120703bk Kenton 4 15/9/03 10:10 PM Page 2 1. Eager Beaver 3:02 13. You Betcha 3:25 (Stan Kenton) (Johnny Lange–Ralph Wolf) Also available in the Naxos Jazz Legends series 2. I’ll Remember April 3:07 Anita O'Day, vocal (Don Raye–Gene dePaul) 14. The Hour Of Parting 2:43 Gene Howard, vocal (Mischa Spoliansky–Gus Kahn) 3. Ride On 2:28 15. In A Little Spanish Town 1:59 (Skeets Tolbert) (Mabel Wayne–Sam Lewis–Joe Young) Anita O'Day, vocal Anita O'Day, vocal 4. Russian Lullaby 2:20 16. Begin The Beguine 3:12 (Irving Berlin) (Cole Porter) 1-4: MacGregor LB 34, mx MM0 584 13-16: MacGregor LB 37, mx MMO 587 Recorded 15 May 1944 Recorded 15 May 1944 5. Clair de lune 3:26 17. Blues 3:29 (Debussy, arr. Joe Rizzo) (Dave Matthews–Anita O'Day) 6. Build It Up And Tear It Down 3:21 Anita O'Day, vocal 8.120517* 8.120518* 8.120684* (Johnny Meyer–Al Jacobs) 18. Tico Tico 2:15 Anita O'Day, vocal (Zequinda Abreu–Aloysio Oliveira–Ervin 7. Moon Song 3:59 Drake) (Arthur Johnston–Sam Coslow) 19. Special Delivery 2:25 Gene Howard, vocal (Anita O'Day) 8. I Know That You Know 2:00 Anita O'Day, vocal (Vincent Youmans–Anne Caldwell) 20. Conversin’ With The Brain 2:36 5-8: MacGregor LB 35, mx MMO 585 (Boots Mussulli) Recorded 15 May 1944 17-20: MacGregor LB 128, mx MMO 671 9. Opus A Dollar Three Eighty 2:16 Recorded December 1944 (Pete Rugolo) All selections recorded at C. P. MacGregor 10. Under A Blanket Of Blue 3:27 Studios, Hollywood (Jerry Livingston–Al Neiburg–Marty Symes) Transfers & Production: David Lennick 8.120581 8.120662* 8.120665* Gene Howard, vocal 11. I Lost My Sugar In Salt Lake City 2:25 Digital Noise Reduction: Graham Newton (Leon René–Johnny Lange) Original transcriptions from the collections of Anita O'Day, vocal David Lennick, Jack Litchfield, Ken Crawford 12. None But The Lonely Heart 2:43 and Ben Hafey (Tchaikovsky, arr. Joe Rizzo) Original monochrome photo of Stan Kenton 9-12: MacGregor LB 36, mx MMO 586 from Michael Ochs Archives / Redferns Recorded 15 May 1944 * Not available in the USA 5 8.120703 6 8.120703 120703bk Kenton 4 15/9/03 10:10 PM Page 1 STAN KENTON “Artistry In Rhythm” and “Eager Beaver” which Howard sings pretty straight on I’ll Remember Meyers) on The Hour Of Parting. A year Anita O’Day on Blues uses lyrics from some of “Eager Beaver” became his first hit. Although it would take April before Anita O’Day is featured on the before June Christy had a hit with “Tampico” her favorite blues songs including “St. Louis The Complete McGregor Transcriptions Vol.4 until 1945 before Kenton’s orchestra finally novelty rhythm piece Ride On; Karl George has and three before Kenton was a pioneer in Afro- Blues” and “Fine And Mellow.” Carroll and became a moneymaker, the Capitol association the brief trumpet solo on the latter. Russian Cuban jazz, his orchestra hinted at sounds tenor-saxophonist Emmett Carls are featured Original 1944 Recordings (which lasted until 1968) gave him hope for the Lullaby, one of several arrangements from south of the border on In A Little Spanish on a swinging version of Tico Tico, O’Day future. contributed by Joe Rizzo (an important if rarely Town (with Anita O’Day) and Begin The returns for Special Delivery and altoist Boots When one thinks of Stan Kenton, it is of his the Rendezvous Ballroom in Balboa near Los This is the fourth of five CDs that reissue all acknowledged force in the early Kenton band), Beguine. Mussulli’s Conversin’ With The Brain Progressive Jazz Band of 1945-48, his very Angeles. It was during this historic engagement of Kenton’s MacGregor radio transcriptions, has spots for trumpeter John Carroll and Dave The last four selections on this fourth concludes the program with a jumping original. ambitious Innovations Orchestra (1950-51), his that Kenton built up a large and enthusiastic performances recorded in the studio and Matthews on tenor. Rizzo’s reworking of volume are from December 1944. By then the Stan Kenton celebrated his 33rd birthday swinging all-star bands of the 1950s and the local following, and began recording radio available to be played on the radio but not for Debussy’s Clair de lune is haunting and retains orchestra had left the Bob Hope show and on 15 December 1944 and his career as an Mellophonium Orchestra of the early 1960s. transcriptions for the MacGregor company. sale to the general public during the era. The the character of the classical piece. The unique returned to Los Angeles where they appeared in innovator was still just getting started. The However the ensembles that are featured on his The band also recorded nine titles for Decca first sixteen selections date from 