“Sketches on Standards” – Stan Kenton

Album: Sketches on Standards

Artist: Stan Kenton

Year: 1953

Genre: Jazz

Grade: B+

Even though Stan Kenton’s music can sometimes be polarizing, his skills as a bandleader should never be in question. Case in point: Sketches in Standards, a 1953 LP in which the talented Stan Kenton Orchestra takes a break from avant-garde experimentation for a straight-ahead run-through of jazz music’s most popular standards. Even though we’ve already heard countless renditions of “Sophisticated Lady” and “Stella by Starlight,” the professionalism of the soloists and the cohesion of the collective — which includes Maynard Ferguson, Lee Konitz and William Russo — make for a warm, welcoming atmosphere; a rare thing indeed for a Kenton record. Credit to the conductor for getting back to his grandpa-jazz origins with these tasteful, easy-listening arrangements.