"The Artistry of Stan Kenton" - October 5th, 2002
Stan Kenton epitomized the word "innovator." From the band's beginning in 1941 on Balboa Beach critics admonished the new and different sound. Yet the audience for his music grew and transcended the continents.
A frequently repeated quote by Stan himself, "to a musician oft-repeated phrases soon grow sterile and he seeks a new, exciting way to state his truths."
The Kenton band over the decades was certainly in a constant quest of searching for, and creating fresh, new and exciting music. Each new edition of the many Kenton bands was given titles of style, starting with 'Artistry in Rhythm,' which also became a musical theme recognized by musicians and fans around the world. Later the music became known as ' Progressive Jazz.' In the early 50's Stan bridged the gap between jazz and the classical world with the large 'Innovations Orchestra' that toured for two years. The litany of innovation continued with "New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm" and later the Mellophonium Orchestra. Later, but still in the '60s, Stan created the 'Neophonic Orchestra' devoted to exploring contemporary music by numerous composers.
The decade of the '60s was an era of poll awards, Grammy's, and instructional clinics around the world, as well numerous honorary doctorate degrees for Stan. The bands recorded constantly and in 1970 Stan left Capital Records and formed the 'Creative World' identity. This was a record company but also a venue for other jazz musicians and groups to utilize and be heard.
In addition to Stan, the list of composer-arrangers that contributed to the Kenton sound included the likes of Pete Rugolo, Shorty Rogers, Bill Holman, Johnny Richards, Bill Russo, Hank Levy, Lennie Niehaus and many other most notable writers. The band's alumni reads like a huge list of many of the greatest and most recognized names in the field of jazz music.
Like many of the great band leaders, Stan Kenton (1911-1979) spent 48 years on the road and almost 40 of those years as a leader of his own band. He achieved access for American musicians to perform in Great Britain and in the rest of Europe and took the band around the globe on numerous foreign tours. Fresh new music was the constant realm of the band. His musicians idolized and adored him. Longtime colleague and admirer Frank Sinatra said, "Stan Kenton was the most significant figure of the modern jazz age… in every time there are men whose special role it is to give expression to the spirit of their day …. Stan Kenton is such an individual, the symbol of a vibrant world that finds its voice in jazz."
