Ken Hanna

Ken Hanna
Kenneth Lucien Hanna (July 8, 1921 - December 10, 1982) was an American jazz trumpeter, arranger, composer, and bandleader, best known for his work with Stan Kenton. Hired in 1942 by Kenton to add commercial arrangements to the library, he also played trumpet in the band before taking a break for military service. He returned to the trumpet section after the war and continued to contribute compositions and arrangements until 1951. He wrote almost 40 forward thinking compositions and arrangements between 1942 and 1951. He returned to the Kenton writing staff in the late 1960s, contributing over 70 more titles between 1968 and 1977.
Hanna was born in Baltimore. He married Margaret Lee Voorhess (1919–1968), with whom he had a son, Donald Voorhess Hanna (1942–2019),and Stephen Charles Hanna (1947-2020),in 1942.
Discography
As leader
1955 Jazz for Dancers
As sideman
With Stan Kenton
Stan Kenton's Milestones (Capitol, 1943–47 [1950])
Stan Kenton Classics (Capitol, 1944–47 [1952])
Artistry in Rhythm (Capitol, 1946)
Encores (Capitol, 1947)
A Presentation of Progressive Jazz (Capitol, 1947)
The Kenton Era (Capitol, 1940–54, [1955])
Uncollected Stan Kenton & His Orchestra, Vol. 5 (1945–1947) (1994)
City of Glass: Stan Kenton Plays Bob Graettinger (1995)
With others
2001 1947–1949, Nat King Cole
2002 Cool Christy, June Christy
2002 Those Kenton Days, Art Pepper
2003 Summit Meetings 1939–50, The Metronome All-Stars
2003 Young Art, Art Pepper
2008 Nellie's Nightmare, Buddy Rich
Arrangements & compositions created for Kenton
+ indicates original composition
Early years: 1942-1951
April In Paris (1947) The Pastels vocal arranged by Dave Lambert
Atlanta G.A. (1946) June Christy vocal
Begin the Beguine (1944)
Black and Blue (1950) Jay Johnson vocal
Build It Up, Paint It Nice, Tear It Down (1944) Anita O’Day vocal
Dancing in The Dark (1951)
The Day Isn’t Long Enough (1951) Jay Johnson vocal
Deep Purple (1951)
Don’t Blame Me (1951) Jay Johnson vocal
Durango + (1950)
Gone With The Wind (1950) Jay Johnson vocal
He’s My Guy (1942) Eve Knight vocal
How Am I To Know? (1947)
I Don’t Want to Cry Anymore (1951) Jay Johnson vocal
I Have Faith, So Have You (1943) vocal
I Left My Heart at The Stage Door Canteen (1942) Red Dorris vocal
I Only Have Eyes for You (1951)
I’d Be Lost Without You (1946) June Christy vocal
I’m Through with Love (194?) vocal
In the Still of The Night (1951)
It Ain’t Necessarily So (1944) Anita O’Day vocal
The Night We Called It A Day (1946) vocal
Now We Know (1943) vocal
One Dozen Roses (1942) Red Dorris vocal
On the Sunny Side Of The Street (1944) Anita O’Day vocal
September In the Rain (1947) The Pastels vocal arranged by Dave Lambert
Somnambulism + (1947)
Summertime (1945) Gene Howard vocal (long and short versions)
Sunday, Monday Or Always (1943) Dolly Mitchell vocal
Then I’ll Be Tired of You (1947) June Christy vocal
This Is Romance (1946) June Christy vocal
Tiare + (1948)
Where or When (1951) Jay Johnson vocal
You May Not Love Me (1946) Gene Howard vocal
You’re Not the Kind (1948) June Christy vocal
Later years: 1968-1977
Angel Eyes (1977)
Autumn In New York (197?)
Beeline East + (1972)
Bogota + (1970) (originally composed 1955)
Bon Homme Richard + (1970) featuring Dick Shearer
Bora Bora + (1974) SK band and symphony orchestra
The Breeze and I (1970) trumpet feature
The Breeze and I (1975)
Broadside + (1972)
Close To You (1971)
Concerto To End All Concertos (1970)
Finlandia (1976) Masonic music
For All We Know (1971)
Fragments of A Portrait + (1972)
Frangipani + (1970)
Hagan’s Alley + (1976) featuring Tim Hagans
Hindarabi + (1970)
Invitation (1976)
It’s Not Easy Bein’ Green (1973) Band vocal
Last Tango In Paris (1974)
La Vos Del Viento + (1973) featuring Dick Shearer
Lazy Tiger + (1973)
Lonely Windrose + (1970)
Lonely Windrose + (197?) brass choir & rhythm
Lonely Windrose + (1974) SK band + symphony orchestra
Look Who’s Mine (1974)
The Lord’s Prayer (1976) Masonic music
Lunada + (1970)
Lunada + (revised 1972)
Lunada + (revised 1973)
Macumba Suite + (in 4 Movements) (1971)
Mantilla + (1976)
Medianoche + (re-working of Vax-Elation, co-composed by Hanna & Hank Levy) (1973)
Montage + (1973)
Montage + (1973) revised shorter version
Montiya + (197?)
Moorea + (1974) SK band + symphony orchestra
Moorea + (1976)
My Way (1971)
Naima + (1974)
No Media Noche + (197?)
Querida * (1973) featuring Stan Kenton
Reflections _ (1972)
Reynolds-Rap + (1973) featuring Roy Reynolds
Send in The Clowns (1974)
Sensitivo + (1975)
September Morn + (1976)
Serapo + (197?)
Similau + (1970)
Sirocco + (1971) featuring Mike Jamieson
Six Adagios (1976) Masonic music
Snowfall (1977)
The Song Is You (1974)
Stars and Stripes Forever (1976) Masonic music
Strangers (1971)
The Summer Knows (1972)
Summer Me, Winter Me (1970)
Theme for Autumn + (1972)
This Is All I Ask (1977) featuring Dick Shearer
Tiare + (1968) Neophonic
Tiare + (1970)
Tiare + (1974) SK band and symphony orchestra
A Time for Love (1974)
Turido + (197?)
Vax + (Vax-Elation) (1972) co-composed by Hanna & Hank Levy, featuring Mike Vax
Wave (1975)
Westwind + (1976)
What Are You Doing the Rest Of Your Life? (1970)
What’s New (1977)
You Are the Sunshine of My Life (1974)
You Go to My Head (1976)
You Must Believe In Spring (1977)
References
American jazz trumpeters
American male trumpeters
American jazz bandleaders
American jazz composers
American male jazz composers
1982 deaths
1921 births
20th-century American composers
20th-century trumpeters
20th-century American male musicians
20th-century jazz composers