Stan Kenton: This Is an Orchestra (North Texas Lives of Musician Series) Review

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Stan Kenton: This Is an Orchestra (North Texas Lives of Musician Series) ReviewI can't help wondering if any of the 5-star reviewers really like Stan Kenton's music? If they do what then is to be gained by reading endless mean-spirited "Kenton gossip" when surely the main purpose of any biography about a musician is to increase one's pleasure in listening to their music? In this instance extremely easy because thankfully Stan Kenton's entire output is safely preserved to be discovered (and demanded) by an entirely new generation who are beginning to realize he was a monumental American original (still ostracized by the jazz establishment. I.e. only 3 unflattering pages in Ken "Burns's Jazz TV/book).
Clearly Mr. Sparke is catering for another kind of "fan" who want Stan Kenton's musical career spiced up with quotes from contemporaneous lesser lights - who more often than not contribute something derogatory to fill Mr. Sparke's filing cabinet. Thus one learns Stan wasn't such a great composer, eventually lost his touch as an arranger and had a very limited piano style. With so many of his ex-comrades chiming-in with their irrelevant "opinions" I suggest if you want to continue to enjoy Stan Kenton's music without any literary interference this book is definitely not for you.
As the prescient 3-star reviewer points out the other big problem is that although Mr. Sparke appears to have "cornered the Kenton market" a huge question mark hangs over his musical tastes. What he thinks is good or bad about Kenton's music and albums seems to be constantly out of sinc with the views of the Kenton faithful. A typical example being Amazon reviewers' reverence for the wonderful mellophonium album "Adventures in Jazz" and Mr. Sparke, who concludes it is "Not an album I can return to with unreserved enthusiasm" (truly pompous?). For him it's "a mixed bag" with "Waltz of the Prophets running far too long for its limited inspiration". Inevitably he adds a quote from another nonentity who says "It was kind of trite repetitive stuff". Stan's next great album "Adventures in Blues" only gets a half-page - with no accolades about its thermatic unity and the unique sonorities provided by 4 bass instruments. But of course we get another nasty quote about Roland writing a few good arrangements but "a lot of duds". Why does he think we need to read this stuff?
Later on Mr. Sparke says the only recording truly showcasing the mellophonium period "as it really sounded" is to be found on "Concert in England". Yet on Amazon this CD has only one tepid 3-star review saying "the sound is poor and the brass sound as if they were playing in the next room". Were they listening to the same CD?
One of the main reasons for me to buy a new Kenton book is to discover which non-Capitol recordings the author recommends. Especially of concerts where Stan's more spontaneous performances are to be found but which often come up short because they're poorly recorded. Again Mr. Sparke lets us down by failing to identify those with BOTH valuable content AND good sound. But when he does pass judgment again his tastes seem to be diametrically opposite to those expressed by Kenton fans on both sides of the Atlantic. Just compare the ecstatic Amazon reviews for his 1972 English concert "Stan Kenton Today" and then read Mr. Spark - who considers the entire enterprise something of a disaster. In his opinion "The end results were listenable but far from spectacular". When in actuality this is a crystal clear recording with the English audiences' rapt appreciation for his slow classics and wild enthusiastic applause after (and during) the fast numbers explaining exactly how and why Stan Kenton's appeal transcended all the limitations of "authentic jazz". (In this same hall I never heard anything but respectful ripples of applause for Duke Ellington's big-name band - who usually looked even more bored than the audience while "going through their paces" playing the same basic program - for about 10 years)
Regarding the legacy of the 2 great men Duke's tunes may live on but his arrangements can't because they were entirely dependant on the talents of unique band members. But for proof Stan Kenton's unique sound palette is still alive and well try visiting YouTube and clicking on "Malaguena" played by the Michigan Marching Band. No amplifiers or synthesizers, just incredible waves of pulsating sound produced by real instruments played with maximum force by over 400 instrumentalists. The same pulse-raising martial music one suspects was once used to inspire Roman Legions before they proceded to demolish opposing naked hordes. I venture to say these magic modern BRASS SOUNDS are the true legacy of one charismatic obstinate Californian - who followed his own star to the very end.
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