Stan Getz Music

Stan Getz European road manager was Bill Hoogstraten. One day Stan said, "Let's see, Hoogstraten, doesn't that mean 'High Street'"? Stan thought this was quite amusing, being often on High Street himself, so Stan collaborated on a Samba named for him. But 'Billy Highstreet Samba' is not really a samba, more nearly Rock Fusion.

Stan participated in a number of forgetable Fusion efforts in the 70's, to show he could play anything au courant, before his comeback in the 80's. Then, on his next Concord albums, he decided to change and play only what he was good at - his own straight-ahead mainstream style of Jazz, more involved versions of the same type of music he'd played in the '50's. Of all of his Fusion flounderings, this is the most listenable.

The better Getz pieces on this CD are, as usual, the slower, introspective ones like Chuck Loeb's "Be There Then", "Dirge" and the standard "Body and Soul". But, overall, there is also too much Fusion here; the sidemen meander, do their own thing, oblivious, while Stan tries to look for a place to make his statement in his idiom.

This will not replace Getz Cool, aloof work in the '40's thru '60's in anyone's heart. Nor will it replace his marvelous Cool (with emotions) comeback in the '80's, but it it the best album of the lost Fusion years.

This album was dedicated to Getz's personel manager, a fine fellow I'm sure-named Billy Highstreet. Sounds like an American Indian name! It was 1980 and soon Steve Getz, Stan's son became personel manager and remains even today as a guardian of Stan's venerable body of work. As even a Jazz Superstar like Getz was, artists must be exposed to the currents of newer trends. So, using a very talented pianist and a guitarist-Chuck Loeb, Getz plays his own vision of the "fusion" style so present in the early 80's. And he performs this music beautifully and with ease and of course more "prettiness" than most anyone else could. He even includes a lovely ballad-Body and Soul, and plays some soprano sax! A great artist like Getz could never lose his sweet "sound" no matter how times changed, we should be thrilled that we still can enjoy his work. If you are a fan, and you appreciate the first class treatment Verve always gives art you will be happy to own this recording.

Stan Getz European road manager was Bill Hoogstraten. One day Stan said, "Let's see, Hoogstraten, doesn't that mean 'High Street'"? Stan thought this was quite amusing, being often on High Street himself, so Stan collaborated on a Samba named for him. But 'Billy Highstreet Samba' is not really a samba, more nearly Rock Fusion.

Stan participated in a number of forgetable Fusion efforts in the 70's, to show he could play anything au courant, before his comeback in the 80's. Then, on his next Concord albums, he decided to change and play only what he was good at - his own straight-ahead mainstream style of Jazz, more involved versions of the same type of music he'd played in the '50's. Of all of his Fusion flounderings, this is the most listenable.

The better Getz pieces on this CD are, as usual, the slower, introspective ones like Chuck Loeb's "Be There Then", "Dirge" and the standard "Body and Soul". But, overall, there is also too much Fusion here; the sidemen meander, do their own thing, oblivious, while Stan tries to look for a place to make his statement in his idiom.

This will not replace Getz Cool, aloof work in the '40's thru '60's in anyone's heart. Nor will it replace his marvelous Cool (with emotions) comeback in the '80's, but it it the best album of the lost Fusion years.

This album was dedicated to Getz's personel manager, a fine fellow I'm sure-named Billy Highstreet. Sounds like an American Indian name! It was 1980 and soon Steve Getz, Stan's son became personel manager and remains even today as a guardian of Stan's venerable body of work. As even a Jazz Superstar like Getz was, artists must be exposed to the currents of newer trends. So, using a very talented pianist and a guitarist-Chuck Loeb, Getz plays his own vision of the "fusion" style so present in the early 80's. And he performs this music beautifully and with ease and of course more "prettiness" than most anyone else could. He even includes a lovely ballad-Body and Soul, and plays some soprano sax! A great artist like Getz could never lose his sweet "sound" no matter how times changed, we should be thrilled that we still can enjoy his work. If you are a fan, and you appreciate the first class treatment Verve always gives art you will be happy to own this recording.

I have always wanted to own some Claude Thornhill but never found the CD I wanted until I spotted this gem.

Thornhill is an interesting figure in the history of jazz because he is best known as an arranger and as a band-leader who provided a home for two other musican/arrangers from the late 40's and onward -- Gil Evans and Gerry Mulligan.

