Customer Reviews

Stan Kenton - Artistry in Rhythm

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This DVD shows the Kenton band in a concert setting in a club in Canada. The video quality is just adequate, but for those who are fans of Stan Kenton is this a rare glimpse into the 1970s touring bands. I don't know why more video of the last few touring bands in the 1970s is not available - video technology was easily obtained. I'm glad this concert was recorded. I fondly remember the bands of those days and it was great to get to see and hear one of them again!

This is an interesting tape and invaluable to those of us who took Stan Kenton seriously. It was filmed in 1977 before Stan's traumatic head injury. (Still a mystery, by the way.) The band leader was 66, an alcoholic, and overweight. He had lost his verbal eloquence and made a fool of himself by mockingly trying to imitate Clark Terry's swinging jabber. Still, Kenton's musical standards remained extraordinarily high, and this band swings and soars. The trombones, led by veteran Kentonite Dick Shearer, are especially effective; saxaphonist Roy Reynolds is one of several distinguished soloists. And, oh, that crack trumpet section!

The quality of this film is minimal, especially in the visual department. But it's something that is a necessary part of the Kenton story. Another night on the road. Near the end of it all.

I bought this video twice by accident. Trust me: there is no Anita O'Day in it. Kenton himself is great of course, though it is a brief concert video.