Stan Getz Stan Getz '57 (2019)

In November 1961, tenor sax titan Stan Getz was leading one of his best yet shortest-lived lineups, with pianist Steve Kuhn, bassist John Neves, and drummer Roy Haynes. The previously unreleased Getz at the Gate showcases this group at peak power on the bandstand. In sound quality, it far exceeds Live at Birdland 1961, which captures nearly the same band (with Jimmy Garrison on bass) on many of the same tunes, earlier in the same month.

It's regrettable that Stan Getz and Chet Baker disliked one another personally, for they had so much in common musically. Both came out of jazz's Cool School, had delightful tones, favored subtlety and restraint, and both could be incredibly lyrical - no jazzman has played ballads more beautifully than Getz or Baker. Recorded live in Norway in 1983 but not released commercially until 2000, Quintessence, Vol. 2 offers a rare chance to hear them co-leading a quintet. One wishes that Getz and Baker (who are joined by pianist Jim McNeely, bassist George Mraz and drummer Victor Lewis) had been able to put their personal differences aside and play together more often, for the two are a highly appealing combination on standards that range from "It's You or No One" and "I'll Remember April" to Billy Strayhorn's "Blood Count," Gerry Mulligan's "Line for Lyons," and Sonny Rollins' "Airegin"…

In another generous release from Verve Records, Stan Getz fans are treated to two of the legendary saxophonist's best albums on one digitally remastered CD: "Cool Velvet," an album with strings, and "Voices," an excitingly experimental project featuring backup singers. Getz's grace and beauty of tone have rarely been as evident as they are on the "Cool Velvet" tracks; ballads like "The Thrill is Gone," "It Never Entered My Mind," and "Born to Be Blue" will leave no doubt in any listener's mind as to the level of his artistry. "Early Autumn" and "Round Midnight" get stunning renditions, and "Whisper Not" picks up the pace ever so slightly, and the combination of Getz, vibraphone, and strings over the tune's catchy melody make for one of the most memorable moments in Stan's career…

At Storyville captures tenor saxophonist Stan Getz in October 1951 at the height of his creative abilities. Of course, this isn't to say that Getz's music ever lacked originality in his later years. However, this live date features the youthful drive and musical eagerness lost in some of Getz's '80s and early-'90s releases (He died in 1991). There is nothing like hearing a jazz giant brimming with energy and vitality. Despite the criticism that Getz's playing was cold or overly detached at times, this music shows a hot horn player blazing through many of the album's 13 tracks. These sessions also mark one of the few times that this particular lineup performed together…

The 14 cuts on Stan Getz's Music for Lovers - as part of Blue Note's eight-part series - were all recorded between 1948 and '54. With the exception of "Early Autumn," on which Getz is a member of Woody Herman & His Orchestra, and "Easy Living," as a member of Count Basie's band, these were all small group sessions, quartets. and quintets. There are a number of classics here, such as "Moonlight in Vermont," with the saxophonists' memorable solo and Johnny Smith's empathic guitar playing. Ditto that with Jimmy Raney playing on "These Foolish Things" (which also featured Duke Jordan on piano) and "Tenderly." Another high moment is "Imagination," where Getz interacts with pianist Horace Silver (who has his own volume in this series)…

Recorded live in Copenhagen, March 1, 1959 and October 25, 1959 (tracks 1-8); live broadcast, recorded in Fredrikstad, Norway, February 20, 1959 (tracks 9-11).
One of the all-time great tenor saxophonists, Stan Getz (born Stanley Gayetski in 1927) was known as "The Sound." He had one of the most beautiful tones in jazz on the horn, and was among the greatest of melodic improvisers. His main early influence was Lester Young, but he grew to influence generations of players himself and never stopped evolving as a musician. Getz was an extraordinary improviser who created a distinctive sound and vocabulary. He won no less than 11 Grammys and topped countless jazz polls…

Italian label Comet Records restores all nine cuts to this 1980 Stan Getz performance on Empty Shells: The Complete Cannes Concert, which had been variously released with missing tracks. Finding the "cool school" tenor saxophonist in a mix of straight-ahead and fusion styles, the recording illuminates the work Getz did with his quintet of the period, featuring keyboardist Andy LaVerne, guitarist Chuck Loeb, bassist Brian Bromberg, and drummer Victor Jones. While many of the ex-Herdsman's recordings after 1965's Sweet Rain are by no means essential listening - barring 1972's stellar Captain Marvel – Empty Shells does showcase Getz in an expansive, funky, and searching ensemble that epitomizes the best of the mainstream electronic jazz movement…