I do support that. I came to Kenton via his great 1950s orchestra and the Capitol issues. He himself was also a good arranger:
- Portrais & Sketches of Standards
- Kenton presents (with Art Pepper)
- New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm
- Contemporary Concepts and the great
- Showcase (with Holman & Russo arranging)
This period ended with "Back To Balboa" IMO & I lost him when the 'Neophonic Era' began with the Mellophoniums and that bombastic Wagner Interpretation.
Yes he was a restless searcher as DB printed it.
The recent discovered 1952 Stereo tracks from The Blue Note Club are again a highlight for me. What a Band with all the later West Coast stars. Among my more than 100 Kenton Items the 1950s are the best sounding Items for me.
Here is something extra