Stan Kenton Orchestra, 1973, Bill Holman's The Daily Dance
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- čas přidán 8. 09. 2024
- Rare video footage of the "Birthday in Britain" Kenton band, taped March 1 at North Penn High School, just after the band's European and UK tour in early 1973. Bill Holman's "The Daily Dance," featuring Richard Torres on tenor sax, Bob Winniker on Flugelhorn, John Park on alto sax, John Worster on bass, Peter Erskine on drums plus the entire Kenton Orchestra (that's Dennis Noday playing lead trumpet).
I first heard Kenton on radio in 1948 and have been blown away ever since, and I am 88 this year, that's a long time.
My dad - Big John Brennan- was such a Kenton groupie that Stan let him direct the band a couple times. Took me backstage and I’ll never forget shaking the conga player’s hand. Quite a memory for a 13 year old in 1973. Thanks, Peter - your playing brings immense joy
Yeah, as a drumming instructor, I have such great respect for Peter Erskine. Here he is around, I guess-- 18 years old-- kicking butt. Peter over the years and especially NOW knows how to comp and accompany so beautifully. He knows when to hold back, and then also when to unleash it all. He is such a musical drummer, not just a technical wizard. He is fantastic!
That was a great tour. I was lucky to be one of the wives on that one :)
probably one of the biggest jazz influences on my life - Stan Kenton - I've literally worn out copies of this album - playing along, following your every note Peter. THANK YOU for all that you have done for our industry, THANK YOU for all you've done for drumming and the development of jazz ! PJM III
Peter. That's my memory of how you looked that week we were all together in the Stan Kenton Jazz clinic. You were an inspiration to ALL us drummers. It's cool to go back in time and see you play like that.
I was 18 ... Bobby Winniker (from Boston/NEC) was playing the jazz trumpet chair at that time/in this video... FOnd memories of all of that as well as playing with the CSU band. Hope our paths will cross in North Carolina one of these days!
All best!
I was at this concert, and despite the poor quality of the video, the audio comes through loud and clear. Bravo Peter for putting this up!
Awesome to see this Peter! One of my earliest big band memories was seeing the Kenton band on norwegian TV back in the mid 70s when i was only 10 with a young drummer named Peter Erskine. The inspiration was incredible!
I too first heard the great Kenton sound when a kid. It knocked my socks off, I felt that I had been waiting for this forever. My soul had reached fulfillment.
Saw this band in Tahlequah OK at NSC the spring of '73. Could not figure out why they had this young drummer, then heard him play and that was all that we needed to know.
Wow thanks for posting, i was at the recording of " Birthday in britain" at the Fairfield Halls Croydon. i was only 13 at the time couldn't get over the wall off sound, been hooked ever since,The band came over twice in 73, the latter band had Mary Fettig with them.Seeing the band every time they came over was the highlight of my teens, i have to thank my Dad for introducing me to the Greatest big band ever. Anymore ?? from a Kenton fan in the Highlands of Scotland.
I was there also, maybe you remember my dad Bill Mummery, Pete, I think he got some guys in some hot water after "borrowing" some charts (Malaga Chiapas Rainy Day et al) from you and Dick Shear for our N. Penn Jazz band. You made a big impact and your very much appreciated and I'll never forget what you've done in the name jazz education.
You sound fantastic, Peter! Also, really dug the composition ... wish we had played it when I was in the band four years later ... cool piano part, too.
I got to hear the band a dozen or so times in the early '60s in my college years, and again in the '70s at every opportunity. The first times were the first version of the mellophonium band at Moonlight Gardens near Cincinnati and we followed the band around Ohio, with Dee Barton playing a TON of trombone and Ray Starling in the mellophonium section and playing some piano. John Worster was on that band. Many years later, I learned that Lennie Neihaus had written charts for the band with those new horns and was hanging to hear them, and Wally Heider was there recording them. They came out on the Status label.
