Fire, Fury and Fun

Stan Kenton has a remarkable, unerring faculty for finding exceptional jazz talent. Kenton bands have always been showcases for soloists to whom Stan has given the freedom to develop their own creativity and style.

The men featured here are no exception. “We have amazing talent in the present band,” says Stan. “These musicians are the best on today’s jazz scene.”

Five sidemen are spotlighted Tony Campise, Peter Erskine, Ramon Lopez, Roy Reynolds, and Dick Shearer. Stan is featured on QUIET FRIDAY and MONTAGE.

Roy Reynolds, the virtuoso baritone saxophonist from England, delights audiences with his brilliant improvisations on ROY’S BLUES. Previously unrecorded, this exciting vehicle was written for Roy by Dale Devoe.

Dick Shearer is a consistently superior trombonist. In the Number One chair for Stan for many years, Dick has lent his powerful, warm sound to all recent Kenton recordings. Featured on the Ken Hanna ballad MONTAGE, his work is beautiful, moody, and absolutely first rate.

Stan is the star on QUIET FRIDAY. Hank Levy, a composer known for his work with time changes, is also a master with a melodic line. This composition takes the entire band from Stan’s sensitive piano opening to all-out roar, and back again to waning softness.

Tony Campise is a versatile alto saxophonist and flutist whose improvisational ideas seem limitless. HOGFAT BLUES is a wild excursion into Campise country. Trombonist Lloyd Spoon did the arrangement.

Peter Erskine was a drummer at the age of six, and he grew up with the goal of joining the Kenton band. Now 20, and the best young Big Band drummer in the country, he spearheads the orchestra with fiery control. PETE IS A FOUR-LETTER WORD; by Hank Levy, is an astonishing performance. Latin expert Ramon Lopez is heard on many Kenton albums, but this Chico O’Farrill composition is the first to be written especially for him. His performance is a masterful demonstration of why he is today’s most exciting conga drummer.