- My old flame
- Crazy Chords
- Gone with the Wind
- Yesterdays
- Strike Up the Band
- You Go to My Head
- Out of Nowhere
- Intoit
- Indian summer
- Long Island sound
- The Lady in Red
- Too Marvellous for Words
- I’ve Got You Under My Skin
- What’s New
- Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams
- You Stepped out of a Dream
This is a portrait of Stan Getz in 1949/50, but Stan’s
playing is instantly recognisable whichever period in his long career
you listen to. As he got older there was more intensity to his playing,
but the sound and his approach to improvisation remained constant.
His background, his parents were Russian Jews who immigrated to the
USA, probably helped to give his unique style and although there is
some evidence that he was aware of what Lester Young was playing,
he is unique in jazz history.
By accounts from his contemporaries, Stan was not
the easiest man to get on with, which may account for why there were
so many changes in the line up of his Quartet for the various sessions
from 1950. As he was the best around everyone wanted to play in his
band, but not for too long. He demanded perfection from his sidemen
in the same way that he naturally gave it.
On this CD, Tony Aless, Al Haig, and Horace Silver
are the pianists, every one of them a top soloist in his own right.
Percy Heath shares the bass playing with,
Gene Ramey, Tommy Potter and Joe Calloway and the
same is true of them and drummers Don Lamond, Stan Levey, Roy Haynes,
Walter Bolden.
The musical content is as you would expect from Stan,
exquisite, whilst most people sound better in the 3.5 minute format
on the 78rpm records that these were, Stan benefited greatly from
being able to stretch out as he did when the LP records came along.
This album is essential listening for all aspiring
tenor sax players, the improvisations closely follow the chord sequence
of the original tune, but are never restricted by them and his technique
is breathtaking. These records influenced tenor sax players greatly
until John Coltrane arrived and the current style of playing a million
notes in every performance took over. Happily we are beginning to
hear a few young Getz influenced tenor sax players again.
A favourite track is hard to identify, but Small
Hotel is a tune that most improvisers seem to shy away from, but it
sounds easy when Stan plays it!
Don Mather
CD Reviews
Blue Classic
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