Stan Kenton not only salutes
Chicago with a suite of four of their songs, but plays two numbers ("Alone" and "Inner Crisis") from the book of
Blood, Sweat & Tears plus a pair of
Bob Curnow originals;
Curnow arranged all of the material for this project. Reissued in 1992,
Stan Kenton Plays Chicago is certainly not one of the more essential
Stan Kenton sets. His band plays well enough with worthwhile solos from trombonist
Dick Shearer and
Tony Campise on tenor and flute, and
Curnow's "The Rise and Fall of a Short Fugue" is not bad, but in general the set is a rather forgettable effort.
Kenton's versions of the cover tunes are not as strong as the originals, and despite its spirit, this fairly anonymous band (only
Campise and drummer
Peter Erskine among the sidemen would have strong solo careers) is not in the same league as the 1943-1962
Stan Kenton & His Orchestra. Of mostly historic interest.