Gil Evans was the arranger who is perhaps best known for arranging the charts for several collaborations with Miles Davis in the late 50's and early 60's: Miles Ahead, Sketches of Spain, Porgy and Bess, and Quiet Nights. Gerry Mulligan was a well known figure in the "cool" jazz movement of the 50's (and played for many years after that). Together, Gil Evans, Miles Davis and Gerry Mulligan were the driving forces between the "Birth of the Cool" sessions that were some landmark recordings of the late 40's.

So - back to Thornhill. He started as an arranger and then led a band prior to taking a break during WWII. After WWII he formed a band with lots of talented sidemen (e.g., Lee Konitz) and provided a home for Gil Evans and later Gerry Mulligan to write arrangements.

Big bands were struggling to survive after WWII, and Thornhill's book of arrangements was a blend of traditional big band sounds, interesting arrangements that included instrumentation like French Horns and Tubas, and songs that were adaptations of bebop classics like "Donna Lee." You also get to hear the Thornhill arrangement of "Jeru," a song that was also part of the "Birth of the Cool" sessions.

I have always wanted some Thornhill but never wanted to wade through his other stuff by other arrangers -- all I wanted was the Gil Evans and Gerry Mulligan arrangements, and here it is!

Great arrangements; great package of liner notes and music; a very interesting step forward in the history of jazz. Listen carefully and you'll hear arrangements, instrumentation and song choice that way beyond what most big bands were doing in the 40's -- there's a real attempt to incorporate the sounds of bebop and a foreshadowing of the "cool" jazz of the 50's. Very unusual in a big band setting.

Getz nasceu em 1927, época em que os jovens músicos iniciavam suas carreiras em big bands. Não foi diferente com Getz que, aos 17 anos, já tocava com seu xará Stan Kenton. Depois, com Benny Goodman e, finalmente, com a excelente banda de Woddy Herman, na qual se destacou como instrumentista singular ao produzir dois magníficos solos: Early Autumn e Four Brothers. Como tantos jovens saxofonistas da costa oeste, Getz seguiu os passos de Lester Young, o genial saxofonista que sapateava sobre ovos sem quebrá-los. Nessa época, o bebop começava a rondar o jazz, o rock ainda não havia contaminado o meio musical e a bossa nova engatinhava. O cenário era, então, propício para que Getz mesclasse seu fraseado cool com os alaridos complexos do bop, produzindo uma linguagem e uma sonoridade única e bastante pessoal - Getz é desses gênios que se reconhece nas primeiras notas, como John Coltrane ou Charlie Parker. Arriscaria dizer que, para os meus ouvidos, Stan Getz é uma espécie de Dexter Gordon branco. Mas os deuses não pararam de ser generosos com Getz: a maldita eletrônica, que logo produziria a barulhenta e insuportável fusion, estava sob controle e limitada praticamente à guitarra. Tudo isso permitiu que Getz desenvolvesse uma sonoridade estritamente acústica, sempre envolta numa nuvem de suavidade sob a qual ele escondia um fraseado rico e complexo moldado nas contribuições dos mestres da costa leste. Improvisando sobre acordes, conseguia dar ao ouvinte a falsa impressão de relaxamento e tranqüilidade melódica, enquanto que os pianistas se dilaceravam nas teclas para acompanhá-lo em suas aventuras harmônicas. Não era à toa que somente pianistas com o calibre de Al Haig, Tony Aless, Duke Jordan e Horace Silver eram capazes de dialogar de igual para igual com ele nesse período inicial da carreira. Antes mesmo de cair no samba e atingir a fama, Getz já havia se estabelecido como um dos maiores saxofonistas do jazz de todos os tempos, com técnica perfeita, fraseado único, inteligência harmônica e sonoridade digna de constar entre os cinco estilistas mais importantes do tenor, ao lado de Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Sonny Rollins e John Coltrane. Seus dois únicos problemas talvez tenham sido o de nascer branco e possuir uma tonalidade belíssima, imbatível nas baladas, o que gerava certo desconforto e ira em alguns saxofonistas claudicantes como Ornete Coleman & Cia. Para os amigos navegantes, deixo a faixa The song is you, gravada ao vivo em 1952 no Birdland. Era primavera em New York e com Getz estavam Duke Jordan (p), Jimmy Raney (g), Gene Ramey (b) e Phil Brown (d). O álbum foi lançado em cd pela Fresh Sound em 1991, e merecia uma remasterização melhor.

