Stan Kenton

b. 15 December 1911, Wichita, Kansas, USA, d. 25 August 1979. After playing piano in various dance bands, including those of Everett Hoagland and Vido Musso, mostly on the west coast, Kenton decided to form his own band in 1941. Although geared partially to the commercial needs of the dancehall circuit of the time, Kenton's band, which he termed the Artistry In Rhythm orchestra, also featured powerful brass section work and imaginative saxophone voicings, unlike those of his more orthodox competitors. The band developed a substantial following among the younger elements of the audience who liked their music brash and loud. During the remainder of the '40s Kenton's popularity increased dramatically, seemingly immune to the declining fortunes that affected other bands. A succession of exciting young jazz musicians came into the band, among them Buddy Childers, Art Pepper, Kai Winding, Shelly Manne, Bob Cooper and Laurindo Almeida, playing arrangements by Kenton, Gene Roland and Pete Rugolo. His singers included Anita O'Day, June Christy and Chris Connor. In the '50s, his enthusiasm undimmed, Kenton introduced a 43-piece band, his Innovations In Modern Music orchestra, again featuring Pepper and Manne as well as newcomers such as Maynard Ferguson and Bud Shank. Complex, quasi-classical arrangements by Bob Graettinger and others proved less appealing, but a 1953 tour of Europe ensured Kenton's international reputation. Reduced to a more manageable 19-piece, his New Concepts In Artistry In Rhythm band continued playing concerts and recording, using arrangements by Roland, Gerry Mulligan and Johnny Richards. Always eager to try new ideas, and to clearly label them, in the '60s Kenton introduced his New Era In Modern Music orchestra, a 23-piece band using mellophoniums, and the Neophonic orchestra, five pieces larger and tempting fate with neo-classical music. In the '70s, he embraced rock rhythms and looked as if he might go on forever. By 1977, however, his health had begun to deteriorate and although he returned from hospitalization to lead his band until August 1978, his bandleading days were almost over. He died in August 1979.
More than most bandleaders, Kenton polarized jazz fans, inspiring either love or hatred and only rarely meeting with indifference. Almost half a century after the event it is hard to understand what all the fuss was about. Certainly the band did not swing with the grace of, say, the Jimmie Lunceford band but it was just as wrong to declare, as did many critics, that Kenton never swung at all. Certainly if some of the arrangements were too monolithic for effective jazz performances, the abilities of some of his key soloists were seldom buried for long. Kenton's band was important for bringing together many excellent musicians and for allowing arrangers free rein to experiment in big band concepts that few other leaders of the period would tolerate. As a leader, Kenton brought to jazz an unbridled enthusiasm that persisted long after he could have retired in comfort to study psychology, the other consuming passion in his life.