Search - Stan Kenton :: Standards in Silhouette (Reis)

The Kenton Band at its BEST !

C. Law | Las Vegas, NV USA | 01/25/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Thank God they finally remastered this for CD ! (After 30 years of playing it, my LP was about worn away). Many Kenton albums followed a theme (an idea Capitol Records carried to the ridiculous when they even had Stan do an album of Tex Ritter songs -- I swear it's TRUE! )...and this one features TERRIFIC (and very challenging) arrangements from Bill Mathieu all the way through. The writing uses counter-melodies and the familiar close Kenton-style harmonies to weave a sort of magic spell as you listen to it. The musicians ? There are Bill Trujillo on tenor and Archie LeCoque on trombone, both of whom still reside here in Las Vegas. Then there's the best alto playing I ever heard from Charlie Mariano, and there's Don Sebesky, Rolf Ericson and of course, Stan himself. The trumpet section besides Rolf featured (4)--count 'em--great lead players: Bud Brisbois, Dalton Smith, Bill Chase and Roger Middleton, plus Clyde Reasinger on a pair of tracks. Add the "stalwarts" in the bone section (Kent Larson, Jim Amlotte and Bob Knight) and WOW ! You wanna' talk powerhouse bands ? "Lazy Afternoon" is a bonus on the CD, which I never knew still existed--but I'm glad they included it here. THIS IS CLASSIC KENTON! Ahead of its time, extremely well-played and running the gamut of musical emotion, from moody to funny with these great charts. You'll probably keep it in YOUR collection forever, too !"

A haunting and moody expression of these standards

C. Law | 10/12/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Although I'm only 42 yrs old, I have been impacted by this album. As a child I was drawn to the haunting melodies and unusual arrangements. My parents used to play this album often (since they knew some of the musicians)and although I was a Beatles fan, something about these arrangements has always stayed with me. I am incredibly impressed with Bill Mathieu's ability. I looked for "Standards" in CD format for years with no luck and finally went out and bought a turntable (which these days are hard to find) just to be able to listen to my parents old album. Highly recommended if you really appreciate music's intricate delicacies."

This is beautiful Kenton!

C. Law | 11/15/1998

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Finally out on CD! The arrangements of old familiars are lush, gorgeous. Solo work is excellent. This is just about as good as Kenton ever got, and he was very good."