Stan Kenton Orchestra Marks 80 Years

2021 marks the 80th anniversary of the Stan Kenton Orchestra, which debuted as the Artistry in Rhythm band on Memorial Day of 1941 at the Rendezvous Ballroom at Balboa Beach, California. According to Mike Vax, the Kenton band was actually subbing for a band that couldn’t make that particular date. Vax, who was lead trumpet and road manager for the “Creative World of Stan Kenton” band in 1970-72, gave some interesting insights on the Kenton legacy in an interview which appeared in my 2013 book, JAZZ BEAT, Notes on Classic Jazz. “Stan was married three times and was not a great father to his three children. But I can tell you that Stan was a father figure to his musicians, and the band was his whole life. He took the Big Bands out of the dance halls, and we performed mainly in concert halls and on college campuses. He spent considerable money subsidizing his various bands and actually did not take a salary when I was road manager.” Vax’s association with Kenton goes back to 1960 when in his late teens, Mike attended a Kenton summer camp and told Stan that his goal was to play first trumpet in the Kenton band, to which the leader replied, “If you want it bad enough, you probably will.” “Fatha” Hines Influence A competent pianist influenced by Earl “Fatha” Hines, Stan Kenton’s early attempts at arranging incorporated the staccato saxophone ensembles and hea