"Blue Skies" released in 1982 on Concord Records is a fantastic album. Absolute lyrical beauty. Jazz doesn't get much better than this folks. This is the ticket right here. From start to finish, you won't be disappointed, especially if you're a Getz fan. Getz is joined by Jim McNeely on piano, Marc Johnson on bass, and Billy Hart on drums. This trio is empathic to Getz's musical vision. If this album doesn't bring tears to your eyes, especially after hearing the second tune "Antigny," then you have no soul. You don't want to miss out on this one. Highly recommended.

This is one of the best of Getz best late period albums. from the mid 80's. Much beauty sadness, pathos (Antigny), but also calm and tranquility. Very heartfelt music. The opposite of Cool and aloof. Warm and Melodic. As relaxed, laidback, smooth and classy as a shot of warm ten year old cognac. Stan has the ability to create romance and take the edge off a traumatic week at work.

Of all Getz many ballads recorded, Antigny is perhaps the bleakest and darkest. The others are more typical warm, melodic Getz. Spring is Here and the spacious title track, Blue Skies, (on the wistful side), are melodic and particularly memorable.

Well recorded.

Not a bad song on ther album, all are great!

Hightest recommendation. Get it while you can.

"People think that I play effortlessly. I remember doing a record date with Bill Evans and afterwards he said to me, you make it sound so easy but when I get right up next to you you're working hard and making it sound easy!" ~ Stan Getz ~

"Blue Skies" by Stan Getz is one of the most remarkable albums that he recorded in the eighties, which represents the last decade of his prolific musical career. The CD contains six slow ballads executed in his usual beautiful, lyrical and poetic tones with the support of his talented sidemen, Jimmy McNeely on piano, Billy Hart on drums and Marc Johnson on bass.

The jazz world would not be as sparkling and interesting without the elegant music of Stan Getz. He had greatly contributed his creative artistry to jazz and left behind so many beautiful recordings for music lovers to collect and enjoy.

This recording presents Stan Getz at his most reflective mood. All the tunes are simply pleasing to the ears most especially one of the most beautiful melodies composed by George Gershwin, "How Long Has This Been Going On?" And ditto with Richard Rodgers' "Spring Is Here," Ralph Rainger's "Easy Living" and my top favorite from this short but very delightful program, Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies."

I likened Getz's musicality to Shakespeare's poetry. Both excelled in their respective art that it would be impossible not to appreciate their talents. If Getz were a poet, he would be in the league with Shakespeare.

This music sounds so exquisitely smooth, mellow and relaxed. It's just the perfect listen for relaxing on a quiet evening. For fans of Stan Getz, this is a welcome addition to your jazz collection. You'll love it!

With my heartfelt recommendation.

Getz was already the grand old man of the tenor saxophone when he recorded this. His sound is beautiful and still unmistakable Stan. He's got nothing to prove and plays with a superior grace. Fair to say, after all these years, there are few surprises, but who needs them when he plays like this! The recording quality is excellent, the band plays superb and in particular Jim McNeely's piano playing is a delight (check out his solo on Antigny). It makes this "late evening-red wine-and-candellight" disc even more worthwhile

What was Concord thinking? They sat on this disc for 13, as in THIRTEEN, years. Recorded in 1982 and not released until 1995, this ranks as one of Getz's finest recordings. All the trademark Getz pleasures reside within its grooves: the burnished tone; beauty sans sentimentality; ravishing lyricism (certainly one of his most lyrical discs ever); brilliant group interplay. Indeed, this is one of his very best bands. Jim McNeely, a pianist who has never received his due, seems the perfect partner for Getz. His solo on "Antigny," moving effortlessly and beguilingly between the classical and jazz worlds, simply astounds. And he can get downright bloozy, as well (check out his solo on "Easy Living"). Marc Johnson, who played in Bill Evans's last trio, lends both grit and fluidity, as well as a charming modernism, to the proceedings. Billy Hart, a drummer of both huge accomplishment and consummate taste, complements the other players magnificently. If falling just short of the Barron/Mraz/Lewis configuration on Bossas and Ballads, this is nevertheless one of the finer units to every play jazz together.

