Stan Kenton – Swing Era
Picture: C-
Sound: C- Extras: D Shorts: B
Stan Kenton was one of the Big Band leaders of note in the
1940s, though time has not always been kind to him, but his survival through
the Rock era and his influence kept him going and Stan Kenton – Swing Era
is a new set of work from him and three other accomplished star conductors of
his time.
Charlie Barnet, aka “Mad Mab,” was a hit in the 1930s with
some of his best works included here.
The original peak period ended in 1949 when he decided to wind it down
himself, though he did occasionally record afterwards. Les Brown launched his Big Band in 1938 and
was the “Longest Organized” music group in The Guinness Book Of World Records by
1996. Claude Thornhill was a veteran when
he formed his own Big Band in 1940 and the band ran until 1948, save a break to
serve in the U.S. Military during World War II. The tracks are as follows:
Stan Kenton:
1)
Southern Scandal (Soundies (Filmcraft
Production) 1045-7-195; RCA optical mono)
2)
It’s Been A Long Time
(Soundies 1045-7-194)
3)
Jammin’ In The Panoram (RCM
Soundies short)
4)
Eager Beaver (Soundies 1045-7-197)
5)
Tampico (Soundies 1045-7-192)
6)
Reed Rapture (RCM Soundies short from 1942
directed by Reginald LeBorg with the songs Artistry in Rhythm, Down
In Chi-Hua-Hua, Just A Sittin’ & A Rockin’, Concerto To End
All Concertos and Tampico)
Charlie Barnet:
7)
Skyliner (Studio Telescripts # 2901;
Western Electric optical mono)
8)
My Old Flame (#2905)
9)
Andy’s Boogie (#2903)
10)
Caravan (Snader
Telescriptions #2904; Bill Derry – vocal)
11)
Cherokee (#2902)
Les Brown:
12)
I’ve Got
The World On A String (Snader Telescriptions #7303; Lucy Ann Polk –
Vocal)
13)
Time Will
Take Care Of Everything (#7302; Butch Stone – vocal)
14)
Dance Of
Renown (Snader with no number and newer label)
15)
Billboard
March (Snader #7301)
16)
My Lost
Horizon (with Doris Day on vocal, directed by Arthur Leonard;
Snader 241-13)
Claude Thornhill
17)
Where
Has My Little Dog Gone? (with Buddy Stewart & Martha Wayne; I have to
note how bizarre the artificial dogs are for the dance number)
The full
frame image is varied, but the picture is often degraded form barely surviving,
maybe not as well as the Sarah Vaughan set. All are in black & white.
The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is a choice that does not work as well as the
PCM on the Dizzy Gillespie and Dinah Washington set, sounding the
smallest of the four volumes we have covered so far. There are no extras but these films are just too archival and
valuable, even in this condition, so the set is recommended just the same. It is also a musically great set, but its
value as filmmaking history should not be underestimated.
- Nicholas Sheffo
