Artistry in Rhythm
LABEL Capitol
NO. H 167
FORMAT 10" Record
PRODUCER prob. Lee Gillette
LOCATION Radio Recorders, Hollywood
RECORDING DATES 4 June; 12, 25, 26 July; 2 August 1946
THE EIGHT sides within this album accurately reflect the brilliant musicianship for which Stan Kenton’s Artistry in Rhythm orchestra is internationally noted. Stan himself selected the numbers, a majority of which, in fact, were composed and orchestrated especially for this packaged presentation.
“Come Back to Sorrento”
Arr. by Pete Rugolo
Scored with unusual ingenuity by the young chief of the Kenton arranging staff, this lovely Italian folk melody is presented as a showcase for Vido Musso and his big-toned tenor sax. Mood-provoking throughout, “Sorrento” is distinguished by an out-of-tempo introduction which leads into Musso’s soulful solo designs, designs that are spectacularly climaxed by a forceful and impelling coda which finds him blowing a stirring concert G above high C, a note that any musician will confirm simply “ain't on the horn.”
“Artistry in Percussion”
Arr. by Pete Rugolo
Shelly Manne takes over on this, a Pete Rugolo original composition, following a Stravinsky - like orchestral introduction in which Ray Wetzel's trumpet sets the melodic structure and paces a delicately-phrased Kai Winding solo trombone passage. Manne, employing three tom-toms as well as his bass and snare drums, pounds a novel pattern, solo, against the intriguing tone colors of the full ensemble. This is ingenious, unorthodox music, conceived and performed with a refreshing, ultra-modern treatment that typifies, with rare fidelity, the Kenton viewpoint.
“Opus in Pastels”
Arr. by Stan Kenton
Composed and arranged by Kenton himself in 1941, when his band was first organized, “Opus in Pastels” is the only side in the album that is reminiscent of the early Kenton “Balboa Beach” style. No brass is employed; five saxophones carry the load throughout. Bob Gioga's deep baritone anchors the section a full two octaves below the sterling lead alto of Al Anthony. This was, originally, in Stan's words, “a sort of exercise for the reeds.” Richly melodic, its belated performance on records confirms the extraordinary and perhaps revolutionary advanced conceptions of the leader. Some critics assert that Kenton today is “somewhere between five and ten years ahead of his time.”
“Fantasy”
Arr. by Stan Kenton
Kicked off at bright tempo, this Kenton original is built around a sixteen-measure theme in which whole tones are emphasized; Stan’s potent piano paces the proceedings, giving way to unison trumpets, a Musso tenor sax exhibition and an alto sax takeoff by Boots Mussulli. Bassist Safranski, meanwhile, is plucking rich, resonant figures - and employing double stops - to pace the rhythm section's efforts. “Then it gets heavy,” Stan says, summing up the final portion, “with the brass screaming and everyone blowing up.” This, in short, is Kenton's idea of Fantasy.
“Safranski” (“Artistry in Bass”)
Arr. by Pete Rugolo
Unquestionably one of the most popular and gifted string bassists in the realm of American jazz music, Eddie Safranski takes the solo spotlight throughout this impressionistic opus - another of the Rugolo original compositions - bowing and plucking his instrument with a technique and skill that indicates why professional musicians the world over rate him as a virtuoso of the first magnitude. In his passages with Kenton at the piano this mastery, this supremacy, is clearly evident. Rugolo titled the work in Eddie’s honor.
"Artistry in Bolero"
Arr. by Pete Rugolo
Safraaski’s bass and Kenton's pianologies set the mood for still another of the 21-karat Artistry in Rhythm series, an original Rugolo manuscript that is reminiscent of the Ravel bolero. On this, the entire orchestra participates with fervor and enthusiasm, building to a dramatic finale following tasteful solo contributions by Vido Musso, tenor sax, and Kai Winding, trombone. Composer-arranger Rugolo has interwoven an exciting series of key changes with gradually increasing dynamics. It is a composition, and a reading, which is destined for permanence.
“Ain't No Misery In Me”
Arr. by Gene Roland
Blonde June Christy paradoxically denies she has the blues by singing the blues — not. the conventional twelve-bar variety, but a modern, sophisticated blues from the pen of Gene Roland. Winding's trombone and Boots Mussulli’s alto sox rate the instrumental spots. There's a tempo change that adds contrast to the indigo vocal introduction, but it is June's barrelhouse piping that signs, seals and delivers the side with the SK trademark. Credit Buddy Childers with leading the powerful five-man trumpet section behind her chanting on the climactic final chorus.
