A Celebration of Stan the Band Man

Here’s an easy one: Who’s the leader who first established the “West Coast” jazz sound, and whose big band in the 1940s was the breeding ground for such jazz stars as Shorty Rogers, Bud Shank, Art Pepper, Shelly Manne, Bob Cooper, June Christy, Bill Holman and Maynard Ferguson?

It’s Stan Kenton, of course, the dynamic pianist, composer and arranger who died in 1979 at age 67.

Kenton debuted his band in May, 1941, at the long-since-torn-down Rendezvous Ballroom in Balboa, and 50 years later, radio station KLON-FM (88.1) commemorated that anniversary with a gala bash called “Back to Balboa.”

That four-day event, which took place in Newport Beach and nearby climes, spotlighted many Kenton alumni playing 18 concerts--these featured both their own material and selections associated with Kenton. There were also 10 panel discussions that covered the Kenton era.

The newly released five-CD set, “Stan Kenton 50th Anniversary Celebration: Back to Balboa” on Mama Foundation Records, gives a well-rounded overview of the historic gathering. Edited down from 25 hours of material, the package comprises 48 selections played by 12 ensembles, and highlights from four panel sessions.

There’s the Kenton all-star alumni band playing such favorites as “Intermission Riff” and “Peanut Vendor”; there’s Holman’s big band playing his “And Thad Ain’t Bad,” and there’s Ferguson’s Big Bop Nouveau band playing Dizzy Gillespie’s “A Night in Tunisia.” Other tracks feature Lee Konitz’s quartet, the Lighthouse All-Stars and Bob Florence’s Limited Edition.

The fact that there were so many bands playing so much material pretty much gave Ellen S. Cohn, general manager of Mama, a perpetual headache until the package was released. “Tracking down who owned the publishing rights on 48 tunes was a major ordeal,” she said. “Companies had been bought and sold, tunes had been traded, it was unbelievably complicated.”

Then came what Cohn referred to as the “Murphy’s Law incidents.” “Things that could go wrong, did,” she said. “For example, the set is housed in a slip cover, and the people who designed that, designed it the wrong size.”

But all the work was worthwhile, Cohn said. “I feel the Kenton legacy has been vastly underrated and I think through this package people will gain a new recognition of how much of a contribution he made to the West Coast music scene,” she said.

The Mama Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1986 by Gene Czerwinski, inventor of the Cerwin-Vega loudspeakers. The purpose of the foundation, according to Cohn, is “preserving culturally significant music that doesn’t have a large commercial appeal.” Other releases on the label include a quintet album by bassist Andy Simpkins and a trio date with pianist Dave Mackay.

Hamp Goes to Washington: Vibes innovator Lionel Hampton is one of five recipients of the 1992 Kennedy Center Awards. The awards will be presented in a ceremony in December at the center in Washington. Other honorees include Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Paul Taylor and Ginger Rogers.

Simone Subs for McRae: Nina Simone has replaced Carmen McRae for a performance at the Hollywood Bowl on Sept. 16. McRae, who has been ill for almost a year, is still unable to perform. The program also sports the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, featuring Wynton Marsalis and playing material by Duke Ellington, and clarinetist Eddie Daniels and vibist Gary Burton offering tunes made famous by Benny Goodman.

In the Bins: Pianist Kenny Werner, saxophonist Joe Lovano and guitarist John Scofield--who is in town at Catalina Bar & Grill through Sunday---make plenty of good noise on drummer Peter Erskine’s new BMG release, “Sweet Soul.” The collection includes a number of originals, as well as classics such as Brubeck’s “In Your Own Sweet Way.” . . . Pianos are in the forefront when Kenny Barron and Barry Harris--two of the finest improvisers extant--play such evergreens as “Oleo” and “East of the Sun” on “Confirmation,” their recent quartet release on Candid Records.