The Red Hill Inn

The Red Hill Inn began life as a blocky farmhouse somewhere between New Jersey and Pennsylvania (Pennsauken N.J. to be exact) but over time had evolved into first a heaven for weary travelers then eventually, a hot spot for anyone with an itch for some entertainment just a swinging eighth note away from Philly. 

Not much to look at but this ol’ girl has some stories to tell. Like the three nights that “Lady Day” and Sonny Rollins packed them in and sent them home with a little snap in their step. Or Lenny Bruce’s post arrest performance with around 600 (assuming everyone had a pair) eager ears drawing in the off-color commentary like water. Stan Kenton too unleashed his version of color onto the “hot and bothered” crowd in June of 1959.

Stan Kenton was always a hard hitter and it was no different in June of 1959. For any Kenton fan the performance, like many others, was a high energy stream of hits. The truly unique and almost unsettling part of the night was Mr. Kenton’s telling of a tragically hilarious origin of Obu that was not without Stan’s quirky and quick wit to carry the story along.