Horns of Plenty, Vol. 1

Read About This Recording

One of the most important big band leaders in jazz history, Stan Kenton always had his own unique vision. Although his group first gained its fame at the height of the Swing Era, Kenton's dream was not to lead a dance band but a concert jazz orchestra. He wanted audiences to listen closely to his ensemble playing the most advanced arrangements that he could commission.

Kenton managed to balance the accessible with the adventurous throughout his career. His big band came together in the summer of 1941 and, after a period of struggle, by late 1943 had a hit with "Eager Beaver." Through the decades, even with a few breakups along the way, Kenton stayed quite active up until his death in 1979 and became one of jazz's top cult figures. His music could be bombastic and overly boisterous but it was rarely ever dull.

In the 1960s, Kenton became a major force in the jazz education movement, making his orchestra's arrangements easily available to college stage bands and encouraging younger players and arrangers with his jazz camps. Volume 3 of Horns of Plenty contains one disc of Kenton's last great band, his 1961-62 Mellophonium Orchestra, along with a CD by a young orchestra inspired by the Stan Kenton Orchestra.

Despite the difficulties in keeping the mellophoniums in tune, Kenton loved the obscure instrument that fell between a French horn and a mellophone. This large orchestra consists of five trumpets (including Marvin Stamm), five trombones, five reeds (most notably altoist Gabe Baltazar and tenor-saxophonist Sam Donohue), a four-piece rhythm section and four mellophoniums; 23 pieces in all.

While Kenton's band mostly plays its unique versions of standards on Volume 1, the second half of the set features the Collegiate Neophonic Orchestra, a band remarkable for both the high musicianship of the youths and for the very complex arrangements. The Shelly Manne Quintet makes a guest appearance on Dave Grusin's Crescendo and Diminuendo for Quintet and Neophonic Orchestra.

Stan Kenton fans can consider these this double-CD, which contains very rare performances, to be essential.

—Scott Yanow

Contents

My Old Flame*; Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea; Polka Dots and Moonbeams†; Spring is Here; Body and Soul†; Walking Shoes*; Take Me in Your Arms; My Romance†; Limehouse Blues; I Remember You†; Stan Introduces Band Members; Stompin' at the Savoy†; Darn That Dream; My One and Only Love; Lullaby of Birdland; Tribute to a Poltergeist; Phrygia; Marche; Three Sounds for Neophonic Orchestra; Bygones; Lamentations; Neophonic Portrait; Toccata; Conflict; Dreaming Star; Crescendo and Dimenuendo for Quintet and Neophonic Orchestra.

(*Unissued by the Kenton Mellophonium Band; †Unissued by any Kenton Orchestra.)

Stan Kenton, Piano/Conductor; Collegiate Neophonic Orchestra; Stan Kenton Mellophonium Band; Jack Wheaton, Bill Fritz, Conductors.

Some selections recorded live at Moonlight Gardens, Coney Island Park, Cincinnati, Ohio, June 14-17, 1961.