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When bandleader Stan Kenton was approached to record an album of holiday music in 1961 he agreed, on one condition -- no songs about singing snowmen or flying reindeer. The resulting album, A Merry Christmas, is a polyphonic masterpiece that is at once progressive and traditional. Included are such well-known classics as "O Tannenbaum" and "The Twelve Days of Christmas" as well as lesser known gems like "The Holly and the Ivy" and "Once in Royal David's City." Featuring Kenton's idiosyncratic style of arranging piercing trumpets over a wooly blanket of trombones and mellophones, this is beautiful, forward-thinking and angular music that addresses both complex classical harmony and Basie-style swing. Epitomizing this is the intricate and delicate harmonic dissonance on "O Come, All Ye Faithful," a must-hear for Kentonites. As a bonus, the album includes Kenton regular trumpeter Maynard Ferguson's stellar 1960 medley "Christmas for Moderns," which features the high-note master's hip takes on such other holiday nuggets as "White Christmas and "Jingle Bells." Fans should also get a kick out of Kenton's humorous 1963 spoken word piece "What Is Santa Claus?." ~ Matt Collar
Recorded at Capitol Studios, Goldwyn Sound Stage, Los Angeles, Caifornia and Capitol Studios, New York, New York between October 14, 1960 & April 11, 1963. Originally released on Capitol (1621).
Personnel: Stan Kenton (piano, celesta); Joe Gibbons (guitar); Rubin Decker, Gareth "Garry" Nuttycombe, Allan Harshman (violin); Cecil Figelski (viola); Lanny Morgan (alto saxophone); Joe Farrell, Willie Maiden (tenor saxophone); Frank Hittner (baritone saxophone); Bob Rolfe, Larry McGuire, Dalton Smith, Jerry Tyree, Chet Ferretti, Sanford Skinner, Maynard Ferguson, Rick Kiefer, Bud Brisbois (trumpet); Bob Fitzpatrick, Kenny Rupp, Paul Heydorff, Slide Hampton, Tommy Shepard (trombone); Dave Wheeler, Jim Amlotte, Bob Knight (bass trombone); Clive Acker, Albert Pollan (tuba); Jaki Byard, Jimmy Rowles (piano); Rufus "Speedy" Jones (drums, bells); Frank Carlson, Art Anton, Jerry McKenzie (drums); Larry Bunker, Emil Richards (percussion, bells).
Recording information: Capitol Studios, New York, NY (10/14/1960-04/11/1963); Goldwyn Sound Stage, LA (10/14/1960-04/11/1963).
Arrangers: Ralph Carmichael; Stan Kenton; Willie Maiden.
Personnel: Stan Kenton (spoken vocals, piano, celeste); Lanny Morgan (alto saxophone); Joe Farrell, Willie Maiden (tenor saxophone); Frank Hitner (baritone saxophone); Maynard Ferguson, Chet Ferretti, Jerry Tyree (trumpet); Bob Fitzpatrick, Paul Heydorff, Robert Knight, Tom Shepard (trombone); Jimmy Rowles (piano); Charlie Saunders, Hy Lesnick, Pete Chivily (bass); Rufus Jones (drums, bells); Jerry Lestock McKenzie, Art Anton, Frank Carlson (drums); Larry Bunker, Emil Richards (percussion, bells).
Down Beat (1/90) - 3 Stars - Good - "...jumps out of the speakers and bowls one over with brass, brass, and more brass..."
This is a must have for Kenton Fans Long-time Stan Kenton fan. I wanted a CD of the Kenton Christmas and found this online. Great additional tracks including Maynard Ferguson's Christmas For Moderns. Submitted by chuckrunkle (Reading, PA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
True Kenton fan After having lost this as an LP years ago and its not being readily available I am extremely happy to have it in my grasp again. It is an excellent example of brass ensemble writing (along with a jazz rhythm section) Submitted by Cmrsax (Lee's Summit, Mo) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Great Value & Music for the Christmas Season! At this price you can't loose. Great Stan Kenton with the Melephoniums. These are instuments that sound a bit like french horns but louder. Christmas Carols like you've never heard before. Great Capital Records recording. The bonus track of Maynard Ferguson will knock your socks off!! Submitted by a reviewer (Edmonton, Alberta) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
A Seasonal Classic This album is a textbook example of how
Christmas music can be arranged and performed in unique ways. The Carmichael & Kenton arrangements have maintained their reverence towards this time of year while demonstrating that Stan Kenton was very much ahead of his time. It is hard to believe that the recording of the original LP took place in the early 1960's! This album is a wonderful tribute to how well-written music will always stand up to time. A truly wonderful album. Submitted by drice8 (Round Rock, TX, USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Music's 5 stars but Capitol wrecked the audio... Some of my all-time favorite brass ANY time of the year! BUT why did they put this beautifully recorded music through that horrible digital process that leaves a kind of shimmering, key jingling effect? No, it's not Christmas chimes. Just listen closely to O Tannenbaum; you'll hear it during the quieter passages.
It scares me to think Capitol/EMI would let that sort of mastering mediocrity hit the streets. Oh, well, you get what you pay for...but is tampered-with and ruined audio worth ANY cheap-o price? And I've heard this awful process disfiguring other great classics from the '50s-'60s Capitol catalog. That's it, no more "Capitol Punishment" for my CD buck.
Hey, I'm sorry to be a Scrooge about this, but this tomfoolery has got to stop--just give us [the gift of] music, the unprocessed original audio! Like the Japanese do. And with that I bid you all a MERRY CHRISTMAS, even if that may offend some of your politically correct fannies. Submitted by mdmartin (Rochester, NY, USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
This is a must have for Kenton Fans
Great Value & Music for the Christmas Season!
Music's 5 stars but Capitol wrecked the audio...
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