Kenton Presents: Bob Cooper, Bill Holman & Frank Rosolino (1999), Mosaic, 4-CD box set

 

I already own a ton of Mosaic box sets, and while there are several more I have been tempted to buy despite not really having room to store them, I have resisted the urge until now, when this set became available on Dusty Groove for $30, though it came without the outer 12 x 12-inch box. I'm also a big fan of West Coast Jazz of the 1950s and early 1960s, a style disparaged in some corners of the jazz universe and therefore harder to find and collect. As the allaboutjazz.com review of this set states, West Coast Jazz takes a more cerebral, structured approach that relies more on tightly arranged ensemble playing and fewer and shorter improvisational solos. Some listeners might find this approach less passionate and exciting, and the above-cited review says that it sometimes more nearly approaches modern classical music than jazz, but I still find the interplay of instruments and cross-harmonies and statements of the different sections of the ensembles stimulating, interesting, and enjoyable. I don't believe you have to choose between this more scripted form of West Coast Jazz and freer, looser East Coast versions: I think you can enjoy both; each brings something different. That said, Stan Kenton's orchestra of the 1940s and 1950s was a breeding ground for budding arrangers--Pete Rugolo, Shorty Rogers, and Johnny Richards all cut their chops writing charts for Kenton before venturing out on their own. Capitol Records, Kenton's label at the time, recognized this "farm system" and in 1954 began a short-lived series of 10" LPs highlighting some of his leading up-and-comers, including the three artists in this box set.

Of the three artists featured here, as other reviewers have agreed, Bill Holman is the standout, known more for his arranging and compositional skills than as a tenor saxophonist. His work comprises most of Disc 2, which features the tracks from the aforementioned 1954 10" and 10 previously unissued tracks from that session and another from 1955, and Disc 4, which reissues on CD for the first time his 1960 Capitol LP Great Big Band, released long after the Kenton Presents series had been retired. Both of these discs are essential West Coast Jazz at its best. Bob Cooper's work, featured over most of Disc 1 and the last 5 tracks of Disc 4, which come from his instrumental tracks on the 1961 Capitol LP of the music from the theatrical production Do-Re-Mi, is simpler, more straight-ahead chamber jazz, still enjoyable if not quite as creative. And like Joe Meek, trombonist Frank Rosolino's stellar musical career will forever be tainted by the way he ended his life--killing himself and one of his sons in a murder-suicide in 1978 (he intended to kill his other son but ended up only blinding him). Rosolino was an impressive virtuoso on his instrument, capable of rapid runs and creative solos, but he also fancied himself a vocalist, though I find that portion of his talent less appealing, along the lines of less-gifted singers like Bob Dorough. However, I have to admit that his breakneck scatting that turns into yodeling on "Pennies From Heaven" is unique, if not a little kitschy. Rosolino's work comprises the entirety of Disc 3 in this set. The allaboutjazz.com review cites the excellent audio quality of these recordings; Malcolm Addey's remaster no doubt is a major reason.

Do I Really Need This record?  Given the difficulty in tracking down Bill Holman's best work, this was a can't-refuse purchase. It would have been nice to have the outer box, but at less than half the original price ($64) for a limited edition (5000 copies) set issued over 20 years ago, I couldn't go wrong in picking up this one.