Stan Kenton Series

If there is one chart which seems to capture the essence of Stan's mid-fifties bands, this is the one! The chart swings like mad from downbeat to the end. This is one of Holman's best early charts, an...

Composed by Bill Holman (the original version) for the Stan Kenton Orchestra, this is a straight-ahead, swinging chart based on 'rhythm changes,' and has a hip, angular melody that sets up some powerf...

Here is another chart written for Stan Kenton (in the mid-1950's), that was never recorded by the band. It is a sensational piece, a real flag-waver which features alto saxophone from top to bottom. G...

Sierra continues to find the lost treasures from Maynard Ferguson's Birdland Dream Band Library. A Country Boy starts out with a lazy trombone solo on the written melody and swings along from there. R...

The Stan Kenton Orchestra was always an ideal showcase for the outstanding soloists within its ranks. This piece was written to feature Frank Rosolino on trombone. Absolutely the best! A trombone feat...

This is another of the many wonderful charts arranged by Holman for the Stan Kenton Orchestra. He is the master at creating exciting, up-tempo flag-wavers. Solos for alto, trumpet and tenor. Recorded...

This is one of the amazing stories of finding what was thought to be a long-lost chart. After extensive research, it turned up as an untitled set of parts in the North Texas Kenton archives. We are pr...

Exactly as recorded on the Kenton / Capitol Retrospective CD (and the original Milestones LP). This was Stan's first long version of the theme Artistry in Rhythm and is a great piece to program. Featu...

Hank contributed so much to the Kenton book in the '70's, and this chart is one of the best of the bunch. A lovely, melodic, easy-flowing piece in 5/4 which is a great vehicle for getting into odd-met...

This is another of the many wonderful charts arranged by Niehaus for the Stan Kenton Orchestra. A splendid rendition of a great standard, and it swings like crazy! It contains all of the elements so a...

Rarely does a piece turn up like this one. Although written for Stan Kenton (the mid-1950s), the chart never was recorded by the band (Holman doesn't know why), and it was lost for years. It is a sens...

The album Stage Door Swings, by the Stan Kenton Band, was one of the most popular recordings done by Kenton. All of the arrangements were done by Lennie Niehaus, and this is one of the best of the tun...

Here is a great, free-swingin' Opener, also written for Stan Kenton. Although it was never recorded commercially by the band, it was played a great deal in live performances throughout the country. It...

This is another one of those absolutely wonderful charts that Lennie did for Stan Kenton for what was known as the dance book. It was the hippest dance book ever! A medium-swing tempo sets this great...

Here is a terrific medium swing chart, also written for Stan Kenton in the 50s. Although it was never recorded commercially by the band, it was played a great deal in live performances throughout the...

As recorded by the Stan Kenton Orchestra on Adventures In Standards, this is a medium-swing chart on a great tune. Lennie uses a neat vamp in the trombones to offset the melody in the saxes. The full...

As performed by the Stan Kenton Orchestra, here is one of the hippest charts from the Kenton book. It was a favorite with the band and audiences alik, and it swings like crazy. There is a nice, long t...

When Bill Holman writes a feature for a player, especially in the Kenton Band, you know it will be wonderful. He wrote this one to feature the amazing trombonist Carl Fontana. Sierra Music dedicates t...

This was recorded by the Stan Kenton Orchestra on Back To Balboa, and it is a highly original, exciting chart (latin/swing) on a great standard tune. Johnny Richards wrote for Kenton as well as anyone...

As recorded by the Stan Kenton Orchestra on Adventures In Standards CD, this is a wonderful, swinging chart on a great tune. As usual, Lennie does a great job arranging it, with terrific section work...

Here is another terrific chart as recorded by the Stan Kenton Orchestra on Adventures In Standards. Lennie sets the chart at a very fast, swinging pace, using countermelodies, a 6-horn group in places...

There are a few charts from this library which are very playable by any reasonably well developed jazz ensemble. This surely is one of the best! Holman created a beautifully layered piece, based on th...

This is one of Holman's best loved (and most often played) charts. Written for the Showcase album, it is a light, well-paced blues, featuring bass, tenor, trumpet and alto. Holman's well known linear...

Recorded in 1953 on the Kenton Showcase album (This music is available from Mosaic Records in their Russo/Holman CD set.), this is a medium tempo swing chart which was (and still is) very different an...

Bill Holman, well known for his solo features, originally arranged this iconic tenor saxophone feature, 'Out of Nowhere,' for Bill Perkins and the Stan Kenton Orchestra in the mid '50s. Set as an up-t...