Cuban Fire!
Encyclopedia
Cuban Fire! is an album recorded by Stan Kenton
and his orchestra in 1956. This has become one of the most influential Latin jazz, large ensemble recordings of all time; it was a first for the Kenton big band in terms of popularity, style, and overall album theme. The concept of the original 1956 recording centers around the Cuban Fire! suite Kenton had commissioned from composer Johnny Richards. The 1991 CD re-issue is augmented with one extra track from the 1956 sessions and five cuts recorded four years later by the first of Kenton's mellophonium orchestras (1960).
had recorded earlier hits such as The Peanut Vendor
in 1947 with Latin percussionist Machito
, as well as many other Latin flavored singles, the Cuban Fire! suite and LP stands as a watershed set of compositions for Johnny Richards' career and an outstanding commercial/artistic achievement for the Kenton orchestra, and a singular landmark in large ensemble Latin jazz
recordings. "The reason we (i.e Kenton) made CUBAN FIRE! is interesting. We had recorded a lot of Afro-Cuban
music, and a lot of the Latin guys around New York
complained: 'It's wrong, you're not writing the music correctly.'" Stan Kenton then asked composer Johnny Richards (long time staff arranger for Kenton) to write an authentic Latin “suite” that would abide by all the rules many Afro-Cuban musicians had complained about.
Of all the writers in the Kenton stable of names, Richards was the best suited for the task of creating such music for the Kenton orchestra. Richards was bilingual (Spanish/English) and was born in Toluca, Mexico as Juan Manuel Cascales; his parents were Spanish immigrants to Mexico
. Richards was to hang around with the Cuban
-Hispanic
musicians of New York for months before starting the suite. This was a much more personal endeavor for Richards than it was for any of the possible Kenton writers. “CUBAN FIRE is completely authentic, the way it combines big-band jazz with genuine Latin-American rhythms.”" The recording is a musical triumph for both Kenton and Richards; it comes at a time when big bands and jazz were slowly eclipsed by the pop music of Elvis Presley
and emerging rock n' roll. The success of the Cuban Fire! album can be gauged in part by the immediate ascent of Johnny Richards' star after its release; he was suddenly offered a contract by Bethlehem Records to record what would be the first of several recordings with his own groups. The entire CD recording (to include the later 1960s cuts) also does a great deal to dispel several myths about the Kenton orchestra; namely how the band swung, the diversity/quality of soloists, and how Kenton treated African-American musicians.
The original LP and recording sessions were completed on a highly compressed timeline. Before the first notes of Recuerdos and Fuego Cubano where recorded on May 22, 1956, Kenton and his orchestra had been on a two month tour of Europe (set sail back from Cherbourg, France to New York on May 10) with only having looked at "El Congo Valiente" beforehand. The band had less than a week to prepare while in New York. While the great majority of the personnel for the LP was on tour, Richards had taken great care to meticulously rehearse the suite with the Latin percussionists who would be added for three days of recording.
Though the listing for the liner notes contains six trumpets, only five are called for in Richards' scores. Due to the 'heavy lifting' the music required for the brass section, a rotation of trumpet players was utilized on the sessions. A discarded part of the suite entitled "Alma Pecadora" (Soul of a Sinner) with the heading "Cuban Fire Suite" had been rejected due to quality isssues as compared to the other movements. "Tres Corazones" (three hearts) is recorded on May 24 as the last of the three days but never makes it on the Cuban Fire! LP pressing; it does appear on a later Kenton LP release for Capitol Records in 1965. (disputed as to this cut being a part of the suite). One is to assume there are eight movements in all composed by Richards as opposed to the six on the original LP.
Soloists are abundant on the original recording of the Cuban Fire! suite; most interesting of them being the tenor saxophonist Lucky Thompson
. The Thompson tenor solos on the second half of "Fuego Cubano" and the up tempo "Quien Sabe" are a new addition and contrast to the normal style and harmonic/melodic practices of known Kenton tenor sidemen such as Bill Perkins, Zoot Sims
, or later Bill Trujillo. Along with the 'heavy-weight' addition of Thompson, jazz luminaries such as Carl Fontana
, Lennie Niehaus
, Sam Noto
, and Mel Lewis
are prominent in solo spots adding to the credibility and legendary status of the dates. Thompson and Curtis Counce
(bass) on the Cuban Fire! sessions (and previous tour) serve as positive credits in the dispelling of myth about Kenton having racist tendencies towards the hiring of sidemen.
