This album was originally intended to be more commercial "dance music" by the Kenton band and it is that. But it is also a great collection of standard evergreens arranged by his best arrangers ever played by his best band ever. Conte Condoli, Buddy Childers and a very young Maynard Ferguson shine on trumpet, Frank Rosolino on trombone and Lee Konitz provides the musical gems one would expect from him on alto. Who says the Kenton band couldn't swing! That depends on who's on drums and who wrote the charts. On this album the drummer is Mel Lewis, the arrangers are Bill Russo and Bill Holman. This is a must have for Kenton fans along with it companion album "Portrait on Standards" with the same arrangers and for the most part the same personnel. Also a must for anyone that just loves great classic American music. I love this album both from a standpoint of beautiful memories of the days in my life it represents and for being just plain beautiful jazz.
It's amazing how a collaboration between talented arrangers and great players can bring new life to tunes we've heard at least a thousand times. Half of the 14 tracks in this collection were arranged by Bill Russo, the remainder being the work of notables such as Lennie Niehaus, Johnny Richards, and Kenton himself. Among the musicians in this all-star band are Maynard Ferguson, Conte Candoli, and Buddy Childers on trumpet; Lee Konitz, Bill Holman, Bob Cooper, Richie Kamuca, and Jimmy Giuffre on saxes; Frank Rosolino, Bob Burgess, and Carl Fontana on trombone; and Mel Lewis on drums. If you recognize all or most of these names, then you know the caliber of this recording. If you don't, it's time for you to be introduced to them. Some highlights: a mellow "Sophisticated Lady" with nice solos and a bit of in-your-face brass; an arrangement of "Begin the Beguine" that will make you forget about the way Artie Shaw played it; "Lover Man" as a superb alto feature for Konitz; one of Candoli's best recorded solos in "Pennies From Heaven"; excellent solo and ensemble work in "Fascinatin' Rhythm"; a warm and tender "I'm Glad There Is You" with a gorgeous Niehaus alto solo; and Rosolino, brilliant as always, soloing on four tracks. Need I say more? The original 1953 release was a 10-inch LP that included only the first eight tracks. Two of the six bonus tracks came from the same session, while the rest were recorded in 1955-56. The package includes a booklet with informative liner notes written for the CD release. The tracks are short, yielding a total time of only about 42 minutes, but you'll be impressed with how much big band enjoyment can be packed into three-quarters of an hour.
A great example of Kenton at his finest. The type of recording that you can listen to over and over and still find little subtletys each time. A must for any Kenton lover.
This is the quintessencial Kenton. The arrangements are classic. The sidemen are all stars in their own right. I don't believe they all played together again after the year (1953) this album was made.br /br /If you don't have "Sketches on Standards" your Kenton collection is incomplete.
Conte Condoli's solo on Pennies from Heaven is flawless. Maynard Ferguson is not featured too much on this album,but has a solo. Buddy Childers has a couple of solos.
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"Sketches on Standards/Kenton"