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Stan Kenton

Pianist Stan Kenton was not only one of the last great bandleaders to emerge during the big band era, he was also one of the most controversial, consistently going against the musical grain of the day. Although many jazz purists dismissed his work as an aberration of the popular swing bands of the day, the wrought emotional power of his bands with their strident walls of brass made others consider him a visionary, who changed perceptions of jazz. Originally from Wichita, Kansas, he mostly grew up in the Los Angeles suburb of Bell, and was taught piano in his teens by local mus...