page_title: Stan Kenton
section_title: Artistry in Rhythm
hierarchical_section_title: Stan Kenton / Career / 1940s / Artistry in Rhythm
caption_attribution_description: Gottlieb, William P., 1917-, photographer. [Portrait of Stan Kenton, Pete Rugolo, and Bob Graettinger, Richmond, Va.(?), 1947 or 1948] 1 transparency&#160;: film, color.&#160;; 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 in. Notes: Gottlieb Collection Assignment No. 166 Reference print available in Music Division, Library of Congress. Purchase William P. Gottlieb Forms part of: William P. Gottlieb Collection (Library of Congress). Subjects: Kenton, Stan Rugolo, Pete, 1915- Graettinger, Bob Stan Kenton Orchestra Jazz musicians--1940-1950. Conductors (Music)--1940-1950. Pianists--1940-1950. Composers--1940-1950. Format: Portrait photographs--1940-1950. Cityscape photographs--1940-1950. Film transparencies--1940-1950. Rights Info: Mr. Gottlieb has dedicated these works to the public domain, but rights of privacy and publicity may apply. lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/html/gottlieb/gottlieb-copyrig... Repository: (transparency) Library of Congress, Prints &amp; Photographs Division, Washington D.C. 20540 USA, hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print (reference print) Library of Congress, Music Division, Washington D.C. 20540 USA, loc.gov/rr/perform/ Part Of: William P. Gottlieb Collection (DLC) 99-401005 General information about the Gottlieb Collection is available at lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/html/gottlieb/gottlieb-home.html Persistent URL: hdl.loc.gov/loc.music/gottlieb.04921 Call Number: LC-GLB04- 0492 This work is from the William P. Gottlieb collection at the Library of Congress. Rights and restrictions.In accordance with the wishes of William Gottlieb, the photographs in this collection entered into the public domain on February 16, 2010.
context_page_description: Stanley Newcomb Kenton was an American popular music and jazz artist. As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader, he led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Though Kenton had several pop hits from the early 1940s into the 1960s, his music was always forward-looking. Kenton was also a pioneer in the field of jazz education, creating the Stan Kenton Jazz Camp in 1959 at Indiana University.
context_section_description: When composer/arranger Pete Rugolo joined the Stan Kenton Orchestra as staff arranger in late 1945 he brought with him his love of jazz, Stravinsky and Bartók. Given free rein by Kenton, Rugolo experimented. Although Kenton himself was already trying experimental scores prior to Rugolo's tenure, it was Rugolo who brought extra jazz and classical influences much needed to move the band forward artistically.
  During his first six months on the staff, Rugolo tried to copy Kenton's sound; on encouragement from the leader he explored his own voice. By incorporating compositional techniques borrowed from the modern classical music he studied, Rugolo was a key part of one of Kenton's most fertile and creative periods.
   After a string of mostly arrangements, Rugolo turned out three originals that Kenton featured on the band's first album in 1946: (Artistry in Rhythm): "Artistry in Percussion", "Safranski" and "Artistry in Bolero". Added to this mix came "Machito", "Rhythm Incorporated", "Monotony" and "Interlude" in early 1947 (though some were not recorded until later in the year). These compositions, along with June Christy's voice, came to define the Artistry in Rhythm band.  Afro-Cuban writing was added to the Kenton book with compositions like Rugolo's "Machito."
  The Artistry in Rhythm ensemble was a formative band, with outstanding soloists. By early 1947, the Stan Kenton Orchestra had reached a high point of financial and popular success. They played in the best theaters and ballrooms in America and numerous hit records. Dances at the many ballrooms were typically four hours a night and theater dates generally involved playing mini concerts between each showing of the movie. This was sometimes five or six a day, stretching from morning to late night. Most days not actually playing were spent in buses or cars. Days off from performing were rare. For Stan Kenton they just allowed for more record signing, radio station interviews, and advertising for Capitol Records. Due to the financial and personal demands, following an April performance in Tuscaloosa, he broke up the Artistry in Rhythm incarnation of Kenton ensembles.
caption: (From left:) Pete Rugolo, Stan Kenton, and Bob Graettinger in 1948.
exif: {}