Stan Kenton

These two discs recorded live in England in 1952 and 1953 by the Stan Kenton band are most certainly bootlegs. They sound like radio transcriptions and their aural quality is rather dodgy. No, make that really awful. One can "hear" the rhythm section, but barely, and of course the brass section drowns the rest. The great subtleties in Kenton's work, with tunes arranged by Pete Rugolo, Bill Russo, and Bill Holman are excellent, of course, but it is difficult to believe that any but the most ardent Kenton fan would want them, and the bet would be that these sides have been pirated elsewhere with better sound during the LP era. The most notable thing about these sides is that on two cuts, both on disc one, Jerri Winters makes her live debut with the orchestra on the tracks "Don't Worry About Me" and "I Cover the Waterfront." ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide