I am a lifelong classical pianist who played big band music from age 13 to 18. During these years, my father, a former big band trumpet player, introduced me to the music of Stan Kenton. The effect was that of steel being drawn to a huge magnet. I have come to realize there was no force in ALL OF MUSIC like Stan Kenton. I remember hearing Kenton live in the St. Louis Kiel Auditorium. It was like going to an orchestra concert, except he didn't use strings. We bathed in the intense washes of sound, as entire sections played solos. Polychords abounded. It was an absolutely amazing experience. Kenton presided at the 9' Steinway, and was a gracious "host" of the evening. Sadly, since he was on tour, he was carrying a core of regulars, while picking up quite a few players at each stop. A purist or historian may have been able to tell the difference between what we heard and the sound of musicians who played with Kenton all the time, but for me, it was an unforgettable experience. It is sad that this video has--in 2024--only 129 "likes". Stan Kenton was an important American musician, as Alkan was important in piano composition in the late 19th Century. Both of these men deserve to be remembered for their singular and unforgettable contributions to music.
Although I knew the name, I had never known of Stan Kenton’s important role - the missing link in the evolution of jazz out of the ballroom and into the concert hall. So this an important step in the birth of the cool - American classical music, as it evolved from a spontaneous expression of joy and celebration into a complex and totally new art form that helped define the new post-war age of America and its own unique musical forms. Invaluable lesson in the history of American culture Richard. You should teach all this at degree level.
I had the same experience. I knew of him and always viewed him as a swing orchestra leader. Little did I know of his leaving swing behind and exploring progressive music. My father inlaw who grew up with swing at his popular music, is not aware of Kenton's "modern" leanings and would be abhorred if he heard his later music. I relish knowing that fact!
