The Progressive Years: 1941-1947

Amazon.com
West Coast pianist/bandleader Stan Kenton wasn't called "The Wagner of jazz" for nothing. His big bands had a penchant for thick, Euro-classical harmonies, tight arrangements, and above all, they were loud. This collection contains some outstanding selections from his canon, especially with vocalists Anita O'Day on the rockin' number, "And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine" and June Christy's sassy vocals on "Tampico." Of course, Kenton's instrumentalists are highlighted on hits like "Artistry in Rhythm," which showcases the underrated drummer Shelly Manne. Kenton was an early advocate of applying Afro-Cuban rhythms to jazz, as evidenced by his surprisingly good takes of "Taboo," and "The Peanut Vendor" which featured the legendary Cubop bandleader Machto on maracas. Although his critics didn't think Kenton swing as hard as his contemporaries, this disc -- which contains Scott Yanow's impressively researched liner notes -- will go a long way toward a critical reassessment of this important artist. --Eugene Holley, Jr.

Product Description
One of the great cult figures in the history of jazz, Stan Kenton provided his orchestra as a vehicle for brilliant, adventurous arrangers, and his highly original music gained him a devoted following. Kenton’s big band provided the progressive jazz of the 1940s as he mixed vocals and dance numbers with the cutting edge music that most interested him. His big band, larger in number than most on the scene, stood apart from both the swing and the bebop eras, with less emphasis on swinging than on dense harmonies. On this remarkable collection, hear the cuts that most defined Kenton’s unique sound, gathered together on a single CD for the very first time, with remastered sound, detailed notes by Scott Yanow and rare historic photos.

Tracks:

Taboo
Gambler's Blues
Eager Beaver
Artistry In Rhythm
And Her Tears Flowed like Wine
Tampico
Southern Scandal
Painted Rhythm
Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin
Artistry Jumps
Intermission Riff
Artistry In Boogie
Artistry In Percussion
Concerto To End All Concertos (Parts 1 & 2)
Opus In Pastels
Across The Alley From The Alamo
Collaboration
Machito
Unsion Riff
Peanut Vendor
Interlude

Amazon.com

West Coast pianist/bandleader Stan Kenton wasn't called "The Wagner of jazz" for nothing. His big bands had a penchant for thick, Euro-classical harmonies, tight arrangements, and above all, they were loud. This collection contains some outstanding selections from his canon, especially with vocalists Anita O'Day on the rockin' number, "And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine" and June Christy's sassy vocals on "Tampico." Of course, Kenton's instrumentalists are highlighted on hits like "Artistry in Rhythm," which showcases the underrated drummer Shelly Manne. Kenton was an early advocate of applying Afro-Cuban rhythms to jazz, as evidenced by his surprisingly good takes of "Taboo," and "The Peanut Vendor" which featured the legendary Cubop bandleader Machto on maracas. Although his critics didn't think Kenton swing as hard as his contemporaries, this disc -- which contains Scott Yanow's impressively researched liner notes -- will go a long way toward a critical reassessment of this important artist. --Eugene Holley, Jr.

Album Description

One of the great cult figures in the history of jazz, Stan Kenton provided his orchestra as a vehicle for brilliant, adventurous arrangers, and his highly original music gained him a devoted following. Kenton's big band provided the progressive jazz of the 1940s as he mixed vocals and dance numbers with the cutting edge music that most interested him. His big band, larger in number than most on the scene, stood apart from both the swing and the bebop eras, with less emphasis on swinging than on dense harmonies. On this remarkable collection, hear the cuts that most defined Kenton's unique sound, gathered together on a single CD for the very first time, with remastered sound, detailed notes by Scott Yanow and rare historic photos.

Customer Reviews:

Sound Quality Poor.......2007-05-02

This CD has a nice selection of Stan Kenton's hits, but track 8 isn't Painted Rhythm. It is Opus in Pastels which is also on Track 15.

The sound quality is quite poor. I have the LPs which sound much better. I was suprised at how bad the difference was. I expected much more for what is claimed to be a remastered CD. The older recordings sound the worst. The highs are muffled and sound nothing like the originals that I have heard on my LPs. Capitol records sound quality for the 1940s was quite good. This CD doesn't quite equal the original sound.

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