Stan Kenton Presents The Al Belleto Sextet

[JSngry]

Saw this yesterday at a very cheap price and had it in the pile, but then come culling time, thought about it, looked it over, though about it some more, and decided hmmmmm....buying more items just becuase they are curiosities is not what I need to be about doing right now, neither financially or reality-based storage needs, so back on the shelf you go (along with the Patty Bown Epic side, which was one tough call, actually, but these are tough times for the literal-minded immediatists, hello truth in motion, Ed Shaugnessy being the swing factor, and yes, I know about all that, not making snap-decision based on sideburn/medallion sterotypes, know what all else there is to that, like I said, a tough call, tough).

So, getting home, it appears that YouTube is full of clips from the groups next(?) album, and I'm like, WHEW dodged that bullet, chief, HELL yeah! But then I ruminated that that second album was NOT presented by Stan Kenton, so maybe it's less purely Solid JazzFuture than the one I left behind, and now I don't know. Tomorrow's a holiday and my car still has gas. I can go places if I want to, especially if I need to.

So, citizens of the World, what sayst youse? Is Stan Kenton Presents The Al Belletto Sextet an sleeper giant of an album, or should I leave well enough alone and just inside the air-conditioning of the crib, watch an Emergency rerun or three, and hope that some worthy party (hello, Ken, yes, you) finds the Patty Bown Epic side still there?

Your voice counts!

[Big Beat Steve]

I bought my copy of Sounds and Songs under similar circumstances (at a record fair where this one stood out - at an OK price - among a host of totally differently slanted records of 50s music and, above all, was one of those 50s jazz obscurities I always have had a soft spot for) in the late 90s. A bit later I picked up the Half & Half album on Capitol through eBay.

It's no desert island music for me but I enjoy them for what they are (a sort of "Hey, the Four Freshmen play their own instruments in a jazzier way" thing) and when the mood hits me I pull them out every now and then. One kind of cool musical "mid-century modern" vibe that I enjoy very much occasionally.

Don't get me wrong, but going by the kind of impression I have got of you through the years on this forum I'd say you won't grieve to death if you miss out on that record. Jazz-wise, it just MIGHT be a bit too polished for you.

Edited May 26, 2014 by Big Beat Steve

[AllenLowe]

picked that one up years ago at a used record store in New Haven; it became something of a running joke between me and the store owner, but we were both surprised at how good it was.

[kh1958]

I too have picked up that very album (literally), thought about it, and put it back. The Patty Bown, I haven't noticed.

[JSngry]

I left it - The Patti Bown album - on top of the "B" section, so if you want it, it might still be there, and none too hard to notice. Don't think it was over $5.99.

[Peter Friedman]

I had the Al Belleto Lps at one time. They didn't do much for me and I disposed of them many decades go.

I also had the Patti Bown LP and my reqction was the same, and I had no difficulty also disposing of it.