albums - random

Hey baby, if you want your big band to be cool, ya gotta have a few odd-metered songs on your album. Well alright, if you say so. Below are some big band albums released in the wake of Don's experiments.

WOODY HERMAN: LIGHT MY FIRE
(Cadet 819 © 1968)

TRACK
How to Keep My Mind On You (Jake Holmes, arr. Richard Evans)

COMMENT
A tame 5/4 song that never really deviates from the popular 3-2 pattern (a la "Mission: Impossible"). I've listened to this album a billion times because it's so weird (and because Richard Evans produced it) and "How to Keep" is one of the less-interesting tracks. You'll find yourself humming the melody though, months later in your car, wondering just what the hell it's from. The worst part is easily Woody's soprano solo. God love 'im...he has no concept of where the beat is at any time and just wings it. When in doubt, hold a long trill!!! (He redeems himself later on side two)

WOODY HERMAN: HEAVY EXPOSURE
(Cadet LPS-835 © 1969)

TRACK
High School Hero (Jake Holmes, arr. Richard Evans)

COMMENT
Again with Jake Holmes? Who IS this guy?! And another Richard Evans production as well. The "melody" is in 7/8, with the last measure in 7/4 (sounds like 14/8?). It's all pretty awkward and unnatural. The best part of the song is after the head and before the sax solo, and it must've been a bitch to conduct. Lots of polyrhythmic stuff divided amongst the horn sections, with some carefully-placed fight song quotes thrown in the mix (like "On Wisconsin")...I didn't even pick up on the quotes until several listens later because they are so out-of-whack with what is going on around them. Mercifully, Alan Gauvin takes the sax solo.

MAYNARD FERGUSON: MAYNARD FERGUSON (aka ALIVE AND WELL IN LONDON)
(Columbia C 31117 © 1971)

TRACK
Living in the Past (Ian Anderson, arr. John Cameron)

COMMENT
It's a coincidence that this track is in 5/4, since the whole album (save but one song) is rock cover tunes. It's buried at the very end of side two, and with good reason. Probably the least interesting of the album's material. Maynard's ending is pretty cool, though...I've tried to cop it a number of times.

THAD JONES • MEL LEWIS: CONSUMMATION
(Blue Note 38226 © 1970)

TRACK
Ahunk Ahunk (Thad Jones)

COMMENT
Shame on you if you don't have this album, especially since it's been reissued on CD. It's one of the best big band albums by one of the best big bands ever. "Ahunk Ahunk" is a pretty basic 5/4, but the solos by Eddie Daniels (on tenor) and Marvin Stamm are the best part. The rest of the album is better, with side one being pretty much flawless.

BUDDY RICH: THE NEW ONE
(Pacific Jazz ST 20126 © 1967)

TRACK
Diabolus (Allyn Ferguson)

COMMENT
Great album but I always skip this track. Buddy never really revisited this sort of thing and that's fine with me. Buddy...just be Buddy!

STAN KENTON: LIVE AT REDLANDS UNIVERSITY
(Creative World STD 1015 © 1970)

TRACKS
Chiapas (Hank Levy)
Tiare (Ken Hanna)

COMMENTS
"Chiapas" was the first Hank Levy arrangement played by Kenton; Levy would continue to write for his band throughout the 70s until Kenton's death in 1979. As Kenton himself explains on the album, he believed that Don Ellis was the future of modern big bands, and, in an attempt to keep his band current, he commissioned a song from Ellis' most prominent outside writer. Kenton even got Levy to come out on stage and conduct it. The song is in different tempos of 5/4.. I've never seen the sheet music for this song, but the intro sounds like Levy is freely conducting the rubato horns over a repeated bass vamp. The slower main tempo settles in, and he gives the melody to the trombones, no doubt wanting to explore the sonic possibilities of Kenton's oversized low brass section. The soloists play over the typical rock-ish vamp that Levy used for his solo sections in the Ellis band (as opposed to the chords of the head); think of his contributions to Ellis' At Fillmore album, which was also recorded in 1970. I've heard mixed things on how the band felt about the odd-metered charts, but the rhythm section is definitely digging it on this track. It is also unclear how well Kenton himself understood Levy's compositions, as he almost never played piano on them; this track is no exception.

"Tiare" is a slow ballad that alternates 4/4 and 3/4 measures (this one I do have the score for). It was written by Ken Hanna, who was a harmonically adventurous writer contributing a lot to the Kenton book around this time period. The arrangement is strictly a feature for the sound of the Kenton band and does not contain any stretching out. Kenton does not mention the odd-meter in his stage introduction, possibly to let the audience soak in the tune without getting hung up on the time signature.