15 May 1944, Kenton ensemble sound is well featured on the film short Artistry In Rhythm. The band’s MacGregor transcriptions fill an important gap MacGregor Transcriptions are of an earlier during 1941-42. a time when Kenton was finishing up his stint Build It Up And Tear It Down before O’Day’s personnel had changed a bit with the number in his early years. vintage, allowing listeners to hear the Stan However once the stint at the Rendezvous with the Bob Hope show. The personnel of the takes her vocal. Gene Howard’s warm and of musicians growing from seventeen to Kenton Orchestra as it was developing its own Ballroom ended, the orchestra was not an big band includes a few notables, particularly heavy voice is showcased on Moon Song. I eighteen with the addition of a fifth trumpeter Scott Yanow sound and musical philosophy. instant success, struggling for over two years. the still-active trumpeter Buddy Childers, Dave Know That You Know is a rarity in Kenton’s and only nine of the players from the May – author of eight jazz books including Jazz On Record Actually Stan Kenton formed his musical Kenton and his men toured the East Coast for Matthews (equally skilled on tenor and as an discography, a brief swing “killer diller” that orchestra still present plus the two singers. 1917-76, Trumpet Kings, Bebop and Afro-Cuban Jazz philosophy early on. He was born 15 December eighteen months during 1942-43 without much arranger), drummer Jesse Price (only with cooks. Matthews’ thick-toned tenor and 1911 in Wichita, Kansas. Inspired by Earl success. Back in Los Angeles in June 1943, Kenton a brief time), a seventeen-year-old trumpeter George get their chances to be heard. Hines’ piano playing, Kenton was a percussive Kenton signed to have his orchestra become the tenor-saxophonist named Stan Getz (who like Pete Rugolo would be Kenton’s main and expressive player but never was on the level house band for Bob Hope’s radio series. It Childers unfortunately gets no solo space) and arranger during the second half of the 1940s, Personnel of his idol. His innovations would be in his ideas looked like a big break initially but ended up singers Gene Howard and Anita O’Day. O’Day, taking his ideas and extending them into more 15 May 1944: Stan Kenton, piano; John December 1944: Stan Kenton, piano; John and vision rather than his musicianship. Kenton being an unhappy association with Kenton who had been with Gene Krupa’s big band until esoteric areas. Opus A Dollar Three Eighty is Carroll, Buddy Childers, Karl George, Dick Carroll, Buddy Childers, Karl George, Gene spent the 1930s in Los Angeles, working with a stuck playing a straight man to Hope and his it broke up, had one hit with Kenton (“And Her one of his earlier efforts for Kenton. More Morse, trumpets; Harry Forbes, George Faye, Roland, Mel Green, trumpets; Harry Forbes, variety of dance bands including Everett orchestra not getting to play all that much. In Tears Flowed Like Wine”) and was generally conventional is Gene Howard’s feature on the Bill Atkinson, trombones; Bart Varsalona, bass Fred Zito, Milt Kabak, trombones; Bart Hoagland in 1934, Russ Plummer and Gus the spring of 1944 Kenton gave his notice and featured on swinging numbers while Howard standard Under A Blanket Of Blue. One of trombone; Eddie Meyers, Chester Ball, altos; Varselona, bass trombone; Bob Lively, Boots Arnheim, recording with the latter in 1937. his orchestra left the show in June. Les Brown, sang ballads. They added commercial elements O’Day’s better showcases with the band, I Lost Dave Matthews, Stan Getz, tenors; Bob Gioga, Mussulli, altos; Emmett Carls, Stan Getz, After doing some studio work and appearing in whose temperament and less ambitious goals that made some of Kenton’s musical dreams My Sugar In Salt Lake City originally featured baritone; Bob Ahern, guitar; Gene Englund, tenors; Bob Gioga, baritone; Bob Ahern, a pit orchestra at Earl Carroll’s Theatre, in 1940 were better suited to playing second fiddle, possible and permitted him to keep his her predecessor, Dolly Mitchell. Rizzo’s chart bass; Jesse Price, drums; Anita O’Day, Gene guitar; Bob Kesterson, bass; Jim Falzone, Kenton started leading a rehearsal band of his would eventually be Kenton’s permanent orchestra together even as he pursued his turns Tchaikovsky’s None But The Lonely Heart Howard, vocals drums; Anita O’Day, Gene Howard, vocals own. replacement. eventual goal of leading a concert jazz orchestra into progressive dance music. O’Day sings the Kenton wrote most of the arrangements for On 18 November 1943, Stan Kenton made rather than a dance band.