“Willow Weep For Me”
Arr. by Pete Rugolo
There is a strong Debussy “feel” to the opening measures of this ballad, which attained wide popularity, originally, in the early 1930's. Eight measures of Kenton’s solo piano, with Safranski’s bass evident, have been written by Rugolo in a two-bar triad pattern, followed by muted trumpets and then trombones suggesting a doubling of tempo; all, of course, serve as inventive, unusual accompaniment for June Christy’s uninhibited projection of the lyrics. Kai Winding’s trombone anticipates a change of key and a return to the original piano bass figure.
Not only was this the first Kenton album, this was the first Kenton album that I ever heard. As a child in the 1960s, it was one of three of four 10” records that I remember vividly from my father’s collection that would have a profound impact on me.
This album is a perfect musical summary of the Artistry in Rhythm band. Rugolo had been onboard long enough to find his own voice. The combination of Safranski and Manne constituted the first great rhythm duo of the Kenton band. The ensemble precision and recorded sound were unmatched in its day.
A prominent feature of the disc is the wide range of musical moods and emotions, something missing in earlier Kenton outfits. Off-the-charts flag-wavers and syrupy ballads were earmarks of his earlier band. But Rugolo brought just what was needed. He is responsible for all but two of the tracks. For the first time, one hears influences from modern classical composers in Kenton recordings.
—TV
Reviews
♪ ♪ Come Back To Sorrento
♪ ♪ ♪ Artistry In Bolero
♪ ♪ ♪ Safranski
♪ ♪ ♪ Opus In Pastels
♪ ♪ ♪ Ain’t No Misery In Me
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Artistry In Percussion
♪ ♪ ♪ Fantasy
♪ ♪ ♪ Willow Weep For Me
This album is certainly a heart-warming event for band leader Stan Kenton. Whatever your views of his music, there is almost no one in the business who doesn’t like and admire the gaunt west coast pianist for his honesty, sincerity, and earnest desire to see music progress.
The Artistry series is continued with Bolero, Bass (Safranski), and Percussion. They and the other sides outline what is the broad outline of the Kenton jazz concept: extensive use of bass against piano, sweeping dioramas of brass, pungent tenor and trombone solos against section choirs, and a constant preoccupation with harmonic colorings applied in strong dynamic contrast.
Some of the complaints previously voiced with respect to Boyd Raeburn apply here: not enough real dynamic shading, heavily blotched application of colorings, and a constant reiteration of certain rhythmic and harmonic tricks. However in most of the scores done either by Rugolo and Kenton there is very definite intent and build-up to climaxes that are too often missing with other bands trying the same effects.
Only other real criticism of the band is that whereas a band like Ellington tosses off similar tonal constructions with ease and fluidity, there are too many times when the band sounds labored and too carefully prepped for its role.
Sorrento is laid out for the Vido Musso tenor. The background figures as in some of the Handy scores in a sense detract from the continuity of the solo line rather than enhancing it. As for the high-noted coda, there have been a great many tenor records doing the same thing.
Bolero starts with the dance rhythm and a single-fingered exposition of the pretty theme on piano. Rhythm line keeps moving up chromatically, a good gag keeping it out of the heavy rut a true bolero line can fall into. Climax doesn’t quite get to the heights Rugolo wanted, I suspect.
Safranski is more of the fast pizzicatto against Kenton piano with bass by the redoubtable Eddie. For my harsh review of five years ago, mes apologies, because this is certainly virtuoso bass as it is known in jazz.
Opus, written some five years ago, is a very pretty reed deal with a widely split section, and some strongly effective lead alto work. The delicacy of the side striving for climactic effect.
Misery opens with Kai Winding blowing some sensational trombone—interesting especially if you have an old Teagarden disc around and can hear the difference in the way the boys play the blues these days. Tune was written by Gene Roland and the blues are sung by June Christy. Initial effect is something like Duke got behind Betty Roche in the Blues section of BB&B. La Christy double-times some unusual blues lyrics and Boots Mussulli gets an alto chorus.
