Album: Stan Kenton Presents
Artist: Stan Kenton
Year: 1950
Genre: Avant-Garde Jazz
Grade: A-
Stan Kenton’s signature brand of progressive big band had always been pointing in the direction of intellectual, avant-garde art music. That’s why Stan Kenton Presents shouldn’t come as a surprise, even though the music is surprisingly advanced for 1950. Throughout the album, Kenton combines modernist classical (a 16-piece string ensemble features on seven of the eight tracks) with his eclectic big band (including the talents of Art Pepper, Maynard Ferguson, June Christy and Shelley Manne, with corresponding self-titled songs for each performer) to showcase the possibilities of his new Third Stream experiments.
Stan Kenton’s Stan Kenton Presents has received the following Colin’s Review accolades:
“Stan Kenton Presents” Album Review