This Modern World (album)

Updated on Dec 19, 2023

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Released 1953 Artist Stan Kenton Label SINETONE AMR		Producer Lee Gillette Release date 1953 Genre Jazz

Recorded December 5, 1951, March 20, 1952, February 11, 1953 and May 28, 1953 Studio Capitol Recording Studios, Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, CA This Modern World (1953) Portraits on Standards (1953) Similar City of Glass, Popular Favorites by Stan K, Sketches on Standards, Innovations in Modern Music, Stan Kenton Presents

A horn

This Modern World is an album by pianist and bandleader Stan Kenton featuring performances of compositions by Robert Graettinger recorded between 1951 and 1953 and originally released as a 10-inch LP on Capitol as well as a set of three 7 inch 45 rpm singles.

Critical reception

The Allmusic review by Richard S. Ginell calls it "the most complex, atonal, uncompromising, potentially alienating music that even the iconoclastic Stan Kenton band ever played" and said "This Modern World moves even further away from jazz into abstract contemporary classical music... A jazz pulse occasionally surfaces but more often instruments drift in atonal clusters past each other in differing meters or blast dissonant fanfares, creating a feeling of unease as they converse quizzically".

Track listing

All compositions by Robert Graettinger.

"A Horn" - 4:04
"Some Saxophones" - 3:13
"A Cello" - 4:59
"A Thought" - 4:52
"A Trumpet" - 4:46
"An Orchestra" - 4:03

Recorded at Capitol Recording Studios in Hollywood, CA on December 5, 1951 (track 1), March 20, 1952 (track 3), February 11, 1953 (tracks 5 & 6) and May 28, 1953 (tracks 2 & 4)

Personnel

Stan Kenton - piano, conductor

Conte Candoli (tracks 1, 5 & 6), Pete Candoli (tracks 5 & 6), Buddy Childers (tracks 5 & 6), John Coppola (track 1), Don Dennis (tracks 5 & 6), Maynard Ferguson (tracks 1, 5 & 6), John Howell (track 1), Ruben McFall (tracks 5 & 6), Stu Williamson (track 1) - trumpet

Harry Betts (track 1), Bob Burgess (tracks 5 & 6), Bob Fitzpatrick (track 1), Dick Kenney (track 1), Keith Moon (tracks 5 & 6), Frank Rosolino (tracks 5 & 6), Bill Russo (tracks 1, 5 & 6) - trombone

George Roberts - bass trombone (tracks 1, 5 & 6)

John Graas (tracks 1, 4 & 6), Lloyd Otto (tracks 1, 4 & 6), George Price (track 1) - French horn

Stan Fletcher - tuba (track 1)

Vinnie Dean (tracks 5 & 6), Herb Geller (tracks 2 & 4), Lee Konitz (tracks 5 & 6), Dick Meldonian (track 3), Art Pepper (track 1) - alto saxophone

Bud Shank - alto saxophone, flute (tracks 1-4)

Bob Cooper - tenor saxophone, oboe, English horn (tracks 1-4)

Bart Caldarell - tenor saxophone, clarinet, bassoon (tracks 1-4)

Bob Gioga - baritone saxophone, bass clarinet (tracks 1, 3, 5 & 6)

John Rotella - baritone saxophone (tracks 2 & 4)

Earl Cornwell, Phil Davidson, Barton Gray, Maurice Koukel, Alex Law, Seb Mercurio, Dwight Muma, Danny Napolitano, Charlie Scarle, Ben Zimberoff - violin (track 1)

Paul Israel, Aaron Shapiro, Dave Smiley - viola (track 1)

Gregory Bemko (tracks 1 & 3), Zachary Bock (track 1), Gabe Jellen (track 1) - cello

Ralph Blaze (track 1), Sal Salvador (tracks 5 & 6) - guitar

Don Bagley (tracks 1, 3, 5 & 6), Abe Luboff (track 1) - bass

Frank Capp (track 3), Stan Levey (tracks 5 & 6), Shelly Manne (track 1) - drums