Percussion gives gangling Shelley Manne a chance to strut at drums. Get the very clever intro with the rhythmic pattern picked up by alto joined by trumpet and then the entire brass section. This is a favorite love of Stravinsky’s—interesting to find it here—as Dexter’s notes point out. There fallows a really tightly written chorus between brass and drums of which the band and Rugolo can well be proud. Here is no brassiness for volume, but really well conceived music.
Fantasy opens with an unusual effect of piano stating whole-tone theme and guitar following up on after beats while bass quadri-times. Then the Musso gets his in, after which unison trumpets and trams chase each other around on dropped 4ths of the theme. There are strong touches of the John Birks Gillespie here.
Willow has a Christy vocal backed by piano and brass moving up in step tones. Good example of under-statement where the trombones play a figure up to the expected change, but never.
Michael Levin. "Record Review. Artistry in Rhythm." Down Beat. 16 December 1946: 18-19.
ARTISTRY IN RHYTHM (Capitol BD-29)
For his first disk book, Stan Kenton comes up with a wax wallop. Contents of eight-sided package ranks with the best he has plattered. Spining provides artistic interpolations by the maestro at the piano, and refreshing ork arrangements built upon novel harmonic, instrumental and rhythmic combinations. On some sides (particularly Safranski and Artistry in Percussion) he takes greater liberties in departing from the orthodox than he has ever before attempted on wax. Safranski, subtitled Artistry in Bass, has a slow dissonant intro leading into Eddie Safranski’s bass bowing. After a couple of measures, bow is laid aside as tempo brightens with bass plucking and Kenton’s ivories effectively riding it duo to the end. Ork comes in for a couple rhythmic bites, but lets Safranski’s facile fingering how the spotlight thruout. Flip, Opus in Pastels, smacks of early Kenton. Sans brass, moderately-paced side hinges on five-man sax wing to keep the interest alive. Prominent use of baritone sax gives body to the blending. Artistry in Percussion is the most radical selection between these covers. The Pete Rugolo cleffing (he also penned Safranski) is jazz impressionism. Shelly Manne’s spotlighted hide handling (three tom-toms, bass and snare) is framed in unique harmonies and weird patterns. Some may find this pretentious, but after a couple of repeat spinings will appreciate its originality. Ravel inspired Artistry in Bolero (another Rugolo note-placer) is in the characteristic Kenton vein. Opens with Safranski’s bass quietly introing the bolero beat. Maestro’s piano offers the theme. Sidemen join in one by one, pyramiding to a flashy wind-up. Vido Musso (now fronting his own musicrew) offers a fine sample of tenor saxing on the reverse, as he solos Come Back to Sorrento. He takes it straight at the start. With full-bodied tone and clean phrasing he turns in a truly expressive interpretation of the Italian street song. He turns to synco improvisations at the halfway mark, ork assisting with brisk rhythmic setting. Fantasy, a Kenton original, is built along jump lines growing out of riff set by the maestro. Two vocal sides by June Christy are Willow Weep for Me and Ain’t No Misery for Me. Arranger Rugolo has dressed the oldie Willow in a sensitive mood setting with Miss Christy turning on the vocal charm to complete the enjoyment. Rhythmic Ain’t No Misery is a happy tune with Miss Christy’s sultry pipes making the words count. Album has an eye-arresting, colorful cover, using ork score as background for large-sized lettering. Inner flap has Kenton pic, plus well-written biog on maestro signed by Capitol’s Dave Dexter. Back flap features pix of ork’s principals plus descriptive material on disks. Juke attraction is centered on Willow, Artistry in Bolero, Misery and Fantasy.
“Album Review. Artistry in Rhythm.” Billboard, 25 January 1947: 112.
Come Back To Sorrento ★
Artistry in Bolero
Willow Weep For Me ★
Fantasy ★
Opus in Pastels
Safranski ★ ★
Ain’t No Misery in Me
Artistry in Percussion ★
This album is Kenton’s most ambitious and interesting project to date. To Deuce Feather at least, it is certainly the album of the year. In the inevitable comparison with the only other progressive-big-band album of the year, Boyd Raeburn’s, Kenton shows several advantages. His sides give much more freedom to the band’s great array of soloists; moreover, the music, you feel, could only have been interpreted properly by jazzmen, because it never loses contact with the jazz idiom, whereas the Raeburn things could have been done pretty much the same by a collection of studio men.
