Ray Starling

Ray Starling's NY Soundstage Orchestra / Joel Kaye's NY Neophonic Orchestra: Alternate Routes

by Jack Bowers
December 1, 2002

It was Stan Kenton who coined the term “neophonic” to describe the music created by his adventurous L.A.–based orchestra in the mid-’60s. He also introduced the mellophonium as part of a Jazz orchestra. This exhilarating two-disc set deftly employs and amplifies Kenton's groundbreaking concepts in splendid recordings made by two of his former sidemen, Ray Starling (Disc 1) and Joel Kaye (Disc 2).

Starling, whose middle name must be “versatile” (he later played piano with the Buddy Rich Big Band), ...