STAN KENTON
Sketches On Standards (Capitol)
Reviewed by Ron Saranich

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Capitol Records has just released Sketches On Standards, Stan Kenton’s 1950s big band interpretation of fourteen jazz standards. Ten of the numbers were originally recorded in 1953, two during 1955, and the last pair from 1956. The smallest number of musicians on any one track is nineteen, so I’m not going to list all the musicians involved in these sessions. However, some of the soloists were major players in the jazz world, including Lee Konitz on alto saxophone, Lennie Niehaus on alto sax, Richie Kamuca on tenor sax, Conte Candoli on trumpet, Maynard Ferguson on trumpet, Frank Rosolino on trombone, and Kenton himself on piano.

The music on this cd, though exuberant and precise, never seems to grab me. Perhaps it’s the shortness of playing time, with only one song over three minutes, thirty seconds and some barely two minutes long. Maybe it’s the fact that Kenton’s versions of these classics are close to the vest as his interpretations risk little. Or it could be the fact that so many musicians playing in unison sounds strange to my ears at this point in time. Whatever the reason, I find Sketches On Standards pleasant but unadventurous. With so many other outstanding cds currently available, I recommend its purchase mostly to diehard fans of big bands.

© 2002 - Ron Saranich