Really it’s almost as much a Pete Rugulo [sic] Album as a Stan Kenton album for the band’s brilliant young arranger scored five of the eight sides, three of them originals. Rugulo emerges from this album as an ambitious writer who uses his profound musical knowledge intelligently, giving his work mood, structure and originality, but seldom reaching into pretentiousness.
There was some disagreement among the Deuces about certain sides. Deuce Simon thought Vido Musso tried too hard on his Sorrento solo side, which Deuce Feather considers the best Musso disc to date. All Deuces agreed that Rugulo’s Bolero is pleasant though unsensational, second-hand Ravel; that Willow is June Christy’s best vocal ever and a beautiful, moving Rugulo arrangement. Fantasy and Pastels are the only sides in the album written and arranged by Kenton himself. The former, played at a mad tempo, swings anyway and has fine Musso and Boots Mussulli. Pastels is a piece for sax section and
rhythm only, in the old style of the hand, shallow but pleasant. Safranski is a fine Rugulo original built for the bassist who gave it its title. Misery, written and arranged by the hand’s ex-trombonist Gene Roland, has June Christy singing miserably fiat, is the weakest side of the album. Percussion, featuring Shelly Manne’s excellent work, is more musical and better constructed than most records featuring drummers.
The album notes have several errors, such as the listing of guitarist Bob Ahern as a drummer. Much more should have been told about Rugulo but he’ll he the subject of a METRONOME feature soon. Meanwhile, don’t miss this album. Whatever its faults or merits, everyone will agree that here is a band that’s trying to do something really great. (Capitol Album BD 39)
Leonard G Feather and George T Simon. “Record Review. Artistry in Rhythm.” Metronome. January 1947: 35.
Tracks
1. Come Back To Sorrento (Ernesto DeCurtis & Giovan DeCurtis)
arr. by Pete Rugolo
[4 June 1946]
solo: Musso (ts)
2. Fantasy (Stan Kenton)
arr. by Stan Kenton
[26 July 1946]
solos: Kenton (p)/Safranski (b) Musso (ts) Mussulli (as)
3. Opus In Pastels (Stan Kenton)
arr. by Stan Kenton
[2 August 1946]
(saxes and rhythm only)
4. Artistry In Percussion (Pete Rugolo)
arr. by Pete Rugolo
[12 July 1946]
solos: Manne (d) Mussulli (as)
5. Ain’t No Misery In Me (Gene Roland)
arr. by Gene Roland
[12 July 1946]
vocal: June Christy
solos: Winding (tb) Mussulli (as)
6. Safranski (Artistry In Bass) (Pete Rugolo)
arr. by Pete Rugolo
[12 July 1946]
solos: Safranski (b) Kenton (p)
7. Willow Weep For Me (Ann Ronell)
arr. by Pete Rugolo
[25 July 1946]
vocal: June Christy
solos: Kenton (p)/Safranski (b) Winding (tb)
8. Artistry In Bolero (Pete Rugolo)
arr. by Pete Rugolo
[12 July 1946]
solos: Safranski (b)/Kenton (p) Musso (ts) Winding (tb)
Added to LP
Jus A-Sittin’ and A-Rockin’
arr. by Gene Roland
Opus in Pastels (Stan Kenton)
arr. by Stan Kenton
Soothe Me
arr. by Pete Rugolo
Cocktails For Two
arr. by Pete Rugolo
[19 July 1946]
solos: Kenton/Safranski (p/b) Alvarez (tp) Wentzel (tp) Musso (ts)
Santa Lucia
arr. by Pete Rugolo
Additional Capitol versions
EPF 167 — two 45rpm 7” records
— four 78rpm 10” records
T 167 — 12” LP
Other versions
Creative World reissue — ST-1043 — 12” LP
Personnel
Alto sax
Al Anthony
Boots Mussulli
Tenor sax
Bob Cooper
Vido Musso
Bari sax
Bob Gioga
Trumpet
Buddy Childers
Ray Wetzel
Chico Alvarez
John Anderson
Ken Hanna
Trombone
Kai Winding
Miff Sines
Milt Kabak (tr. 1, 4, 5, 6, 8)
Harry Forbes (tr. 2, 7)
Bart Varsalona (b-tb)
Piano
Stan Kenton
Bass
Eddie Safranski
Guitar
Bob Ahern
Drums
Shelly Manne
Vocal
June Christy
