Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra was a pivotal jazz band in the development of the genre that has come to be known as Kansas City jazz. Founded in the mid-1920s by pianist Bennie Moten, the orchestra became one of the most influential jazz bands of the era before Moten's untimely death in 1935. The band was renowned for its vibrant blend of blues and jazz, with a driving rhythm section that laid the groundwork for the swing era. Moten was a bandleader who fostered immense talent, including the legendary Count Basie, who started as a pianist in the band before eventually leading the group after Moten's death.

Through their recordings in the late 1920s and early 1930s, Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra solidified its reputation as a premier jazz ensemble, with a style characterized by a strong, steady beat and a propensity for riff-based improvisation. Tunes like "Moten Swing" and "South" became jazz standards, reflecting the loose, bluesy feel that was synonymous with the Kansas City sound. Although the original releases date back to a golden jazz age long passed, compilations such as "The Best of Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra" help to preserve the legacy of Moten and his band, ensuring that new audiences continue to discover the foundational sounds that shaped modern jazz music. Their extensive discography, including tracks like "Kansas City Breakdown" and "Milenberg Joys," offers a window into a dynamic period of American music history, with Moten's orchestra at the heart of the jazz movement that rocked the nation.

Genres

Big Band

Dixieland

Hot Jazz

Man's Orchestra

Swing

Vintage Jazz

Latest Release

The Ultimate Jazz Archive, Vol. I [Audiophile Edition]

Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra

Album - 22 Tracks - Released February 2, 2024