The tracks on the Cuban Fire! CD numbered 8-12 are an interesting set of recordings from a time of change for the Kenton orchestra beginning in 1960. These, along with two other recorded tracks, were to comprise an entirely fresh Stan Kenton LP release for Capitol Records later that year from the newly formed mellophonium orchestra. While the mellophoniums helped to bridge the sonic gap in the middle range between trombones and trumpet, they were volatile in terms of tuning and reliability (even with the best players). Both Richards and long time Kenton staff composer Gene Ronald are the primary writers and conductors for these later recording dates (Kenton himself writes "Midnight Tales" for the project), they did not make accommodations when writing for the new instrument. The whole project was ditched after 11 frustrating hours of recording, only producing 26 minutes of usable music.
Oddly, Johnny Richards' Wagon (On The Wagon) is one of the most interesting tracks on the 1991 re-issue and was originally issued on a Kenton compilation LP from the 1970s by Capitol Records
years after the band had gone with Creative World Records (Kenton's own label). Kenton was greatly criticized over the years for having bands that did not swing like the bands of Woody Herman, Count Basie, or Duke Ellington. This one track composed by Richards (one of only two swing, non-Afro Latin cuts from the CD) proves wrong any doubts about the Kenton band being able to compete against the afformentioned bands. The alto saxophone solo by Gabe Baltazar
on Wagon is formidable and a real highlight of his tenure with Kenton; easily comparable to solos of earlier alto players with the band such as Lee Konitz
, Lennie Niehaus
, or Charlie Mariano
. Ironically, the once miligned fledgeling mellophonium band (and poor tuning) is later praised for its 'imposing testimony' on Richards' first scores for the group.
In 1960 Kenton also has the instrumentation of the sax section changed to alto/tenor/tenor/bari/bari or bass saxophone
creating a much more robust lower end to the band. The sax section make-up would stay the same until the band disbanded after Kenton's passing in the late 1970s (mellophoniums were discarded by the middle 1960s). The trombone section is also transformed to have tuba
anchoring the brass. The first Kenton mellophonium band was a far more symphonic sounding group than earlier versions or periods of the Kenton orchestra. The initial September 1960 sessions function to work through the orchestration and sonic problems presented by such a wide variety and number of instruments being recorded live in the studio.
and other music periodicals during 1956. The LP was both an artistic achievement and a commercial success. This is unheard of for this type of music or jazz project in the current time and age we live; to compete head to head with pop music so successfully.
This CD contains one of the classic Stan Kenton albums, a six-part suite composed and arranged by Johnny Richards. The Kenton orchestra was expanded to 27 pieces for these dates including six percussionists, two French horns and six trumpets. With such soloists as tenor-great Lucky Thompson (on "Fuego Cubano,") trombonist Carl Fontana, altoist Lennie Niehaus, Bill Perkins on tenor and trumpeters Sam Noto and Vinnie Tanno, and plenty of raging ensembles, this is one of Stan Kenton's more memorable concept albums of the 1950s.
Composer-arranger Johnny Richards created the music for this concept album, recorded in 1956. It required a very large band for its execution, combining Stan Kenton's usual brass emphasis with five Latin percussionists led by Willie Rodriguez on bongos. The results are admirable: music filled with heat and energy and sudden sharp contrasts in moods and voices. There are excellent solo contributions from a band that included trumpeter Sam Noto, trombonist Carl Fontana, and saxophonists Lennie Niehaus, Lucky Thompson, and Bill Perkins, but the real stars are Richards and the collective ensemble, who bring extraordinary precision and energy to a highly demanding score. The results are among the finest moments of Kenton's career, not only for the authentic use of Latin rhythmic elements but also for Richards's success in integrating extended composition techniques with jazz improvisers. The CD also includes five pieces by Richards and Gene Roland recorded in 1960 by the "Mellophonium" version of Kenton's orchestra.
