Contemporary Concepts

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Contemporary Concepts
Contemporary Concepts.jpg
Studio album by
Stan Kenton
Released1955
RecordedJuly 20 & 22, 1955
Universal Studios, Chicago, IL
Genre Jazz
Label Capitol T 666
Producer Bob Martin and Bill Putnam
Stan Kenton chronology
Duet
(1955)		Contemporary Concepts
(1955)		 Kenton in Hi-Fi
(1956)

Contemporary Concepts is an album by pianist and bandleader Stan Kenton with featuring performances of jazz standards recorded in 1955 and released on the Capitol label. [1] [2] [3]

Stan Kenton American musician

Stanley Newcomb Kenton was an American popular music and jazz artist. As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader he led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Though Kenton had several pop hits from the early 1940s into the 1960s, his music was always forward looking. Kenton was also a pioneer in the field of jazz education, creating the Stan Kenton Jazz Camp in 1959 at Indiana University.

Jazz standards are musical compositions that are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive list of jazz standards, and the list of songs deemed to be standards changes over time. Songs included in major fake book publications and jazz reference works offer a rough guide to which songs are considered standards.

Capitol Records American record label

Capitol Records, Inc. is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label in the United States in 1942 by Johnny Mercer, Buddy DeSylva, and Glenn E. Wallichs. Capitol was acquired by British music conglomerate EMI as its North American subsidiary in 1955. EMI was acquired by Universal Music Group in 2012 and was merged with the company a year later, making Capitol and the Capitol Music Group both a part of UMG. The label's circular headquarter building in Hollywood is a recognized landmark of California.

Contents

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]

The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow noted "The music swings well (with drummer Mel Lewis pushing the rhythm section) and such talented soloists as altoists Charlie Mariano and Lennie Niehaus, tenor-saxophonist Bill Perkins, trombonist Carl Fontana, and trumpeters Sam Noto and Stu Williamson are well-featured. Nothing all that innovative occurs but this accessible set should be of interest to fans of bop". [4]

Track listing

  1. "What's New?" (Bob Haggart, Johnny Burke) - 5:43
  2. "Stella by Starlight" (Victor Young, Ned Washington) - 5:11
  3. "I've Got You Under My Skin" (Cole Porter) - 5:30
  4. "Cherokee" (Ray Noble) - 3:06
  5. "Stompin' at the Savoy" (Benny Goodman, Chick Webb, Edgar Sampson, Andy Razaf) - 4:36
  6. "Yesterdays" (Jerome Kern, Otto Harbach) - 5:37
  7. "Limelight" (Gerry Mulligan) - 3:08
  8. "Sunset Tower" (Stan Kenton) - 3:11 *bonus track on CD
  9. "Opus in Chartreuse" (Gene Roland) - 2:33 *bonus track on CD
  10. "Opus in Turquoise" (Gene Roland) - 2:54 *bonus track on CD
  11. "Opus in Beige" (Gene Roland) - 2:26 *bonus track on CD

Personnel

Piano musical instrument

The piano is an acoustic, stringed musical instrument invented in Italy by Bartolomeo Cristofori around the year 1700, in which the strings are struck by hammers. It is played using a keyboard, which is a row of keys that the performer presses down or strikes with the fingers and thumbs of both hands to cause the hammers to strike the strings.

Conducting directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures

Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance, such as an orchestral or choral concert. It has been defined as "the art of directing the simultaneous performance of several players or singers by the use of gesture." The primary duties of the conductor are to interpret the score in a way which reflects the specific indications in that score, set the tempo, ensure correct entries by ensemble members, and "shape" the phrasing where appropriate. Conductors communicate with their musicians primarily through hand gestures, usually with the aid of a baton, and may use other gestures or signals such as eye contact. A conductor usually supplements their direction with verbal instructions to their musicians in rehearsal.

Sam Noto is an American jazz trumpeter born in Buffalo, New York, perhaps best known for his work with Stan Kenton during the 1950s.

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References

  1. ↑ Vosbein, P. Stan Kenton Discography accessed April 11, 2016
  2. ↑ Watts, R., Edwards, D., Eyries, P. and Callahan, M. Capitol Album Discography, Part 5: 600-2999 (1955-1968) accessed April 11, 2016
  3. ↑ The Capitol Sessions of Stan Kenton: 1955
  4. 1 2 Yanow, Scott. Contemporary Concepts – Review at AllMusic . Retrieved April 11, 2016.
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