In the early 1950s,
Stan Kenton had run a sizable deficit with his experimental Innovations Orchestra, plus he owed the Internal Revenue Service back taxes, so he needed an infusion of cash rather quickly. He chose to keep the dance band core of his group and entered the ballroom circuit, while also focusing on making more commercial records. But the period (1950-1952) covered in this compilation hardly represents an artistic compromise, as the charts produced by
Kenton,
Shorty Rogers,
Pete Rugolo,
Gene Roland,
Johnny Richards, and
Bill Russo have stood the test of the time, complemented by several outstanding soloists, including
Art Pepper,
Bud Shank,
Maynard Ferguson,
Conte Candoli,
Bob Cooper, and
Bill Holman. None of the tracks run much over three minutes, but the concise nature of the charts works in
Kenton's favor.
Stan Kenton's work has often been criticized as bombastic, but this is a truly swinging CD. ~ Ken Dryden