Stan Kenton Centennial with the Ray Brown Great Big Band ft. Peter Erskine

Inside Jazz: Playing with Stan Kenton, with Ray Brown, Peter Erskine, and other Kenton alumni, 1:30pm.

From the ’50s through the ’70s, Stan Kenton’s big band was a proving ground of new techniques in jazz arranging, instrumentation, and styles. Having honed their improv and writing chops during the grueling 50-week touring seasons with Kenton, many band members would go on to become the most celebrated and successful artists and arrangers in the music industry. And at the heart of the Kenton sound… Show more was always a serious commitment to swing. For this special show, trumpeter, composer, and Kenton band alumnus Ray Brown leads his fantastic big band in a tribute to the music of Stan Kenton, featuring a mixture of original Kenton classics and new compositions. Among the top-tier musicians that make up Ray’s Great Big Band are several Kenton alumni, including special guest drummer Peter Erskine, who made his debut with the Kenton band at age 15.

“[Brown’s] arrangements are tightly orchestrated, highly syncopated and punchy . . . his sonic palette is richly hued and expressionistic . . . unlike most other big band composers, he demands that players improvise on solo sections that are every bit as complex as ensemble parts.” —Metro

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