Stanley Newcomb Kenton was born on December 15, 1911, and died on August 25, 1979. He was an American musician who played piano, wrote music, arranged songs, and led a band. Kenton directed a creative and important jazz orchestra for nearly 40 years. From the early 1940s until the 1960s, he had several popular songs. His music always focused on new ideas and progress. Kenton also helped teach others about jazz. In 1959, he started the Stan Kenton Jazz Camp at Indiana University.

Early life

Stan Kenton was born on December 15, 1911, in Wichita, Kansas. He had two sisters, Beulah and Erma Mae, who were born three and eight years after him. His parents, Floyd and Stella Kenton, moved the family to Colorado. In 1924, they relocated to the Los Angeles area and settled in Bell, California.

Kenton attended Bell High School. His high-school yearbook included the note "Old Man Jazz." As a teenager, he began learning piano from a local pianist and organist. When he was about 15 and in high school, pianist and arranger Ralph Yaw introduced him to the music of Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines. He graduated from high school in 1930.

By the age of 16, Kenton was already performing solo piano shows at a local restaurant for 50 cents per night plus tips. During this time, he led a group called "The Bell-Tones." His first musical arrangement was written for a local band with eight members that performed in nearby Long Beach.

Career

Kenton had little money and traveled to San Diego and Las Vegas, where he played piano in speakeasies. By 1932, he was playing with the Francis Gilbert Territory band and toured through Arizona. In 1933, he worked with the Everett Hoagland Orchestra and played for the first time at the Rendezvous Ballroom in Balboa, California. Later, he recorded popular live albums there. After playing with Russ Plummer and Hal Grayson, Kenton got his big break when he joined Gus Arnheim’s band.

In April 1936, Arnheim changed his band’s style to match Benny Goodman’s groups, and Kenton became the piano player. Kenton made his first recordings in summer 1937 when Arnheim recorded 14 songs for the Brunswick label. After leaving Arnheim’s group, Kenton studied piano and composition with private teachers. In 1938, he joined Vido Musso’s short-lived band, which was an important learning experience for him.

The members of this group later formed the first Stan Kenton groups of the 1940s. Kenton worked with the NBC House Band and in Hollywood studios and clubs. George Avakian, a producer, noticed Kenton while he worked as a pianist and Assistant Musical Director at the Earl Carroll Theatre Restaurant in Hollywood. This experience inspired Kenton to start his own band, which eventually became his group in the 1940s.

In 1940, Kenton formed his first orchestra. Early on, he focused more on arranging music than playing piano. His first band did not include famous musicians, except possibly bassist Howard Rumsey and trumpeter Chico Alvarez. In the summer of 1941, Kenton played regularly at the Rendezvous Ballroom in Newport Beach, California. Influenced by Benny Carter and Jimmie Lunceford, the Stan Kenton Orchestra faced challenges after its initial success. Their Decca recordings were not popular, and a stint as Bob Hope’s backup radio band in 1943–44 was difficult, as Les Brown replaced Kenton.

Kenton’s first performance in New York was in February 1942 at the Roseland Ballroom, where the marquee featured an endorsement by Fred Astaire. By late 1943, with a contract from Capitol Records and a popular song called “Eager Beaver,” the Stan Kenton Orchestra gained recognition. It became one of the most well-known West Coast ensembles of the 1940s. Soloists during the war years included Art Pepper, Stan Getz, Boots Mussulli, and Anita O’Day. By 1945, the band evolved, with songwriter Joe Greene writing hits like “And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine” and “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Cryin’.” Pete Rugolo became the chief arranger, Bob Cooper and Vido Musso offered different tenor styles, and June Christy became Kenton’s new singer. Her songs, such as “Tampico” and “Across the Alley from the Alamo,” helped Kenton fund his ambitious projects.

When Pete Rugolo joined the Stan Kenton Orchestra as a staff arranger in late 1945, he brought influences from jazz, Stravinsky, and Bartók. Kenton gave Rugolo creative freedom, and Rugolo experimented with music. Although Kenton had tried experimental scores before, Rugolo added jazz and classical influences that helped the band grow artistically.

During his first six months with the band, Rugolo tried to copy Kenton’s style. With encouragement from Kenton, Rugolo developed his own unique sound. By using techniques from modern classical music, Rugolo played a key role in one of Kenton’s most creative periods.

