A protracted depiction of musician Stan Kenton's career to date is presented. A pianist, he started performing in a small three piece combo specializing in dance music, they who played venues such as taxi dance halls. He realized that making a name in the business meant writing special arrangements, which he began to do in 1941, with singer June Christy providing vocals for his band. The band's success led to a country-wide tour of one night stops, playing at a variety of venue types. The next step in the band's climb to success was playing in concert halls, where Jerry Gale added the extra dimension of dancing to the music.