Vocal nostalgia.
Robin Benson | 02/22/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"A CD bargain with two good Kenton long players on the one disc. 'Kenton with Voices' (1957) was his first full-length album with voices, Ann Richards and the Modern Men quartet, 'Artistry in Voices and Brass' (1964) featured an eighteen-voice choir.
I liked the mix of tracks with lyric and wordless vocals. The 'Artistry in Voices' tracks are interesting (apart from having a crisper sound than 'Kenton with Voices') because there are only five trombones and a rhythm section providing the backing for the singers. The arrangements were by Pete Rugolo and had no lyrics but luckily Milt Raskin, for some reason, had written lyrics to eleven of Kenton's best known themes and they are part of the thirteen tracks featured here. Just listen to 'Painted Rhythm', 'Intermission Riff' or 'It's Love' to hear how well he succeeded. You get to hear two versions of 'Eager Beaver', too. The first version is from 'Kenton with Voices' with a wordless vocal, the second, from 'Voices and Brass', now has the lyrics by Raskin and is a super up-tempo number.
If you liked the sound of big band vocal groups from the Fifties you'll enjoy this seventy-seven minute Kenton twofer.
This CD is another from Collectors' Choice and they continue to re-issue great back catalog material. A minor criticism concerns the inlay card, it reproduces the back covers from the two Kenton LPs but so small that the interesting original text can't be read. Other companies neatly solve this problem by printing the back LP cover life-size and then folding it in four to fit the jewel box size."
Great Kenton with Wonderful Voices
RBSProds | Deep in the heart of Texas | 01/06/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Five Big Stars!! This is classic Kenton but with female and male voices emulating orchestral instruments on his classic arrangements. In the tradition of the Hi-Los. Kenton's spare but beautiful piano is evident throughout but subdued, giving the voices center stage. This is one of my Top 25 favorite jazz albums of all time.
There are six "Pieces D'Resistance". "DayDreams in the Night", with it's very effective low register voices in the beginning and the surprise entrance of the high voices, all with the classic Kenton "punchy" trombones over a hard-driving latin rhythm. Mesmerizing! A similar high-low voice-entry pattern is used with "Solitaire", but at a slow balladic tempo with the female voices being especially ethereal: listen to this one at sunset and it will overpower you! "It's Love" is simply a wonderful vocal updating of another Kenton instrumental classic, with really effective swirling double/triple tempo vocal scatting, a really hip lyric, all over a swinging tempo. "Eager Beaver" is a very familiar Kenton song, notable for it's extended dramatic pauses, with wonderful lyrics underpining the entire performance. "I Will Follow You" gets a beautiful extended treatment from the voices with orchestral fills. Trombones dominate the background support. "Night Song" (the lyric version of Kenton's signature "Artistry in Rhythm") runs the gamut of tempos, from Kenton's beautiful solo piano exposition of the theme to the manic uptempo inter-twining of voices and orchestra. Of special note is the amazing seven-note figure beautifully scatted by a solo female voice. As a matter of fact, the upper vocal register work of the entire female chorus really MAKES this album a standout, it's astonishing to hear their range and how they 'color' these performances.
If you are a Kenton fan or if you like vocal group adventurism like Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross; the Double Six of Paris; New York Voices, or even the legendary "Ahmad Jamal with Voices" album of old, this is the one for you. It's timeless, beautiful choral jazz music delivered in a wonderful manner. Thank you, KJ Howe for the heads up on this one. Five Big Stars. It's a Keeper!!"
Track Listings (23) - Disc #1