After creating several arrangements, Rugolo wrote three original songs that Kenton included on the band’s first album in 1946 (Artistry in Rhythm): “Artistry in Percussion,” “Safranski,” and “Artistry in Bolero.” Additional songs like “Machito,” “Rhythm Incorporated,” “Monotony,” and “Interlude” were added in early 1947. These compositions, along with June Christy’s voice, defined the Artistry in Rhythm band. Afro-Cuban music was included in the band’s repertoire, such as Rugolo’s “Machito.” The use of brass instruments created a sound described as a “wall of sound,” a term later used by Andrew Loog Oldham for Phil Spector’s music style.

The Artistry in Rhythm ensemble was a successful band with talented soloists. By early 1947, the Stan Kenton Orchestra reached a high point of popularity and financial success. They performed in top theaters and ballrooms across America and had many hit records. Dances at ballrooms lasted four hours each night, and theater performances often included mini-concerts between movie showings, sometimes five or six times a day. Most days not performing were spent traveling. Days off were rare, and Kenton used them for record signings, interviews, and advertising for Capitol Records. Due to the demands of touring and personal challenges, Kenton ended the Artistry in Rhythm era after a performance in Tuscaloosa.

After a five-month break, Kenton formed a new, larger ensemble to present Concerts in Progressive Jazz. The band earned income through performances but still needed to book dances and movie theater jobs, especially during the summer.

Pete Rugolo composed most of the new music, which Kenton called Progressive Jazz. Bob Graettinger, a student of Russ Garcia, wrote many works for the band, including “Thermopylae” and “City of Glass,” which was first performed in Chicago in 1948. Ken Hanna, who started as a trumpet player, contributed compositions like “Somnambulism.” Kenton did not write new scores for the Progressive Jazz band, but older works like “Concert

Timeline of Stan Kenton Orchestras

Stan Kenton was an important person in American music and had a lasting influence on big band jazz. His music changed over time from the 1940s to the 1970s. He helped spread jazz and the skill of improvisation by teaching through his Stan Kenton Band Clinics. Today, the "Kenton Style" is still used in high school and college big bands, and the teaching methods he created for jazz clinics are still used widely.

During the later years of the big band era, Kenton found new ways to improve his music. He expanded the size of his jazz orchestra, sometimes having more than forty musicians. He also added instruments like bass trombones, tubas, baritone saxophones, and bass saxophones to increase the range of high and low notes. His band could play both very softly and very loudly, more than any other big band at the time. Kenton was the main leader who helped move big band music from dance halls to concert halls. He was one of the most important people in the Third Stream movement, which combined jazz with classical music.

Recently, interest in Kenton’s music has grown again, with critics rediscovering his work and many of his recordings being released again. A band named after him, led by trumpeter Mike Vax, performs both classic Kenton arrangements and new music created by the band members. Kenton gave his entire collection of music books to the music library at North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas). A concert hall was named after him, but its name was recently changed because of concerns about his history of sexual misconduct. His music arrangements are now published by Sierra Music Publications.

Compared to four famous jazz orchestras (Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington), Kenton’s band had more changes in its members. Only a few musicians, like Bob Gioga, Buddy Childers, and Dick Shearer, stayed with Kenton for more than ten years. Other musicians, such as Lennie Niehaus, Bill Perkins, and Chico Alvarez, also played with the band for long periods. Many different jazz and studio musicians joined the group over time. The band was active from 1941 until the 1970s, shortly before Kenton’s death in 1979. Kenton’s leadership and musical ideas helped bring together a large and changing group of musicians and arrangers for nearly forty years.

Personal life

Kenton’s birth certificate, according to British biographer Michael Sparke, stated he was born on December 15, 1911. However, Kenton was born out of wedlock, and his parents told him he was born on February 19, 1912, two months later than the actual date. This was done to hide the fact that he was born before his parents were married. Kenton believed the February date was his birthday for most of his life. He recorded the Birthday In Britain concert album on February 19, 1973, using this date. The true birth date remained a secret, and his grave marker lists the incorrect February date.

Kenton was married three times. He had three children from his first two marriages. His first marriage was to Violet Rhoda Peters in 1935. The couple remained married for 15 years. They had a daughter, Leslie, in 1941. In her 2010 memoir Love Affair, Leslie Kenton wrote that her father sexually abused her between 1952 and 1954, when she was 11 to 13 years old. She stated the abuse occurred when he was drunk. Despite this, she maintained a close relationship with him and said he apologized 20 years later.