The CD release of this album omits a few of the songs that were programmed, so, i f you are a serious Kenton fan, track down the original vinyl version. Also, the track numbers on the back of the CD are incorrect; "Track 1" is actually track 2, etc.

STAN KENTON: LIVE AT BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY
(Creative World STD 1039© 1971)

TRACKS
A Step Beyond (Hank Levy)
Hank's Opener (Hank Levy)

COMMENTS
Two more toned-down Hank Levy compostions on this album. "A Step Beyond" is medium 5/4 swinger that builds off of a double-stop bass pattern. There's a great trombone soli in the middle of the song; it was obvious Levy liked taking advantage of Kenton's extra brass. A humorous baritone sax cadenza by Willie Maiden segues into a faster tempo of 5, and a heavy bossa-rock feeling is established for the trumpet soloist. Then it's a brief (but exciting) shout chorus before the ending just sort of "happens" and the song is over.

"Hank's Opener" used to be one of my favorites when I was in my teens. It's an energetic rock tune in 7/4, and it's probably the most stage band-sounding piece Levy ever wrote (which is probably why I gravitated towards it at a young age). Nothing terribly challenging, but fun regardless. Despite Levy's title, Kenton does not start the CD with this song.

STAN KENTON: LIVE AT BUTLER UNIVERSITY
(Creative World STD 1058 © 1972)

TRACKS
Fringe Benefit (Hank Levy)
Samba Siete (Hank Levy)
Indra (Hank Levy)
Blues Between & Betwixt (Hank Levy)

COMMENTS
Apparently double live albums were the standard and not the exception for Kenton during the early 70s. "Fringe Benefit" is a simple swing chart in 5/4 (Kenton even announces the song as "one of the lighter things"). It is even more simplistic when compared to the stuff that Levy was writing for the Ellis band in '72, like "Chain Reaction."

I always liked "Samba Siete," a samba in 7/4 time, natch. The only thing I really I like about the Butler University album in general is Ray Brown's flugelhorn solos. He's got a great sound and has thoughtful solo ideas, and his playing on this album led me to his work with the Full Faith & Credit band. Otherwise, the album is marred with poor intonation problems and a lead trumpeter who sounds tired. There's also a bleak feeling of sameness that washes over the album (the Willie Maiden arrangements are an exception), and it's hard to discern between the songs.

"Indra" is 9/4 bossa nova that sort of plods along for nine minutes. Nothing much happens despite the long running time, and I always get the song confused with "Chiapas." More nice trombone on the head statement, but then it's an aimless soprano sax solo and a very spacious solo by Brown (but I love his tone!).

"Blues Between & Betwixt" gets its first reading on this album. It's a mish-mash that goes back and forth between 7/4 and double-time 7/8 rock. I mentioned earlier than the band sounds tired and possibly underrehearsed on this album, so "Betwixt" gets a reprieve and is recorded again on Kenton's following album, Birthday in Britain.

STAN KENTON: BIRTHDAY IN BRITAIN
(Creative World STD 1065 © 1973)

TRACKS
Of Space and Time (Hank Levy)
Ambivalence (Hank Levy)
Blues Between & Betwixt (Hank Levy)

COMMENTS
Here we have "Blues Between & Betwixt," mach II. Not surprisingly, it sounds better the second time around, with the arrangement benefiting from extra road time and an exciting new drummer, 19-year-old Peter Erskine.

Levy sounds like he was phoning it in on the other two charts. Listening to them as I type this, I barely remember them at all. John Park, the alto sax soloist on both songs, is actually quite good and has a nice tone. At least the band is in tune throughout, unlike the previous album, and the Bill Holman and Willie Maiden charts that make up the rest of the program are easily recommended.

STAN KENTON: 7.5 ON THE RICHTER SCALE
(Creative World STD 1070 © 1973)

TRACKS
Down and Dirty (Hank Levy)

COMMENTS
This album is a hoot. It's Kenton's unappologetic attempt to reach a younger audience, but I don't know how successful it was. I actually like a lot of the arrangements, but he band is not having a good day and the production is awful, despite being recorded in a studio for once. "Down and Dirty" is the only odd-metered song on the album, and that's probably for the best since things are rarely sloppier than this track. The kicker is that the song isn't that difficult! Missed entrances, intonation problems, and, again, a weary-sounding lead trumpeter all add up to a track that I usually skip over. Kenton actually plays piano on this one, and I can understand why he normally preferred to lay out.

