Horns of Plenty, Vol. 2

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 2 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.

Volume 2 has a live program from Kenton's Mellophonium Orchestra and a strong set by the University of North Texas Neophonic Orchestra from 1965.

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

—Scott Yanow

Contents

But Beautiful; Love Walked In; The Night We Called it a Day†; I've Got You Under My Skin†; You Took Advantage of Me†; Tico Tico; Time After Time; I Remember You*; Gigi; Stompin' at the Savoy; Caress the Sea; Yesterdays*; Four of a Kind; I'm Glad There is You; Malagueña; Fanfare for the New; Prelude and Fugue; Here and Now; Music for an Unwritten Play; Passacaglia and Fugue; Neophonic Impressions; Stan Kenton's Comments; The Three Bs for Percussion.

University of North Texas Neophonic Orchestra; Stan Kenton Orchestra; Stan Kenton Mellophonium Band; Stan Kenton, Piano/Conductor.

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

Some selections recorded live at the North Texas Campus, Denton, Texas, April 27, 1965.