In 1955, Kenton married Ann Richards, a singer born in San Diego. She was 23 years younger than him. They had two children. In 1961, Richards posed for a nude photograph for Playboy magazine’s June issue. She signed a recording contract with Atco Records without her husband’s knowledge. Kenton learned about the Playboy shoot while performing in Chicago when someone gave him the magazine. Richards was not usually on tour with the band, though she recorded the album Two Much! with Kenton in 1960. Richards filed for divorce in August 1961, and the divorce was finalized in 1962. Kenton kept custody of their two children.

Kenton’s third marriage was to Jo Ann Hill, a production assistant at KABC, in 1967. This marriage ended in separation in 1969, and the divorce was finalized in 1970. In his later years, Kenton lived with Audree Coke Kenton, his public relations secretary and last business manager. They did not marry.

Kenton’s heavy use of alcohol caused frequent accidents and physical problems during the last 10 years of his life. His son, Lance, was part of the controversial Synanon new-age community in California. He served as a member of the group’s “Imperial Marines,” which was responsible for violent actions against former members and others seen as enemies. In 1978, Lance was arrested for placing a rattlesnake in the mailbox of an anti-Synanon lawyer. He was sentenced to one year in prison.

Kenton experienced two serious falls: one in the early 1970s and another in May 1977 during a tour in Reading, Pennsylvania. The second fall caused a fractured skull. On August 17, 1979, he was admitted to Midway Hospital near his home in Los Angeles after suffering a stroke. He died eight days later, on August 25, 1979. Kenton was buried in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Gold records and charts (singles and albums)

• 1944 Artistry in Rhythm (Capitol Records) instrumental
• 1945 Tampico (Capitol Records) vocal by June Christy and band
• 1945 Shoo-Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy (Capitol Records) vocal by June Christy and band

(Songs that reached the top of the US or UK charts)

Between 1944 and 1967, Stan Kenton had many songs that were popular on Billboard's charts.

(Albums listed on Billboard's charts)

Awards and honors

• 1978 – Honorary Doctorate of Music: University of Redlands
• 1974 – Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters: Drury College
• 1968 – Honorary Doctorate of Music: Villanova University
• 1967 – Award from the Intercollegiate Music Festival Hall of Fame
• Named to the International Association for Jazz Education Hall of Fame (1980)
• Honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (Recording – 6340 Hollywood Blvd.)
• "City of Glass" is listed in The Wire's "100 Records That Set The World on Fire" (While No One Was Listening).

• 2011 – Stan Kenton: Artistry In Rhythm – Portrait Of A Jazz Legend (DVD)

EMPixx Awards – Platinum Award for Documentary Category / Platinum Award for Use of Music Category.

United States Library of Congress National Recording Registry

• Artistry in Rhythm (single) – Stan Kenton – Released: 1943 – Inducted: 2011 – Category: Jazz

Compositions

Stan Kenton created many musical pieces, including "Artistry in Rhythm," available on V-Disc No. 285B, "Opus in Pastels," "Artistry Jumps," "Reed Rapture," "Eager Beaver," also on V-Disc 285B, "Fantasy," "Southern Scandal," found on V-Disc No. 573B, "Monotony," released on V-Disc No. 854B in 1948 with a spoken introduction by Kenton, "Harlem Folk Dance," "Painted Rhythm," "Concerto to End All Concertos," "Easy Go," "Concerto for Doghouse," "Shelly Manne," "Balboa Bash," "Flamenco," and "Sunset Tower."

Some of these works were made with Pete Rugolo, such as "Artistry in Boogie," "Collaboration," and "Theme to the West." Kenton shared writing credit for the 1944 jazz piece "And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine."

Kenton and Drum Corps

Many of the Kenton band's musical pieces have been widely used by drum corps groups. These arrangements are well-suited for the competitive environment of drum corps because they include different loudness levels and challenging brass parts. Notable examples include the Madison Scouts' championship-winning performance of "Malaguena" in 1988, Suncoast Sound's 1986 selection of music from "Adventures in Time," and the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps' 1992 performance of a suite from "Cuban Fire."