Standards in Silhouette

Tynan, John A. "Record Review. Standards in Silhouette (Capitol)." Down Beat, 4 August 1960. 30, 32.

STANDARDS IN SILHOUETTE—Capitol ST1394: Willow, Weep for Me; The Thrill Is Gone; The Meaning of the Blues; When Sunny Gets Blue; Ill Wind; Django; I Get Along Without You Very Well; Lonely Woman.

Personnel: Kenton, piano, leader; John Bonnie, Marvin Holaday, Charlie Mariano, Bill Trujillo, Jack Nimitz, saxophones; Bud Brisbois, Bill Chase, Rolf Ericson, Roger Middleton, Dalton Smith, Clyde Reasinger, trumpets; Jim Amlotte. Bob Knight, Kent Larsen, Archie LeCoque, Don Sebesky, trombones; Jim Chivily, bass; Jimmy Campbell, drums; Mike Pacheco, Willie Rodriguez, Latin percussion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

''The Restless Searcher'' has been overdue a superior album for some time. This one's it, and the credit largely belongs to young arranger Bill Mathieu, whose charts sing with every measure. Mathieu's basic aim apparently is to maintain consistent integration of sound and section and to concentrate on smoothly flowing texture. The aim undoubtedly is achieved in this set of finely crafted arrangements, which abound in color and depth.
Then there's the high level of instrumental performance. The band sounds tightly knit, and there are no detectable goofs in either section or solo work. And the sax section work is a real gas. Of the soloists, trumpeter Ericson is a delightful and exciting surprise. He plain blows his head off and has developed a big, unselfconscious tone that comes through in spades particularly on Willow. Again, on The Meaning, Ericson draws warmth and lyricism right from the heart.

Trujillo's tenor is tough and booting, and trombonists Sebesky and LeCoque more than justify their slides on When Sunny and Ill Wind, respectively. Mariano fairly soars on I Get Along.

About the only reservation one may have is that the rhythm section leaves something to be desired. Campbell, though, does a good, workmanlike job—a difficult task—of keeping the monster moving.

But Mathieu is the real hero. He is decidedly a young man on the way up and should be watched carefully. (Listen to his work on Django and flip.) Kenton better hold on to him—and tightly—because here is one of the major arrangers of the future. (J.A.T.)

Coss, Bill. "Record Review. Standards in Silhouette." Metronome, September 1960. 33-34.

Standards in Silhouette (Capitol T 1394) : big band, solos mostly by Rolf Ericson, trpt; Charlie Mariano, alto; Bill Trujillo, ten; Don Sebesky, Archie LeCoque, trbs ; playing Willow Weep for Me, The Thrill ls Gone, The Meaning of the Blues, When Sunny Gets Blue, Ill Wind, Django, I Get Along Without You Very Well, Lonely Woman; arrangements by Bill Mathieu.

Moody, broad-beamed arrangements, which make the Kenton band sound twelve miles deep in size, cavern-bound in sound, of fine standards, with the usual excellent playing and fine solos, among the trees and forests of these brash brass sections. Django, despite Mariano's excellent solo, is the only self-conscious failure in this whole batch of moody searchings through the standard repertoire. The dimensions are slight here, the moods are almost constant, but the playing is excellent, full-bodied and intrinsically swinging.—BC

McCarthy, Albert J. "Record Review. Standards in Silhouette." Jazz Monthly, May 1958: 14.

STAN KENTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA:
Sam Noto, Phil Gilbert, Lee Katzman, Bill Catalano, Ed Leddy (tpt); Kent Larson, Jim Amlotte. Don Reed, Archie Le Coque (tbn); Kenny Shroyer (bs-t bn ); Lennie Niehaus, Bill Robinson (alt); Bill Perkins, Wayne Dunstan (ten); Steve Perlow (bar); Stan Kenton (p); Red Kelly (bs); Jerry McKenzie (d)

Rendezvous Ballroom, Balbao [sic]—October 8, 1957

I Get Along Without You Very Well
Two Shades Of Autumn
Love Letters
With The Wind and the Rain In Your Hair
Walkin’ By The River
Desiderata

Rendezvous Ballroom, Balbao— October 9, 1937

I See Your Face Before Me
Memories Of You
These Things You Left Me
High On A Windy Hill
This Is No Laughing Matter

Rendezvous Ballroom, Balbao—October 10, 1957

They Didn't Believe Me

CAPITOL T932 (12-inch)—33/8½d.

A new Kenton discovery, one Joe Coccia, arranged all the numbers on this LP and wrote Two shades of Autumn and Desiderata. From the evidence here he seems fit to rival Buddy Bregman as one of the biggest arranging bores around.

An LP of standards, unless the solos are of a very high order, depends to some extent on the success of the arranger in retaining some of the mood of the numbers. This Coccia singularly fails to do. The performances follow identical routines, with the ensemble generally stating the theme, to be followed by a featured soloist who gives way at the close to the expected screaming brass. Sam Noto, a soloist of exceptional dullness, is heard on Wind, They didn’t believe me and I see your face. Ed Leddy, a minor trumpeter, but much superior to Noto, is the soloist on I get along without you. Catalano is featured on Walkin’ and is quite mediocre, but here Perkins has a pleasant solo. The trombonists, complete with the braying tone peculiar to Kenton men, can be heard on Memories (Larsen), High (Le Coque) and Desiderata (Shroyer)—all are strictly expendable. Niehaus, the best soloist in the band, is featured on These things, Two shades and Love letters, but his tone has deteriorated and his ideas here are surprisingly commonplace. Perkins, the other soloist of some grace, is also heard on Two shades and throughout This is no laughing matter. It is difficult to reconcile his tone on the latter with that heard on the recent John Lewis inspired Pacific Jazz LP, and one can only hope that both he and Niehaus are suffering from some acoustical trick of the recording.

Not even the most fervent Kenton addict will find much of interest on this bombastic LP. By Kenton’s own standards, not held in any esteem by this reviewer, this is a poor record. A. McC.

Jimmy Staples. "Record Review. Standards in Silhouette." Crescendo International. December 1972. 29.

Stan Kenton:
“Standards In Silhouette”
(Creative World).

Willow Weep For Me / The Thrill ls Gone / The Meaning Of The Blues / When Sunny Gets Blue / Ill Wind / Django / I Get Along Without You Very Well / Lonely Woman.

THESE are tracks made by Stan in 1959 and the various personnel include loads of star names. All the tracks are slow, which is a pity, as there is no real variation of mood. I liked “Django”, which has some lovely alto from Charlie Mariano, a firm favourite of mine. In “Willow Weep For Me” there is a contrapuntal bit from the saxes that continues behind Rolf Ericson’s trumpet solo, gives way to Bill Trujillo’s big toned tenor, then pops up again in the coda.

All the arrangements are very orchestral-sounding and there are some good moments from Archie LeCoque, Don Sebesky (trombones), Roger Middleton (trumpet), plus that exciting high brass.

A good record, and typical Kenton.

— Jimmy Staples.