Kenton Innovations Orch Live Recordings

[JSngry]

I've long found Frankiyn Marks' "Trajectories" to be one of the best, organic pieces in this orchestra's repertoire, and this version, although a little sloppy in spots, hits a harder groove than any version I've ever heard, Can anybody identify this recoding, this concert? I could see how hearing this live could get the futuristic adrenaline flowing.

As always, thanks in advance!

[John Tapscott]

Jim: I believe there were really only two major concert recordings of the Innovations Orchestra generally available:

This one:

recorded Oct 19, 20, 1951

and this one

recorded Oct 14, 1951

I own the Cornell concert CD but not the Carnegie CD. Listening to the samples at amg, I'm almost certain your posting is from the Carnegie concert. What tips me off is the the sound quality which is I think is better at Carnegie than Cornell.

Edited March 2, 2012 by John Tapscott

[JSngry]

Thanks, John. I can tell that you're the "go to guy" for all things Kenton!

Which has me wondering...have you ever heard that Private Party LP that came out on Creative World? No music, supposedly just Kenton, Mort Sahl, Sweets Edison, I forget who else, telling stories about life on the road and such. Sounds like a truly unique item.

[John Tapscott]

Thanks, John. I can tell that you're the "go to guy" for all things Kenton!

Which has me wondering...have you ever heard that Private Party LP that came out on Creative World? No music, supposedly just Kenton, Mort Sahl, Sweets Edison, I forget who else, telling stories about life on the road and such. Sounds like a truly unique item.

No, I haven't heard it. I think it was only briefly available. Lots of four letter words and off-color jokes which would have been unseemly for the younger audience Kenton was aiming at in the Creative World years. "Hey mom and dad, just listen to this Stan Kenton album I bought at the high school concert!" Not the public image he wanted. But I'll talk to a friend of mine who is really the "go to guy" for Kenton. I'm sure he has a copy and will make a CDR for me.

[JSngry]

Yeah, I remember see it advertised briefly in the Creative World catalog ca. 1970-71, never saw a copy, ever, but just bought one off eBay. Didn't know what to expect.

The photo on the listing showed the album still in shrinkwrap, with a sticker saying "Exceptionally Clean", which from what you say is probably an ironic wink, and not a proud claim of the quality of the vinyl used.

[Teasing the Korean]

I have a few things by the Innovations Orchestra on LP - Portraits, etc.. but is the 2-CD Capitol compilation the most comprehensive place to get all the studio recordings?

[JSngry]

That and thee parallel City Of Class/Kenton Play Graettinger compilation pretty much covers all of them, I think.

[JSngry]

Well....I got the Carnegie Hall Hep CD pictured above, and it has neither this version of Artist In Rhythm, or Spirals. It does have some good art Pepper, but that's not what I was looking for.

So...any idea as to whaere the perfomance in the YouTube video can be located? Is it uber-rare or topp-secrett or some such?

[Larry Kart]

Thanks, John. I can tell that you're the "go to guy" for all things Kenton!

Which has me wondering...have you ever heard that Private Party LP that came out on Creative World? No music, supposedly just Kenton, Mort Sahl, Sweets Edison, I forget who else, telling stories about life on the road and such. Sounds like a truly unique item.

No, I haven't heard it. I think it was only briefly available. Lots of four letter words and off-color jokes which would have been unseemly for the younger audience Kenton was aiming at in the Creative World years. "Hey mom and dad, just listen to this Stan Kenton album I bought at the high school concert!" Not the public image he wanted. But I'll talk to a friend of mine who is really the "go to guy" for Kenton. I'm sure he has a copy and will make a CDR for me.

Wonder if it includes a story Sweets liked to tell. He was trying to get a woman to have anal sex with him, and she demurred, ostensibly on the grounds that it might hurt. To which Sweets said, "It's no bigger than your average turd."

[JSngry]

Thanks, John. I can tell that you're the "go to guy" for all things Kenton!

Which has me wondering...have you ever heard that Private Party LP that came out on Creative World? No music, supposedly just Kenton, Mort Sahl, Sweets Edison, I forget who else, telling stories about life on the road and such. Sounds like a truly unique item.

No, I haven't heard it. I think it was only briefly available. Lots of four letter words and off-color jokes which would have been unseemly for the younger audience Kenton was aiming at in the Creative World years. "Hey mom and dad, just listen to this Stan Kenton album I bought at the high school concert!" Not the public image he wanted. But I'll talk to a friend of mine who is really the "go to guy" for Kenton. I'm sure he has a copy and will make a CDR for me.

Wonder if it includes a story Sweets liked to tell. He was trying to get a woman to have anal sex with him, and she demurred, ostensibly on the grounds that it might hurt. To which Sweets said, "It's no bigger than your average turd."

Wow, this is weird...I think I found the recording in question in the OP, and check it out:

[DukeCity]

BTW: Looks like the library at UNT in Denton has 4 copies of the Private Party album. Don't know what the situation is regarding listening opportunities .

Kenton Private Party

Edit: to add that my mom and dad had one of their first dates at the November '51 Innovations concert in Seattle. They were both college students and my dad (a musician who played sax and piano) was a big Kenon fan. Mom was not "experienced" and apparently had a difficult time with some of the charts.

Edited May 22, 2012 by DukeCity

[JSngry]

Wow, this is weird...I think I found the recording in question in the OP, and check it out:

I have ordered and received the above CD, and can report that this is indeed the source of the YouTube clip, as well as that it is a very interesting document of the Innovations Orchestra. We have 2 CDs worh of material, including a June Christy set. This was one of the very first public appearances by this group, and all that you might think comes with that does indeed come with that. Band and audience both seem to still have "jazz" rather than "concert music" in their collective blood.

A relative obscure but definitely worthy addition to anybody's Kenton collection.