1961 · Album
Two Much!
Recorded 1960 · Capitol Records · Orchestra: Stan Kenton Orchestra
A Brief Bright Moment with Stan Kenton
A slim discography makes this album an important contribution to a singer whose career was far too short.
Two Much! arrived in 1960 without fanfare and has mostly stayed that way — a record that slipped past at the time and never quite caught up with the cultural conversation around Stan Kenton's orchestra. But AllMusic reviewer Dave Nathan understood what was at stake: with Ann Richards leaving behind so few recordings, this one became essential simply because it exists. That scarcity, though, shouldn't obscure what's actually happening here. Richards had a direct, unsentimental approach to a lyric, the kind of singer who didn't need to prove anything through excess. Paired with Kenton's big, modernist orchestra — all those bright horns and architectural precision — she cuts through cleanly. The band swings without ever sounding reckless, and Richards meets that discipline with her own control. It's not flashy collaboration; it's two professionals who respect the material enough to serve it without adding false drama. For listeners drawn to Kenton's orchestral sound, Richards offers a refreshing alternative to the more theatrical vocalists he often featured. She doesn't compete with the arrangement; she lives inside it. This isn't a record that demands repeated listening to reveal hidden depths. It's straightforward and honest in a way that makes it easy to overlook. But overlooking it means missing one of the cleaner examples of how a strong voice and a strong orchestra can simply work together, track after track, without strain.
Where next?
More by Stan Kenton
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