From his halcyon years of “Artistry in Rhythm,” “Adventures in Jazz” and “Adventures in Blues” to his love for Richard Wagner’s 19th century music and the jazz compositions of Dee Barton to the challenge of working with the Los Angeles Neophonic Orchestra. Stan Kenton’s approach to music has always been cooly innovative and sophisticated, embedded solidly in the most creative of all possible worlds. Inclusive of all these fields, Kenton also struck fame with his interpretations of Broadway shows—notably “West Side Story” and “Finian’s Rainbow.” But now he’s latched on to the first and biggest American tribal love-rock musical ever to happen.
Here’s “Hair,” the Kenton way, complete with a score and half of musicians who play everything from the mandolin to the flugel horn, joined by a dozen boy and girl singers who rocked so hard during the recording sessions that they raised the hair on everybody’s head and succeeded in transferring the entire spirit of their thing exactly on this date. There isn’t a molecule of original inspiration missing.
Tradition-bound, the world just isn’t anymore, and lord knows Stan Kenton never was. Yet today he’s even more of a neologer than ever with this rousing, ritualistic, sparkling-freedom brand of music. In a way, music’s finally caught up to Kenton and with “Hair” has become as free-swinging as he’s been for more than twenty years. Kenton, the absolute simplicity of the music and the salty lyrics ring with one another in an un-stopped-up love for truth; the most basic rhythms of life and music. Uninhibited and bound for star shine, the musical world has bridged its generation gap and with this album is even with Stan Kenton who’s always had and still has got his head and his brains, he’s got his fingers, got his charm, got his soul, got his muscles, got his genius, talent, lobe and life and how he’s got his “Hair!”
