Oh my GOD! I am a big Kenton fan, and I must admit, I have NEVER seen any performance by them! I have played many, many Kenton charts in drum corps, as my corps played mostly Latin jazz.
Stan is so smooth! My Mom told me a story that when she was dating, her boyfriend and his friends were all musicians, and they all dug Stan Kenton. A group of them went to see him at a ballroom, and they were all talking to a man at the bar. He excused himself, and walked through the crowd, sat down at the piano, and began to play that same intro to his theme song, Artistry in Rhythm!
My Mom also told me that Kenton wasn't too popular with the dance crowd for obvious reasons. Kenton was a big band that you listened to, and nothing more. I'm going to continue this thread with the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra, which is usually mentioned with Kenton in the same breath. Though two very different bands, both gained their popularity at the end of the dance band era. The innovative arrangements and musicians were what counted in these bands.
BTW, elusive Master Stooge Rich Finegan is Bill's nephew!
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