Arranger and band leader Joel Kaye, who was part of Stan Kenton's mellophonium band of the early '60s and his Neophonic Orchestra of 1965, will lead the Edmond Jazz Orchestra in this special one night event. Typically, Kaye arranges standards (with a few obscurities tossed in). His approach to jazz is conventional and swinging, but there are many inventive and surprising segments too. Joel Kaye is a master at big band compositions. Spectacular musicianship and superb, exciting solos should be expected, so he is the perfect person to bring Stan Kenton's music to Oklahoma. From the 1930's-1970's, Kenton was a salient figure on the American musical scene and made an indelible mark on arranged big band jazz. Kenton's music evolved with the times throughout the late 60's and early 70's, and even after he was no longer considered a contemporary innovator, he continued to champion jazz and jazz improvisation as an educator, spokesperson, and musician. The ''Kenton Style'' continues to permeate big bands at the high school and collegiate level, and the framework he designed for the ''jazz clinic'' is still widely in use today.