Stan Kenton
Stanley Newcomb "Stan" Kenton was a pianist, composer, and arranger who led a highly innovative, influential, and often controversial American jazz orchestra. In later years he was widely active as an educator....
and his orchestra in 1956. This has become one of the most influential Latin jazz, large ensemble recordings of all time; it was a first for the Kenton big band in terms of popularity, style, and overall album theme. The concept of the original 1956 recording centers around the Cuban Fire! suite Kenton had commissioned from composer Johnny Richards. The 1991 CD re-issue is augmented with one extra track from the 1956 sessions and five cuts recorded four years later by the first of Kenton's mellophonium orchestras (1960).
Background
Though Stan KentonStan Kenton
Stanley Newcomb "Stan" Kenton was a pianist, composer, and arranger who led a highly innovative, influential, and often controversial American jazz orchestra. In later years he was widely active as an educator....
had recorded earlier hits such as The Peanut Vendor
The Peanut Vendor
The Peanut Vendor is a Cuban song based on a street-seller's cry, and known as a pregón. It is possibly the most famous piece of music created by a Cuban musician...
in 1947 with Latin percussionist Machito
Machito
Machito , born as Francisco Raúl Gutiérrez Grillo, was an influential Latin jazz musician who helped refine Afro-Cuban jazz and create both Cubop and salsa music...
, as well as many other Latin flavored singles, the Cuban Fire! suite and LP stands as a watershed set of compositions for Johnny Richards' career and an outstanding commercial/artistic achievement for the Kenton orchestra, and a singular landmark in large ensemble Latin jazz
Latin jazz
Latin jazz is the general term given to jazz with Latin American rhythms.The three main categories of Latin Jazz are Brazilian, Cuban and Puerto Rican:# Brazilian Latin Jazz includes bossa nova...
recordings. "The reason we (i.e Kenton) made CUBAN FIRE! is interesting. We had recorded a lot of Afro-Cuban
Afro-Cuban
The term Afro-Cuban refers to Cubans of Sub Saharan African ancestry, and to historical or cultural elements in Cuba thought to emanate from this community...
music, and a lot of the Latin guys around New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
complained: 'It's wrong, you're not writing the music correctly.'" Stan Kenton then asked composer Johnny Richards (long time staff arranger for Kenton) to write an authentic Latin “suite” that would abide by all the rules many Afro-Cuban musicians had complained about.
Of all the writers in the Kenton stable of names, Richards was the best suited for the task of creating such music for the Kenton orchestra. Richards was bilingual (Spanish/English) and was born in Toluca, Mexico as Juan Manuel Cascales; his parents were Spanish immigrants to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Richards was to hang around with the Cuban
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
-Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
musicians of New York for months before starting the suite. This was a much more personal endeavor for Richards than it was for any of the possible Kenton writers. “CUBAN FIRE is completely authentic, the way it combines big-band jazz with genuine Latin-American rhythms.”" The recording is a musical triumph for both Kenton and Richards; it comes at a time when big bands and jazz were slowly eclipsed by the pop music of Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
and emerging rock n' roll. The success of the Cuban Fire! album can be gauged in part by the immediate ascent of Johnny Richards' star after its release; he was suddenly offered a contract by Bethlehem Records to record what would be the first of several recordings with his own groups. The entire CD recording (to include the later 1960s cuts) also does a great deal to dispel several myths about the Kenton orchestra; namely how the band swung, the diversity/quality of soloists, and how Kenton treated African-American musicians.
The original LP and recording sessions were completed on a highly compressed timeline. Before the first notes of Recuerdos and Fuego Cubano where recorded on May 22, 1956, Kenton and his orchestra had been on a two month tour of Europe (set sail back from Cherbourg, France to New York on May 10) with only having looked at "El Congo Valiente" beforehand. The band had less than a week to prepare while in New York. While the great majority of the personnel for the LP was on tour, Richards had taken great care to meticulously rehearse the suite with the Latin percussionists who would be added for three days of recording.
