Well, dear readers, I first discovered Mr. Stan Kenton back in 1961 with his jazz cover version of West Side Story. I’d already bought a jazz version (Oscar Peterson) back then, but the Kenton was irresistible – Capitol Records, stereophonic sound, AND, most importantly, a picture from the actual film on its cover. The minute I saw it I had to have it. Since I loved the movie I wanted to have any version of the music that I could get my hands on, whether the soundtrack, the cast album, or even Ferrante and Teicher. Well, the Kenton album blew me away. I thought the stereophonic sound was beyond amazing, and the arrangements for band (no strings) were different and very intoxicating to the thirteen-year-old me. I was hooked on Kenton, but only that album as I didn’t know anything else that he’d done. Then, in a bit of weirdness, later that year Percy Faith came out with a movie theme album, with what I believed was the only recorded version of the theme from Splendor in the Grass by David Amram. I was head over heels in love with Mr. Faith’s version and played it hundreds of times. And then one day I was at Wallich’s Music City and I happened upon a 45 of the Splendor in the Grass theme – I came upon it inadvertently by looking at Stan Kenton 45s. The one I found had Officer Krupke on one side, so no need to buy it – until I flipped it over and found the other side was the theme from Splendor in the Grass. Naturally I snapped it up. While it wasn’t quite as good as the Percy Faith, I loved it anyway and played it over and over and over again. So, that was two Kentons in one year.
I’d occasionally look at other Kenton albums, but it wasn’t until later in the 1960s that I’d purchase my second and third Kenton albums: The World We Know, which I bought specifically because it had the theme from the movie Hotel, which I loved, and Finian’s Rainbow & Great Movie Songs, which I bought because it had Rosemary’s Baby on it, and a bunch of great Finian’s songs. Both albums were absolutely incredible-sounding and I loved the Kenton way with them. My next Kenton came soon thereafter with an album by an orchestra called The Los Angeles Neophonic Orchestra, an LA-based orchestra conducted by Kenton that lasted a couple of years. That album actually came out in 1966 but I didn’t get it until around 1972 or so. I got it not only because of Mr. Kenton, but because it had compositions by John Williams and Russ Garcia (the man who wrote the soundtrack to The Time Machine). Then over the years, I finally got around to the classic early Kenton albums on Capitol, and then all the stereo albums. So, the other day I went in the book room closet where my orchestral and jazz CDs reside, and I pulled out nine Kenton CDs and loaded them all into iTunes, where I’ve been listening to them ever since. These are seriously some of the best albums ever made. The stereo sound is astonishing and much better than anything recorded today. The West Side Story album is breathtaking (that one wasn’t recorded at Capitol – it was recorded at Goldwyn Studios on, I believe, the same scoring stage that the movie soundtrack was recorded on) – such dynamic arrangements and incredible players, some of the best in the music business. Listening to The World We Know and Finian’s Rainbow (those two LPs were paired on one CD), they are every bit as good as they were when I discovered them. I love Kenton’s standards albums and I equally love the ones with original compositions by a variety of interesting composers.
For me, the Capitol recordings of that era of this kind of repertoire was the go-to stuff for me – I was rarely disappointed in any Capitol recording, whether it was instrumental albums by Billy May or Nelson Riddle or George Shearing or the imports of Norrie Paramour and his strings, especially the album Autumn. If you’ve never heard that album, just go buy it right now, and it will tell you everything about what I liked as a youngster. I loved the Capitol covers on all those albums, too. The Kenton touch was completely and wholly unique and there has never been anyone like him before or since. Some of that “sound” is attributable to some of his arrangers, especially the genius that was Pete Rugolo. So, check some of these out if you have the time and money – they’re well worth it. You heard it here, dear readers.
Yesterday, I got about eight hours of sleep, got up, did stuff on the computer, and then went and had some bacon and eggs for my main meal o’ the day. Then I picked up no packages, then came back home. I had a few telephonic calls, and then I spent some time making sure all the ticket places that are handling our show were up to speed and up and running, which they now all are. I’m hoping we can have a little haineshisway.com gathering for the show, so let me know if anyone can make their way here – we’ll treat you to the show and a nice dinner. Dear reader Laura? Kerry? The Portland group? We haven’t done one of these in years, so maybe we can make it happen.
Then we had our rehearsal. I gave some notes, we drilled some problem spots in monologues and worked a few things musically. That was the first two hours. Then we did another run-through of the entire show. I’m insisting we do this every rehearsal because that’s the only way Sami can really get the full picture of the show, its pace, and more importantly, how she has to pace herself. Doing a show like this is like training for an athletic competition. Even though there are days when you’d rather do anything else, the coach’s job is to keep you on point and focused, and working away. The stamina required for one fifteen-year-old girl to stand on a stage for eighty-five minutes (well, not stand – as there is a lot of movement in the show), never shut up, whether singing or talking, and who is literally off the stage twice for ten seconds each to do a quick costume change, is huge. It would tax someone twice her age in terms of learning and performing. So, the first half of the run-through was quite good – she’d asked if she could not push her singing and I said yes to that. But in the second half her energy flagged – it was obvious exactly when it happened, and only later did I find out it was because she got a huge, horrible headache at that point. But she didn’t want to stop because she didn’t want to disappoint me. So, I made her understand that any time something like that happened she was to stop immediately and tell me. Had I known, I would have stopped the rehearsal, let her relax and take an aspirin, and then decided if we’d continue or not. I care deeply about the actors I worked with, and I don’t want them to suffer at this point in rehearsal. But in a way it showed real moxie on her part to tough it out, as she’d have to do that in a performance. But until we hit tech, her instructions are to stop and come to me if she’s not feeling good.
After rehearsal, I stopped at Gelson’s and got a little of their salad bar seafood salad for my snack, then I came home. I did a jog, then ate the seafood salad and also some salami and provolone cheese that comes in a little Gallo snack pack – very reasonable calories. I think I probably netted out at around 1100 calories, so that’s good. And no sweets.
Today, I’ll eat something light, then I have some stuff to do, and I’m going to K’s Donuts so our company can have some treats tonight – everyone is interested to try the chocolate peanut butter donut, so hopefully I’ll be able to get at least two of those, and then I’ll get a couple of plainer ones. Hopefully I’ll pick up some packages, then we’ll have our rehearsal. I’ll work problem areas, then we’ll do a full run-through. Then Sami has two days off.
Tomorrow I just have stuff to do here in the home environment, Friday I’ll be with Doug Haverty doing some work on the prerecorded Inside Out tracks. I’m sure we’ll all get a little something to eat after. Then Saturday and Sunday are long rehearsal days. Next week is the insane Kritzerland week, so we’ll just have to keep energy high.
Let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s all break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, let’s all dance the Hora and the polka, for today is the birthday of our very own beloved dear reader Jrand. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our very own beloved dear reader Jrand. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR VERY OWN BELOVED DEAR READER JRAND!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, pick up donuts, eat something very light, hopefully pick up packages, and then rehearse. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall dream to the strains of The Kenton Touch.