Stan Kenton Presents

AMG Review of Stan Kenton Presents

Scott Yanow
All Music Guide

Stan Kenton's most ambitious orchestra was his huge 1950 band. This LP has self-titled showcases for "Art Pepper," "Maynard Ferguson," "June Christy" and "Shelly Manne" in addition to such pieces as "Halls of Brass," "House of Strings" and "Soliloquy." The soloists (which also include trombonist Milt Bernhart) are very impressive but it is the writing (by Shorty Rogers, Bill Russo, Frank Marks, Johnny Richards and Kenton himself) that is most startling, combining together aspects of modern classical music with the most advanced forms of jazz. Although Kenton's Innovations Orchestra was a short-lived project and did not influence the future of jazz, its recordings still sound very adventurous over four decades later. The album was reissued on CD with the contents of the same year's Innovations in Modern Music (plus much additional material) as the two-disc set The Innovations Orchestra.