Though the listing for the liner notes contains six trumpets, only five are called for in Richards' scores. Due to the 'heavy lifting' the music required for the brass section, a rotation of trumpet players was utilized on the sessions. A discarded part of the suite entitled "Alma Pecadora" (Soul of a Sinner) with the heading "Cuban Fire Suite" had been rejected due to quality isssues as compared to the other movements. "Tres Corazones" (three hearts) is recorded on May 24 as the last of the three days but never makes it on the Cuban Fire! LP pressing; it does appear on a later Kenton LP release for Capitol Records in 1965. (disputed as to this cut being a part of the suite). One is to assume there are eight movements in all composed by Richards as opposed to the six on the original LP.
Soloists are abundant on the original recording of the Cuban Fire! suite; most interesting of them being the tenor saxophonist Lucky Thompson
Lucky Thompson
Eli "Lucky" Thompson was a United States jazz tenor and soprano saxophonist...
. The Thompson tenor solos on the second half of "Fuego Cubano" and the up tempo "Quien Sabe" are a new addition and contrast to the normal style and harmonic/melodic practices of known Kenton tenor sidemen such as Bill Perkins, Zoot Sims
Zoot Sims
John Haley "Zoot" Sims was an American jazz saxophonist, playing mainly tenor and soprano.-Biography:He was born in Inglewood, California, the son of vaudeville performers Kate Haley and John Sims. Growing up in a performing family, Sims learned to play both drums and clarinet at an early age...
, or later Bill Trujillo. Along with the 'heavy-weight' addition of Thompson, jazz luminaries such as Carl Fontana
Carl Fontana
Carl Charles Fontana was an American jazz trombonist. Because Fontana rarely recorded under his own name and toured only occasionally after 1958, he is significantly less famous among mainstream jazz fans, although well-known amongst trombonists.-Birth to 1958:Born in Monroe, Louisiana, Fontana...
, Lennie Niehaus
Lennie Niehaus
Lennie Niehaus is an American alto saxophonist, arranger, and composer on the West Coast jazz scene. He has played with the Stan Kenton big band, and various other jazz bands on the West Coast of the U.S. Niehaus has arranged and composed for motion pictures, including several produced by Clint...
, Sam Noto
Sam Noto
Sam Noto is an American jazz trumpeter born in Buffalo, New York, perhaps best known for his work with Stan Kenton during the 1950s.-Select Discography:with Stan Kenton* "Kenton Showcae"...
, and Mel Lewis
Mel Lewis
Mel Lewis was an American drummer, jazz musician and band leader. He was born Melvin Sokoloff in Buffalo, New York to Russian immigrant parents....
are prominent in solo spots adding to the credibility and legendary status of the dates. Thompson and Curtis Counce
Curtis Counce
Curtis Counce was an American hard bop and West Coast jazz double bassist. The fruit of his 1956 Contemporary Records studio collaboration with tenor saxophonist Harold Land, trumpeters Jack Sheldon and Gerald Wilson, pianist Carl Perkins and drummer Frank Butler was issued in 2007 on a double CD...
(bass) on the Cuban Fire! sessions (and previous tour) serve as positive credits in the dispelling of myth about Kenton having racist tendencies towards the hiring of sidemen.
The tracks on the Cuban Fire! CD numbered 8-12 are an interesting set of recordings from a time of change for the Kenton orchestra beginning in 1960. These, along with two other recorded tracks, were to comprise an entirely fresh Stan Kenton LP release for Capitol Records later that year from the newly formed mellophonium orchestra. While the mellophoniums helped to bridge the sonic gap in the middle range between trombones and trumpet, they were volatile in terms of tuning and reliability (even with the best players). Both Richards and long time Kenton staff composer Gene Ronald are the primary writers and conductors for these later recording dates (Kenton himself writes "Midnight Tales" for the project), they did not make accommodations when writing for the new instrument. The whole project was ditched after 11 frustrating hours of recording, only producing 26 minutes of usable music.
