[.ca] Standards In Silhouette

This is beautiful Kenton!:
Finally out on CD! The arrangements of old familiars are lush, gorgeous. Solo work is excellent. This is just about as good as Kenton ever got, and he was very good.

The Melody Lives On:
The Kenton Mystique lives forever. Once a Kenton fan, always a Kenton fan. I have never heard a bad Kenton sound and this one is no exception.

The Kenton Band at its BEST !:
Thank God they finally remastered this for CD ! (After 30 years of playing it, my LP was about worn away). Many Kenton albums followed a theme (an idea Capitol Records carried to the ridiculous when they even had Stan do an album of Tex Ritter songs -- I swear it's TRUE! )...and this one features TERRIFIC (and very challenging) arrangements from Bill Mathieu all the way through. The writing uses counter-melodies and the familiar close Kenton-style harmonies to weave a sort of magic spell as you listen to it. The musicians ? There are Bill Trujillo on tenor and Archie LeCoque on trombone, both of whom still reside here in Las Vegas. Then there's the best alto playing I ever heard from Charlie Mariano, and there's Don Sebesky, Rolf Ericson and of course, Stan himself. The trumpet section besides Rolf featured (4)--count 'em--great lead players: Bud Brisbois, Dalton Smith, Bill Chase and Roger Middleton, plus Clyde Reasinger on a pair of tracks. Add the "stalwarts" in the bone section (Kent Larson, Jim Amlotte and Bob Knight) and WOW ! You wanna' talk powerhouse bands ? "Lazy Afternoon" is a bonus on the CD, which I never knew still existed--but I'm glad they included it here. THIS IS CLASSIC KENTON! Ahead of its time, extremely well-played and running the gamut of musical emotion, from moody to funny with these great charts. You'll probably keep it in YOUR collection forever, too !

A haunting and moody expression of these standards:
Although I'm only 42 yrs old, I have been impacted by this album. As a child I was drawn to the haunting melodies and unusual arrangements. My parents used to play this album often (since they knew some of the musicians)and although I was a Beatles fan, something about these arrangements has always stayed with me. I am incredibly impressed with Bill Mathieu's ability. I looked for "Standards" in CD format for years with no luck and finally went out and bought a turntable (which these days are hard to find) just to be able to listen to my parents old album. Highly recommended if you really appreciate music's intricate delicacies.

A Kenton Classic Must-Have Album!:
This is one of my FAVORITE Stan Kenton albums of all time! Great arrangements by Bill Mathieu and tremendous playing of it by one of the best Kenton bands....Mathieu's charts used counter-melodies with the main melody to set some beautiful moods. This was one of Capitol Records' "theme-type" Kenton albums (they even had Stan record an album of Tex Ritter songs! I swear it! ) and sets a definite "blues mood." The band was really HOT ( Bill Trujillo, Don Sebesky, Archie LeCoque, Rolf Ericson and some of the best playing I ever heard from Charlie Mariano on alto, share the solos). The trumpet section featured (4)--count 'em---superb lead players: Bud Brisbois, Dalton Smith, Bill Chase & Roger Middleton! ... Add the always-great Kenton trombones and WOW ! Some of the full-band ensemble playing will startle and amaze the musicians listening, but you don't have to be one to appreciate the music--it will totally wrap you up and sweep you off to another world. ( My vinyl copy was pretty worn, so the CD is a welcome reissue, and "Lazy Afternoon, " which I only heard on a live, one-mike recording once before, is a nice bonus). Kenton fans who missed this one will want to add it to their favorites, too !

• Willow Weep for Me
• Thrill Is Gone
• Meaning of the Blues
• When Sunny Gets Blue
• Ill Wind
• Django
• I Get Along Without You Very Well
• Lonely Woman
• Lazy Afternoon \o*\c