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Reviewers: Don Mather, Dick Stafford, John Eyles, Robert Gibson, Ian Lace, Colin Clarke, Jack Ashby



BUY NOW
Crotchet
June Christy
Sings
SOMETHING COOL
LIVING ERA CD AJA 5570

Stan Kenton & His Orchestra

 

 

 


  1. Tampico
  2. It’s Been a Long, Long Time
  3. Just A-Sittin’ and A-Rockin’
  4. Shoo Fly Pie & Apple Pan Dowdy

  5. The Kentones
  6. Make Love to Me
  7. Lullaby in Rhythm
  8. Moonglow
  9. I’m Thrilled

  10. Stan Kenton & His Orchestra
  11. Ain’t No Misery in Me
  12. Willow Weep for Me
  13. Across the Alley from the Alamo
  14. How High the Moon

  15. Pete Rugolo & Orchestra
  16. I’ll Remember April
  17. Get Happy

  18. Stan Kenton Orchestra
  19. Easy Street
  20. Daddy

  21. Pete Rugolo Orchestra
  22. Bei Mir Bist Du Schon
  23. My Heart Belongs to Only You
  24. Great Scot
  25. Not I
  26. Whee, Baby!
  27. You’re Making Me Crazy
  28. Something Cool
  29. Midnight Sun
  30. I Should Care
  31. It Could Happen to You
  32. I’ll Take Romance

When I first became interested in music in the late 40’s, June Christy was the most ‘hip’ singer in the business and we were all in love with her. So were all the other young men who knew of her by the way! Her predecessor in the Kenton Band, Anita O’Day, was also a great favourite of mine although they were very different in their vocal style. June typified the ‘cool school’, there was not a lot of emotion in her singing and she used little vibrato, but she knew how to deliver a song! She had a very breathy delivery however and it caught the public’s imagination, to the point where she was a regular winner in the Downbeat and Metronome polls of the 1940’s and 1950’s.

She was an ideal singer for the Stan Kenton Band who were breaking the Big Band mould in that era and Stan was quick to realise that she broadened the band’s appeal. She married Bob Cooper, an outstanding Tenor player and arranger with the Kenton Band and they sometimes worked together in both jazz clubs and cabaret.

The music on this record has very strong connections to Kenton, they are either recorded with Stan’s band or someone connected with the Kenton alumni leads the backing orchestra. Pete Rugolo played in the Kenton band and also produced many fine arrangements for it.

Some of the novelty numbers, Shoo Fly Pie, Tampico etc. sound dated now, their purpose at the time was to amuse an audience that was probably not entirely made up of jazz fans. The majority of tracks are famous standard compositions, all played by musician’s of the class of Maynard Ferguson, Conte Condoli, Bud Shank and Shelly Manne.

An outstanding track? It has to be Something Cool, still as evocative as when I first heard it all those years ago. Midnight Sun, It Could Happen to You and I’ll Take Romance, are all models of the female vocalist with a superb big band and arrangements that get the best from both.
 
 
Don Mather

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