Oddly, Johnny Richards' Wagon (On The Wagon) is one of the most interesting tracks on the 1991 re-issue and was originally issued on a Kenton compilation LP from the 1970s by Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
years after the band had gone with Creative World Records (Kenton's own label). Kenton was greatly criticized over the years for having bands that did not swing like the bands of Woody Herman, Count Basie, or Duke Ellington. This one track composed by Richards (one of only two swing, non-Afro Latin cuts from the CD) proves wrong any doubts about the Kenton band being able to compete against the afformentioned bands. The alto saxophone solo by Gabe Baltazar
Gabe Baltazar
Gabe Baltazar is a Filipino-American jazz alto saxophonist.Considered as one of the last great alumni from the Stan Kenton Orchestra, Baltazar moved to the U.S. mainland from Hawaii in the mid-1950s, to record music with Paul Togawa in 1957, and spent a brief unrecorded period in 1960 with the...
on Wagon is formidable and a real highlight of his tenure with Kenton; easily comparable to solos of earlier alto players with the band such as Lee Konitz
Lee Konitz
Lee Konitz is an American jazz composer and alto saxophonist born in Chicago, Illinois.Generally considered one of the driving forces of Cool Jazz, Konitz has also performed successfully in bebop and avant-garde settings...
, Lennie Niehaus
Lennie Niehaus
Lennie Niehaus is an American alto saxophonist, arranger, and composer on the West Coast jazz scene. He has played with the Stan Kenton big band, and various other jazz bands on the West Coast of the U.S. Niehaus has arranged and composed for motion pictures, including several produced by Clint...
, or Charlie Mariano
Charlie Mariano
Carmine Ugo Mariano was an American jazz alto saxophonist. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts and died in Cologne, Germany.-Biography:Mariano was the son of Italian immigrants....
. Ironically, the once miligned fledgeling mellophonium band (and poor tuning) is later praised for its 'imposing testimony' on Richards' first scores for the group.
In 1960 Kenton also has the instrumentation of the sax section changed to alto/tenor/tenor/bari/bari or bass saxophone
Bass saxophone
The bass saxophone is the second largest member of the saxophone family. Its design is similar to that of the baritone saxophone, with a loop of tubing near the mouthpiece. It was the first type of saxophone presented to the public, when Adolphe Sax exhibited a bass saxophone in C at an exhibition...
creating a much more robust lower end to the band. The sax section make-up would stay the same until the band disbanded after Kenton's passing in the late 1970s (mellophoniums were discarded by the middle 1960s). The trombone section is also transformed to have tuba
Tuba
The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
anchoring the brass. The first Kenton mellophonium band was a far more symphonic sounding group than earlier versions or periods of the Kenton orchestra. The initial September 1960 sessions function to work through the orchestration and sonic problems presented by such a wide variety and number of instruments being recorded live in the studio.
Track listing
- Tracks 1-6 comprised the original Capitol T-731, Cuban Fire! LP (1956)
- Track 7 is first issued on Capitol T-20244 (UK), Fabulous Alumni of Stan Kenton LP (1963)
- Track 8 & 9 are first issued on Creative World ST-1066, Kenton By Request Vol. 5 LP (1972)
- Track 10 is first issued on Creative World ST-1040, Kenton By Request Vol. 2 LP (1966)
- Track 11 is first issued on Capitol, M-11027, Capitol Jazz Classics Vol. 2: Stan Kenton LP (1972)
- Track 12 is first issued on Creative World ST-1069, Kenton By Request Vol. 6 LP (1990)
Recording Sessions
- May 22–24, 1956 in New York City at the Riverside Plaza Hotel
- Tracks 1-7 (in mono)
- These were recorded in the three days of sessions in New York but "Tres Corazones" was not included as part of the suite on the original Cuban Fire! LP at the behest of Johnny Richards.
- September 19–21, 1960 in Hollywood CA at Capitol Tower Studios
- Tracks 8-12 (in stereo)
- Gene Roland's "Ten Bars Ago" was recorded on Sept. 21 and has been re-issued on the 4 CD set Stan Kenton Retrospective - The Capitol Years (1992, Blue Note Records, ASN B000ULGNUU)
- Stan Kenton's "Midnight Tales" was also recorded on Sept. 21 but has never been issued.
