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Category:    Home > Reviews > Music Compilation > Jazz > Stan Kenton - Swing Era

Stan Kenton – Swing Era

 

Picture: C-     Sound: C-     Extras: D     Shorts: B

 

 

Stan Kenton was one of the Big Band leaders of note in the 1940s, though time has not always been kind to him, but his survival through the Rock era and his influence kept him going and Stan Kenton – Swing Era is a new set of work from him and three other accomplished star conductors of his time.

 

Charlie Barnet, aka “Mad Mab,” was a hit in the 1930s with some of his best works included here.  The original peak period ended in 1949 when he decided to wind it down himself, though he did occasionally record afterwards.  Les Brown launched his Big Band in 1938 and was the “Longest Organized” music group in The Guinness Book Of World Records by 1996.  Claude Thornhill was a veteran when he formed his own Big Band in 1940 and the band ran until 1948, save a break to serve in the U.S. Military during World War II.  The tracks are as follows:

 

Stan Kenton:

1)     Southern Scandal (Soundies (Filmcraft Production) 1045-7-195; RCA optical mono)

2)     It’s Been A Long Time (Soundies 1045-7-194)

3)     Jammin’ In The Panoram (RCM Soundies short)

4)     Eager Beaver (Soundies 1045-7-197)

5)     Tampico (Soundies 1045-7-192)

6)     Reed Rapture (RCM Soundies short from 1942 directed by Reginald LeBorg with the songs Artistry in Rhythm, Down In Chi-Hua-Hua, Just A Sittin’ & A Rockin’, Concerto To End All Concertos and Tampico)

Charlie Barnet:

7)     Skyliner (Studio Telescripts # 2901; Western Electric optical mono)

8)     My Old Flame (#2905)

9)     Andy’s Boogie (#2903)

10)  Caravan (Snader Telescriptions #2904; Bill Derry – vocal)

11)  Cherokee (#2902)

Les Brown:

12)  I’ve Got The World On A String (Snader Telescriptions #7303; Lucy Ann Polk – Vocal)

13)  Time Will Take Care Of Everything (#7302; Butch Stone – vocal)

14)  Dance Of Renown (Snader with no number and newer label)

15)  Billboard March (Snader #7301)

16)  My Lost Horizon (with Doris Day on vocal, directed by Arthur Leonard; Snader 241-13)

Claude Thornhill

17)  Where Has My Little Dog Gone? (with Buddy Stewart & Martha Wayne; I have to note how bizarre the artificial dogs are for the dance number)

 

 

The full frame image is varied, but the picture is often degraded form barely surviving, maybe not as well as the Sarah Vaughan set.  All are in black & white.   The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is a choice that does not work as well as the PCM on the Dizzy Gillespie and Dinah Washington set, sounding the smallest of the four volumes we have covered so far.  There are no extras but these films are just too archival and valuable, even in this condition, so the set is recommended just the same.  It is also a musically great set, but its value as filmmaking history should not be underestimated.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo


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