Two Much! - Ann Richards & Stan Kenton

 

My Kinda Love

Two Much!

The Fantastic Voice Of Ann Richards

Backed By The Wailing Big Band Of Stan Kenton

Produced by Ed Yellen

Capitol Records T1495

1961

From the back cover: As Stan says, when we recorded this album we had just come back from a road tour, and believe me, it was about the most exciting eight weeks I've ever spent. This is a young, enthusiastic group, all musicians who are not the least bit blasé about what they are doing and who really like to be heard.

I felt that if we could turn loose the same amount of energy and excitement in the studio that we had built up to on tour, we could have something really worth hearing.

I know that I felt really inspired; and Stanley's such a great leader that he was able to draw the same response from these fine guys that live audiences did – maybe even more. You''ll have to judge the results, of course, but I know this approach certainly made sessions a lot of fun for all of us.

Take Gene Roland's treatment of No Moon At All, for example. Here was a tune we had been doing every night at concerts and dances. It started out as a two-chorus hand arrangement, then we began improvising on it, with me singing two and a half choruses first with just the rhythm section, then the band coming in for two more.  We all got a kick out of doing it the same way for the album.

I Got Rhythm is a tune I've done in clubs to an instrumental trio arrangement. Bill Holman took it and made it a "funky" big-band thing just beautifully. I think it comes off exceptionally well. So does his Don't Be That Way.

Johnny Richard's arrangement of My Kinda Love is wonderful and fresh. He originally wrote the introduction for trombones, then Stanley decided to let me sing it instead. It turns out to be a nice, unusual king of thing.

Johnny's moody treatment of Suddenly I'm Sad is just beautiful, but his swinging All Or Nothing At All is my favorite tune int he album – that's personal, of course, and you may or may not agree. Thanks to Wayne Dunstan, It's A Wonderful World gave me a lot of chance for improvisation, and that was certainly fun. I've always wanted to do a little of the kind of shouting you'll hear in Bill's The Morning After. And I'm sure you'll know my feeling for Nobody Like My Baby and I Was The Last One To Know when I say Stanley arranged them. Actually, this was all a ball – "Two Much" for Stanley and me, for all the boys in the band and for you, too, I hope.

From Billboard - January 9, 1961: The Stan Kenton crew has given a number of top jazz singers to the world, including Anita O'Day, June Christy and Chris Connor. Thrush Ann Richards could join these outstanding thrushes through her remarkable performance on this new album. She shows off an exciting style and a warm manner of handling a tune that is all her own, yet in the jazz tradition, even down to her scat singing. And she is backed solid by the Kenton crew all the way. Tunes include "It's A Wonderful World," "No Moon At All" and "All Or Nothing At All."

It's A Wonderful World

The Morning After

I Was The Last One To Know

My Kinda Love

I Got Rhythm

No Moon At All

Don't Be That Way

Suddenly I'm Sad

Nobody Like My Baby

All Or Nothing At All