May 22–24, 1956
- Piano, Conductor – Stan KentonStan KentonStanley Newcomb "Stan" Kenton was a pianist, composer, and arranger who led a highly innovative, influential, and often controversial American jazz orchestra. In later years he was widely active as an educator....
- Alto saxophone – Lennie NiehausLennie NiehausLennie Niehaus is an American alto saxophonist, arranger, and composer on the West Coast jazz scene. He has played with the Stan Kenton big band, and various other jazz bands on the West Coast of the U.S. Niehaus has arranged and composed for motion pictures, including several produced by Clint...
- Tenor saxophone – Bill Perkins, Lucky ThompsonLucky ThompsonEli "Lucky" Thompson was a United States jazz tenor and soprano saxophonist...
- Baritone saxophone – Bill Root
- Trumpet – Al Mattaliano, Ed Leddy, Lee Katzman, Phil Gilbert, Sam NotoSam NotoSam Noto is an American jazz trumpeter born in Buffalo, New York, perhaps best known for his work with Stan Kenton during the 1950s.-Select Discography:with Stan Kenton* "Kenton Showcae"...
, Vinnie Tanno
- French Horn – Irving Rosenthal, Julius WatkinsJulius WatkinsJulius Watkins was an American jazz musician, and one of the first jazz French horn players. He won the Down Beat critics poll in 1960 and 1961 for "miscellaneous instrument" with French horn named as the instrument....
- Trombone – Bob Fitzpatrick, Carl FontanaCarl FontanaCarl Charles Fontana was an American jazz trombonist. Because Fontana rarely recorded under his own name and toured only occasionally after 1958, he is significantly less famous among mainstream jazz fans, although well-known amongst trombonists.-Birth to 1958:Born in Monroe, Louisiana, Fontana...
, Don Kelly, Kent LarsonKent LarsonFor other persons named Kent Larson, see Kent Larson .Kent Larson is an American actor.-Biography:Kent Larson began his career in November 2003 after moving from his hometown in Missouri to San Diego, California...
- Tuba – Jim McAllister
- Guitar – Ralph Blaze
- Bass – Curtis CounceCurtis CounceCurtis Counce was an American hard bop and West Coast jazz double bassist. The fruit of his 1956 Contemporary Records studio collaboration with tenor saxophonist Harold Land, trumpeters Jack Sheldon and Gerald Wilson, pianist Carl Perkins and drummer Frank Butler was issued in 2007 on a double CD...
- Drums – Mel LewisMel LewisMel Lewis was an American drummer, jazz musician and band leader. He was born Melvin Sokoloff in Buffalo, New York to Russian immigrant parents....
- Timpani – George Gaber, Saul Gubin
- Maracas – Mario Alvarez
- Bongos – Willie RodriguezWillie RodriguezWilliam Vicente Rodriguez is a former West Indian cricketer who played in five Tests from 1962 to 1968....
- Claves – Roger Mozian
- Timbales – George Laguna
- Congas – Tommy Lopez
September 19–21, 1960
- Piano, Conductor – Stan KentonStan KentonStanley Newcomb "Stan" Kenton was a pianist, composer, and arranger who led a highly innovative, influential, and often controversial American jazz orchestra. In later years he was widely active as an educator....
- Conductors – Johnny Richards, Gene RolandGene RolandGene M. Roland was a jazz composer and musician who played many instruments during his career but was most significant as an arranger/composer and for his association with Stan Kenton...
- Alto saxophone – Gabe BaltazarGabe BaltazarGabe Baltazar is a Filipino-American jazz alto saxophonist.Considered as one of the last great alumni from the Stan Kenton Orchestra, Baltazar moved to the U.S. mainland from Hawaii in the mid-1950s, to record music with Paul Togawa in 1957, and spent a brief unrecorded period in 1960 with the...
