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MODERN TRENDS |
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promotion of frenzied 'jam sessions' at which enormous heat and excitement were generated: he is attacked by purists for debasing the jazz idiom but his efforts did appeal to an enormous public who were thereby brought into contact with the work of some of the finest jazz players.
'Big Band' Modern Jazz
On the 'big band' front, an enormous following was gained by Stan Kenton, who brought big-band virtuosity and precision to a fine art. Popular as Kenton has been with the public, critics generally agree that he is more of a master-showman than a true musician, and that his compositions tend to be noisy and pretentious. Boyd Raeburn achieved a rather more limited success with a similar big band rather in the Paul Whiteman 'showmanship' style.
Meanwhile, our old friend William 'Count' Basie was still going strong, attracting fine players and generally keeping his band free from the worse taints of commercialism. Lionel Hampton and his orchestra were playing vital and exciting jazz when they chose, but they were frequently and bitterly accused by critics of playing to the gallery and letting showmanship and nigger-minstrel antics get the better of musical taste.
From 1946 onward, 'Duke' Ellington returned in force to the recording sessions, producing new compositions and new orchestral effects. |
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