Adventures in Jazz

Dedicated to the members of “The Creative World of Stan Kenton”


There’s always something new under the baton of Stan Kenton, the man whose name has symbolized progress in modern American music for the past two decades. This time it’s a selection of brilliant arrangements from the all-new Kenton jazz library, a library built upon the framework of instrumental color which identifies the Kenton Sound of the Sixties. This is the same striking sound which has imparted new dimension to several recent albums, including the sensational “Kenton’s West Side Story.”

The writing, which is basically the work of Bill Holman, Dee Barton, and Gene Roland, speaks eloquently for itself. And while the skills of Holman and Roland are quite well known to Kenton fans, trombonist Barton demonstrates here that he too belongs in that select company of arrangers who regularly contribute charts for this, the most exciting of contemporary bands.

TURTLE TALK
Written and scored by trombonist Dee Barton, this number has a wild and strange quality about it from beginning to end. It’s constructed on a haunting little melodic phrase which reappears in various instrumental voicings throughout the arrangement. Dissonance, varied rhythms, lots of big-band drive, and several inventive solos are the basic ingredients here, with composer Barton contributing an especially exciting trombone passage.

STAIRWAY TO THE STARS
This lovely ballad standard becomes a concerto for alto sax and orchestra, featuring the writing of Bill Holman and a sensitive solo performance by Gabe Baltazar. After the intro and languorous first chorus, Gabe and the band double their pace and swing hard, returning to their original easy tempo for the number’s conclusion.

LIMEHOUSE BLUES
Bassist Pat Senatore and drummer Jerry McKenzie set a furious pace at the opening of this number, with the whole band—sparked by the trombone section—taking over for the first chorus and a half. Gabe Baltazar’s alto grabs the spotlight next, and after some more driving ensemble passages the fluid trumpet of Marvin Stamm has its say. The whole band then rocks to an explosive finish, with Sam Donahue handling the final tenor solo.

MALAGUENA
This spectacular Bill Holman chart is a fitting vehicle for the magnificent Kenton band, which responds to Holman’s inspired writing with all of the power and precision of which it is capable. Note the intricate rhythmic patterns employed here, as different time signatures are combined with startling effect. The trombone of Bob Fitzpatrick contributes the opening solo, and Sam Donahue’s tenor is heard toward the end of this dynamic Latin-flavored arrangement.

MISTY
The mellophonium, an instrument which Stan Kenton helped to develop, is featured here in solo performance. Ray Starling demonstrates just how beautiful its sound can be as he offers his version of the lovely Erroll Garner ballad. This fine arrangement, which is the work of Gene Roland, includes several mellophonium ensemble passages in which the instrument’s unique range and tone color are ideally displayed.

WALTZ OF THE PROPHETS
Another compelling and exotic composition from the pen of Dee Barton is this wondrously wild tune, in which the melody line is carried most of the way by a unison trio of trumpet, trombone, and tenor against a strangely syncopated figure maintained by saxes, piano, and rhythm. The entire band is utilized ingeniously here, each section contributing its share of dramatic impact to the overall sound. Barton on trombone, Sam Donahue on tenor, and trumpeter Marvin Stamm share the lead trio chores.

BODY AND SOUL
This great Johnny Green standard has been a favorite of jazz soloists for more than two decades. Here it serves as a showcase for the tenor sax of Sam Donahue, long one of the finest reed men in the business. Sam also wrote the arrangement, in which he makes excellent use of the mellophonium-enriched Kenton brass choir sound as a backdrop for his tasteful improvising.

ADVENTURES IN JAZZ—Capitol 1796: Turtle Talk; Stairway to the Stars; Limehouse Blues; Malaguena; Misty; Waltz of the Prophets; Body and Soul.

Personnel: Dalton Smith, Bob Behrendt, Marv Stamm, Bob Rolfe, Norman Baltazar, trumpets; Bob Fitzpatrick, Dee Barton, Newell Parker, Jim Amlotte, Dave Wheeler, trombones; Ray Starling, Dwight Carver, Keith LaMotte, Carl Saunders, mellophoniums; Gabe Baltazar, Buddy Arnold, Sam Donahue, Paul Renzi, Joel Kay, saxophones; Pat Senatore, bass; Jerry McKenzie, drums.

Rating: ★ ★

Kenton always has had an affinity for bombast, but his bands have also recorded some notable music: the LP with Young Blood and My Lady (Capitol 383) is one of the finest modern big-band albums ever
cut. Unfortunately, this session seems to be devoted to cacophony.

Turtle Talk by Dee Barton is an interesting dissonant composition, but the screaming ensemble figures that separate and interrupt the soloists make the performance virtually a self-parody. Malaguena has little to recommend it. Body, a feature for Donahue, begins quietly enough but builds to a tastelessly frantic climax.

Of the soloists, Stamm and Gabe Baltazar are the most impressive. (H.P.)

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Harvey Pekar. "Record Review. Adventures in Jazz." Down Beat. 31 January 1963. 27-28.

★ ★★ ★
ADVENTURES IN JAZZ

Stan Kenton, Capitol T 1796 (M); ST 1796 (S)—The Stan Kenton Ork turns in ear-catching performances here of a flock of new and old tunes, all of them featuring, big-styled, full blown arrangements. The ork sells them with the tonal color that Kenton has stressed over the last few years. Selections include “Misty,” “Malaguena,” and an original “Turtle Talk.”

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“Record Review. Adventures in Jazz.” Billboard 17 Nov. 1962: 18.

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Shera, Michael. “Record Review. Adventures in Jazz.” Jazz Journal 16, no. 5 (1963-05): 29.

WHETHER or not jazz itself may be in a rut, Jazz LP titles certainly are. Stan Kenton’s latest is called “Adventures in Jazz”, which is meaningless in that all jazz should be some kind of an adventure.

But the band is far from meaningless on this well-planned, wildly exciting record. The instrumentation alone is worth noting: 6 saxes (alto, 3 tenors, baritone and bass), 3 tenor trombones, 3 bass trombones, 5 trumpets, 4 mellophoniums, plus bass and drums.

There isn’t a famous name among the 22 of them other than Sam Donohue (Welcome back, Sam.). Nevertheless this is a sensational band, recommended to all (a) arrangers, (b) bandleaders, (c) sessionmen, and (d) patriotic types who still cling to the charming olde-worlde conviction that Britain produces the world’s finest jazz men. Recording quality is lively and superb, especially in the stereo version (Capitol).

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Steve Race. “Record Review. This Kenton Is Wildly Exciting. Adventures in Jazz.” Crescendo. April 1963. 16-17.