Sometime in those years Peter had just joined the band a few days before, and the guys were absolutely thrilled to have him in the drum chair. Several years later I heard the band (and shot some nice photos) at the Plugged Nickel in Chicago, with Dee Barton playing drums, a new group of fine soloists playing Dee's wonderful charts.
One of the things that jumps out at me on every single live recording of Stan's bands and every one of the live performances I've been lucky enough to hear is the consistently great musicianship -- everyone in the band from Stan down to the newest guy on the band is deadly serious about getting it right, loves the music, and loves Stan. I never heard a set from this band and wasn't at least good.
Finally, I want to note the presence of the wonderful Willie Maiden playing baritone (the extreme right chair in the section). Willie was the heart and soul of Maynard's greatest band in the '50s, playing jazz tenor and writing a lot of the charts (and they were very nice charts). The Christmas Medley was one of them, and they played it for him in a Chicago club when he was in the hospital fighting for his life.
Thank you for sharing this! I played in the North Penn HS Jazz Band at this time and attended the concert. We had a young enthusiastic director named Stephen Frederick who was able to bring the Kenton, Basie, and Ferguson bands to our school. Our Jazz band even got to tour Romania. These programs made all the difference in my life. (Still playing.)
I have been enjoying your drumming for decades. Always great!
dayum... nice solo Peter!
I saw this band the same year. It was my first jazz show. Our band director brought us. I never forgotten that wonderful night was and how cool Peter was! And later it was Weather Report! Because of that, jazz has always been a pleasure in my life! My only regret is I cant play it. I tried, but sadly my brain doesn’t get it…..
WOW such history such music! Thanks you were terrific here.
I was always a huge fan of the Birthday in Britain album. Such GREAT Playing Peter !
>Here in Scranton Pa. there is a group called the UPPER VALLEY WINDS, they'll be doing a July 22 concert of Johnny Richards Compositions, including all of CUBAN FIRE ! Kenton is still the best !
On the night of my senior prom in high school in 1972 a bunch of us band geeks went to a Stan Kenton concert instead at a local high school. I think that was before Peter was with the band but I did see him with Maynard in Washington DC at I think Blues Alley later in the 70's.
Friggin erskine he could fly
killin'!
Hello, Peter, that video brought back memories... I saw you in the band at one of the summer camps. Later I played with a Latin band in Phoenix with Richard Torres, and even gave trumpet lessons to Dick Shearer's son! And of course living for many years in South Florida has given me many opportunities to play in Dennis Noday's band, in fact he currently plays a mouthpiece I gave him... I don't know if you remember but you were kind enough to provide me with some charts from your Motion Poet album, we have enjoyed them! The last thing I saw was you backing Diana Krall on a youtube entire concert... though Diana doesn't seem to have lost any hair, the rest of us have a lot less than we did in the old days... take care!
Peter, I have loved this tune ever since Jay Saunders introduced us to it in his lab band at UNT. Thanks for posting this, I feel it's one of the lesser known Holman/Kenton tunes. You were 18?!?! Holy smokes - sounds great!
Eri un bambino!
This is great! Who recorded this? Was is through Stan Kenton or did the NPHS TV record this?
This is killing, Peter. Do you have any footage from the rest of the concert?
Thanks for posting!!!!!
Oh yeah! I also remember the years of dust falling from rafters onto the band members when you guys got really cookin '? LOL!
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Don't forget Willie Maiden on baritone sax!
Stan's time whilst comping behind Torre's solo...oops! May I qualify my critique by saying that Stan's music was my first love. My grandfather taped 'Kenton in Hifi' when I was 12 and it blew my mind. I possess over 30 albums. I always feel a bit sad watching the rare clips of his bands after '72-'73 as the musicianship seems to decline somewhat (notable exceptions include Peter Erskine, John Harner, Tim Hagans, Jeff Uusitalo and others). Bob Winiker...what was that about?..sorry :(
That drummer's a bit good. Played lead tpt on this chart back in my college days - killer. Great chart.
He defined drumming for this context.