are interesting because they sound like two versions of the same composition. This points out the fact that not only was Stan Kenton a visionary bandleader, but an influential composer/arranger as well. Adventures in Blues is a great album and gives conslusive proof that when the music called for it, the Stan Kenton Orchestra could swing with the best of them.

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