- Tenor saxophone – San Donahue, Paul Renzi
- Baritone saxophone – Marvin Holladay
- Baritone saxophone, Bass saxophone– Wayne Dustan
- Trumpet – Bud BrisboisBud BrisboisAustin Dean "Bud" Brisbois was a jazz and studio trumpet player. He played all styles, including big band lead, jazz soloing, pop, rock, country, Motown, and classical, but it was his high-note playing that set him apart...
, Dalton Smith, Sam NotoSam NotoSam Noto is an American jazz trumpeter born in Buffalo, New York, perhaps best known for his work with Stan Kenton during the 1950s.-Select Discography:with Stan Kenton* "Kenton Showcae"...
, Bob Rolfe, Steve Huffsteter, Johnny Audino (Audino first two days only, cuts 8-11)
- Mellophonium – Dwight Carver, Joe Burnett, Bill Horan, Tom Wirtel - and Gene RolandGene RolandGene M. Roland was a jazz composer and musician who played many instruments during his career but was most significant as an arranger/composer and for his association with Stan Kenton...
(Roland solos only on Early Hours)
- Trombone – Dick Hyde, Ray Sikora
- Bass Trombone – Jim Amlotte, Bob Knight
- Tuba – Albert Pollan
- Bass – Pete Chivily
- Drums – Art Anton
- Bongos/congas – George Acevedo
Production
- Producer for all tracks: Lee Gillette
- Re-issue (CD) producer: Ted Daryl
- Digital transfers (CD): Jay Ranellucci and Joe Brescio
- CD design: Franko Caligiuri/Ink Well, Inc.
- Liner notes: Ted Daryl (for CD re-issue)
Reception
The Billboard Magazine sales tracking speaks for itself, the first Billboard Magazine review is supplied as a link and through that one can read the PDF versions of Billboard Magazine online. There are further positive reviews from DownbeatDownbeat
Downbeat, down beat or Down Beat may refer to:*Downbeat, the first beat of a measure in music. This terms originated from orchestral conducting, where the lowest point on the baton signals the first downbeat in a given measure...
and other music periodicals during 1956. The LP was both an artistic achievement and a commercial success. This is unheard of for this type of music or jazz project in the current time and age we live; to compete head to head with pop music so successfully.
- Recent reviews on 1991 CD re-issue
This CD contains one of the classic Stan Kenton albums, a six-part suite composed and arranged by Johnny Richards. The Kenton orchestra was expanded to 27 pieces for these dates including six percussionists, two French horns and six trumpets. With such soloists as tenor-great Lucky Thompson (on "Fuego Cubano,") trombonist Carl Fontana, altoist Lennie Niehaus, Bill Perkins on tenor and trumpeters Sam Noto and Vinnie Tanno, and plenty of raging ensembles, this is one of Stan Kenton's more memorable concept albums of the 1950s.
- Scott YanowScott YanowScott Yanow is an American jazz commentator, known for many contributions to the Allmusic website, for writing ten books on jazz and for reviewing jazz recordings for over 30 years.-Biography:...
, Allmusic Guide
Composer-arranger Johnny Richards created the music for this concept album, recorded in 1956. It required a very large band for its execution, combining Stan Kenton's usual brass emphasis with five Latin percussionists led by Willie Rodriguez on bongos. The results are admirable: music filled with heat and energy and sudden sharp contrasts in moods and voices. There are excellent solo contributions from a band that included trumpeter Sam Noto, trombonist Carl Fontana, and saxophonists Lennie Niehaus, Lucky Thompson, and Bill Perkins, but the real stars are Richards and the collective ensemble, who bring extraordinary precision and energy to a highly demanding score. The results are among the finest moments of Kenton's career, not only for the authentic use of Latin rhythmic elements but also for Richards's success in integrating extended composition techniques with jazz improvisers. The CD also includes five pieces by Richards and Gene Roland recorded in 1960 by the "Mellophonium" version of Kenton's orchestra.
- Stuart BroomerStuart BroomerStuart Broomer is a Canadian editor, music critic, pianist, writer, jazz historian, and composer. He is a former editor with CODA magazine and currently works as an editor at Coach House Books...
, Amazon.com