Stan Getz

1951-1952 (2003). In response to shortsighted comments implying that Stan Getz and Zoot Sims sounded too much like each other and too similar to Lester Young, Ira Gitler liked to use the analogy of "…a friend calling you on the telephone. You know who it is immediately. It's the same thing when you hear a musician play." The secret, of course, is to listen so carefully and consistently that you feel as though you have become a friend of the artist. This sort of empathy is a vital ingredient in jazz - the empathy between composers, players, and listeners. Hearing Stan Getz recorded live in performance at Boston's Storyville club on October 28, 1951, spells it out marvelously. Backed by pianist Al Haig, guitarist Jimmy Raney, bassist Teddy Kotick, and drummer Tiny Kahn, Getz sounds as though he has arrived at a hard-won maturity…

Stan Getz was invited to perform a concert with a local rhythm section in Warsaw, Poland, in 1960; he was sufficiently impressed with the trio to join them for a brief studio session afterwards. While this five-song set isn't flawless, as Getz has some problems with repeated reed squeaking in the rendition of "Cherokee," the all-standards program is otherwise very enjoyable, with excellent sound. Getz is in total control with the lush take of "Darn That Dream," as he makes a delayed entrance following pianist Andrzej Trzaskowski, who proves himself to be a thoughtful accompanist and soloist. Bassist Roman Dylag and drummer Andrzej Dabrowski also get high marks. This compilation is rounded out with two tracks from a 1974 concert in Warsaw by a working edition of the Stan Getz Quartet, with pianist Albert Dailey, bassist George Mraz, and drummer Billy Hart. The tenor saxophonist again gets a little sloppy with atypical reed squeaks in both tracks, which include an extended, exciting workout of Chick Corea's "La Fiesta" and an old favorite, Jobim's "Desafinado." Getz fans will definitely want to acquire this obscure Polish CD.

One of the all-time great tenor saxophonists, Stan Getz was known as "The Sound" because he had one of the most beautiful tones ever heard. Getz, whose main early influence was Lester Young, grew to be a major influence himself and to his credit he never stopped evolving. Getz had the opportunity to play in a variety of major swing big bands while a teenager due to the World War II draft. He was with Jack Teagarden (1943) when he was just 16, followed by stints with Stan Kenton (1944-1945), Jimmy Dorsey (1945), and Benny Goodman (1945-1946); he soloed on a few records with Goodman.

Stan Getz - Stan Getz and The Cool Sounds (1957) {Verve Japan Mini LP POCJ-2715 rel 1999}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 186 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 112 Mb
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© 1953-55, 1999 Verve / Polydor-Polygram K.K. Japan | POCJ-2715 | 24bit remastering
Jazz / Cool / West Coast Jazz / Saxophone

Stan Getz plays with five different lineups on the recordings from 1954 and 1955 featured on Stan Getz and the Cool Sounds. The cool-toned, mellow tenor saxophonist starts off with four tracks accompanied by pianist Lou Levy, bassist Leroy Vinnegar, and drummer Shelly Manne, with the easygoing swinger "Our Love Is Here to Stay" taking top honors. Valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer is added to the mix for two quintet selections, both of which feature pianist John Williams anchoring two different rhythm sections.

Stan Getz leads a piano-less quartet at the Salle Pleyel in 1966, with veteran drummer Roy Haynes and two talented musicians still in their twenties at the time, bassist Steve Swallow and vibraphonist Gary Burton. The tenor saxophonist's always-lush tone is beautifully complemented by his musicians' sensitive accompaniment, especially on the lovely ballad "When the World Was Young." Burton is doubly showcased by Getz in the vibraphonist's tricky "Singing Song" and also dazzling the audience with his already well-developed four-mallet technique in a show-stopping solo interpretation of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Edelweiss" (from The Sound of Music). Getz doesn't disappoint his French audience's desire for bossa nova, beginning the set with a smooth rendition of "Manha de Carnaval"…

One of his best LPs from a very creative and innovative period, In Stockholm is wonderful almost in spite of itself. Getz recorded this date for Norman Granz in December of 1955, after returning from a several-months-long period of recuperation in North Africa due to a crippling illness - the combination of pleurisy and pneumonia. Getz is in the company of three Swedish jazzmen: pianist Bengt Hallberg, bassist Gunnar Johnson, and drummer Anders Burman. The program is made up of standards and a mix of ballads and faster bop-flavored tunes. The bluesy "Indiana" kicks the date off with a brief solo tenor intro. Getz's trademark tone is warm, rich, and full. His real foil on the track is Johnson, whose bop playing is on the money…