TRACKS
Pete is a Four-Letter Word (Hank Levy)
Quiet Friday (Hank Levy)

COMMENTS
Here we have Levy back to form. Two great charts as part of an extremely loose concept album. The idea was to prominently feature a Kenton sideman on each of the tracks. But one of the songs isn't much of a feature, and Kenton is spotlighted in the liner notes as the soloist on "Quiet Friday," even though trumpeter Kevin Jordan, who isn't mentioned at all, is obviously the featured player. I never understood that.

Anyway...the band benefits from the studio sound this time around. "Pete is a Four-Letter Word" is the main reason to get this album. Great chart (in aa fast, but natural, 7/4 swing), great ensemble playing, and wonderful solo work by Peter Erskine. It is obvious from this recording that he would go on to bigger and better things.

"Quiet Friday" is more of a typical Levy composition, but with a more-memorable melody than on some of the previous Kenton albums. Nice woodwind and muted trumpet voicings, a technique used more often in his Ellis charts. Kenton's piano also sounds more comfortable for once; he obviously connected with this song moreso than in the past. The opening slow section (in 5/4) gives way to a double-time rock (also in 5) and features the afforementioned trumpet solo. A pause, a conducted, writen trumpet solo over the trombones, and a return of the double-time all happen very quickly before Kenton ends the song much like it began.

TRACKS
Time For A Change (Hank Levy)
Decoupage (Hank Levy)

COMMENTS
This was the first Kenton album I ever owned. I loved it then, and it's still one of my favorite albums. My high school jazz band played the arrangement of "Send In The Clowns" from this album, and I sought it out to hear how the anurism-enducing trumpet solo was supposed to sound (as opposed to the way I played it). It ended up being a worthwhile purchase, and one that helped to put me on the path to what I am doing musically to this very day.

The sound on this album is fabulous. Every instrument is perfectly ballanced (even the saxes, which usually get drowned out on a Kenton album) and the rhythm section is really in a groove on this date. "Time For A Change," one of Levy's better-known tunes, kicks off the procedings. Usually with Levy's arrangements for Kenton, you either get the head played by a unison trumpet and alto, or the trombone section. Here, it's the former ("Decoupage" is the latter, but more on that below). Levy has written a pleasant, almost uplifting arrangement. The chart is not one that's physically demanding, but it's got a structure that you just have to get used to as opposed to counting to 9 every measure. I remember my college jazz band unsuccessfully attempting this one; it just never gelled.

"Decoupage" is my favorite Levy-Kenton song. It's so happy and well-done. My dad even commented on how much he loved it, and he doesn't much care for stuff like this. It's sort of a weird composition, in that what's happening beneath the melody is the focus. 5/4 swing, great-sounding trombones, perfect drumming, and a wonderful trumpet solo by a young Tim Hagans. Love it!

Levy also contributed "A Smith Named Greg" to the album, but, shockingly, it is in 4/4 time, so I did not include it in the review.

TRACKS
Pegasus (Hank Levy)
90º Celcius (Hank Levy)
Journey Into Capricorn (Hank Levy)

COMMENTS
Kenton's last studio album is pretty much what you would expect it to be. I really like it, though some people are kind of dismissive of it. "Pegasus" might be the best-known Levy song, since I've heard marching bands and drums corps play it. Not that it translates all that well to the football field...did I mention how much I fucking hate marching bands and drums corps? But I digress. I originally thought the song was in 3/4 with 4/4 solo sections, but the whole arrangement is actually different subdivisions of 12/8. Pretty sneaky, sis! Tim Hagans contributes yet another great trumpet solo, and is featured quite prominently (and wisely) thoughout the whole album. Even at this young age, he is a distinctive soloist,

"90º Celcius" is a fun mover in what appears to be a division in 10 (as opposed to the much more common 5). It's also the closest thing to swing on the entire album. There is a great unison small group soli in the middle of the song, the kind of thing that never found its way into a Levy-Kenton composition before, and it's played to perfection. Too bad there wasn't time to explore that aspect more fully.

"Journey Into Capricorn" brings us back to the "Chiapas"-style of songwriting, with a slow opening "A" section played by trombone, and a much faster "B" section for the soloists. There is an a capella break in the slow section featuring woodwinds and muted brass (much like Levy's "Whiplash" on Ellis' Soaring album). As for the solo section, there is a weak baritone sax solo that is steamrolled by the band backgrounds before Hagans roars in and bats clean-up. Hagans fans should definitely pick up this album, as well as anyone who wants to hear what Levy was doing during the recording hiatus of the Ellis band.