Towards the end of the Swing Era and beyond, big bands went from being vehicles for people to dance to and ones to sit back and listen to. Arrangements got much more sophisticated and complex, almost turning into a type of classical music. Two of the biggest names, Maynard Ferguson and Stan Kenton, carved out a career with extroverted (and mostly white) musicians focusing on chops and energy.
This two disc, 42 song collection of Ferguson’s early big band and octet is brimming over with fresh ideas. Heavyweights Georgie Auld/ts, Herb Geller/as, Conte Condoli/tp, Shelly Manne/dr,, Miilt Bernhart/tb and Red Callender/b tear into pieces like “Finger Snappin” and “Yeah”. Bud Shank/as and Bob Cooper/ts are added to the band for an ambitious “The Way You Look Tonight”. Bill Holman brings his sax and charts for some creative charts like “Mrs. Pillack Regrets” and with the addition of singer Irene Kral, the charts by Holman, Al Cohn and Ernie Wilkins make for some heady takes of “Easy To Love” and “The Song Is You”. Step back from the speakers!
Even more forward thinking and innovative was Stan Kenton, who essentially turned his back on his popularity by creating a catalogue fit for the intellectuals. He experimented with harmonies and time changes, making songs like a mad scientist, mixing solutions here and there. His winning ticket was having the vo-cool voice of June Christy on vocals, and that, teamed with charts from Pete Rugulo and Gerry Mulligan, made for a delicious mix. His energetic band had a number of popular tunes such as the riffing “Eager Beaver”, “Artistry In Boogie”, “Intermission Riff” and “The Peanut Vender” and there’s no arguing that he had the crème of the crop of white soloists such as Maynard Ferguson, Shorty Rogers, Art Pepper, Bill Holman, Lee Konitz, Vido Musso, Bud Shank and Kai Waiding. His classic albums are featured on this 3 disc 62 track anthology, including the influential “23N-82W” that inspired the trombone riff for Sinatra’s classic “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”. Over the top Latin material like “Cuban Carnival” and “Cuban Episode” were like white heat in their intensity, while “Invention for Guitar and Trumpet’ and “Fugue For a Rhythm Section” are musical Rubik’s Cubes.
These two collections show that jazz was looking for new lands to conquer, and actually hold up remarkably well in this present day of polite tones.