If ever a disc deserved five stars, it is this one.

"Blue Skies" released in 1982 on Concord Records is a fantastic album. Absolute lyrical beauty. Jazz doesn't get much better than this folks. This is the ticket right here. From start to finish, you won't be disappointed, especially if you're a Getz fan. Getz is joined by Jim McNeely on piano, Marc Johnson on bass, and Billy Hart on drums. This trio is empathic to Getz's musical vision. If this album doesn't bring tears to your eyes, especially after hearing the second tune "Antigny," then you have no soul. You don't want to miss out on this one. Highly recommended.

This is one of the best of Getz best late period albums. from the mid 80's. Much beauty sadness, pathos (Antigny), but also calm and tranquility. Very heartfelt music. The opposite of Cool and aloof. Warm and Melodic. As relaxed, laidback, smooth and classy as a shot of warm ten year old cognac. Stan has the ability to create romance and take the edge off a traumatic week at work.

Of all Getz many ballads recorded, Antigny is perhaps the bleakest and darkest. The others are more typical warm, melodic Getz. Spring is Here and the spacious title track, Blue Skies, (on the wistful side), are melodic and particularly memorable.

Well recorded.

Not a bad song on ther album, all are great!

Hightest recommendation. Get it while you can.

"People think that I play effortlessly. I remember doing a record date with Bill Evans and afterwards he said to me, you make it sound so easy but when I get right up next to you you're working hard and making it sound easy!" ~ Stan Getz ~

"Blue Skies" by Stan Getz is one of the most remarkable albums that he recorded in the eighties, which represents the last decade of his prolific musical career. The CD contains six slow ballads executed in his usual beautiful, lyrical and poetic tones with the support of his talented sidemen, Jimmy McNeely on piano, Billy Hart on drums and Marc Johnson on bass.

The jazz world would not be as sparkling and interesting without the elegant music of Stan Getz. He had greatly contributed his creative artistry to jazz and left behind so many beautiful recordings for music lovers to collect and enjoy.

This recording presents Stan Getz at his most reflective mood. All the tunes are simply pleasing to the ears most especially one of the most beautiful melodies composed by George Gershwin, "How Long Has This Been Going On?" And ditto with Richard Rodgers' "Spring Is Here," Ralph Rainger's "Easy Living" and my top favorite from this short but very delightful program, Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies."

I likened Getz's musicality to Shakespeare's poetry. Both excelled in their respective art that it would be impossible not to appreciate their talents. If Getz were a poet, he would be in the league with Shakespeare.

This music sounds so exquisitely smooth, mellow and relaxed. It's just the perfect listen for relaxing on a quiet evening. For fans of Stan Getz, this is a welcome addition to your jazz collection. You'll love it!

With my heartfelt recommendation.

Getz was already the grand old man of the tenor saxophone when he recorded this. His sound is beautiful and still unmistakable Stan. He's got nothing to prove and plays with a superior grace. Fair to say, after all these years, there are few surprises, but who needs them when he plays like this! The recording quality is excellent, the band plays superb and in particular Jim McNeely's piano playing is a delight (check out his solo on Antigny). It makes this "late evening-red wine-and-candellight" disc even more worthwhile

What was Concord thinking? They sat on this disc for 13, as in THIRTEEN, years. Recorded in 1982 and not released until 1995, this ranks as one of Getz's finest recordings. All the trademark Getz pleasures reside within its grooves: the burnished tone; beauty sans sentimentality; ravishing lyricism (certainly one of his most lyrical discs ever); brilliant group interplay. Indeed, this is one of his very best bands. Jim McNeely, a pianist who has never received his due, seems the perfect partner for Getz. His solo on "Antigny," moving effortlessly and beguilingly between the classical and jazz worlds, simply astounds. And he can get downright bloozy, as well (check out his solo on "Easy Living"). Marc Johnson, who played in Bill Evans's last trio, lends both grit and fluidity, as well as a charming modernism, to the proceedings. Billy Hart, a drummer of both huge accomplishment and consummate taste, complements the other players magnificently. If falling just short of the Barron/Mraz/Lewis configuration on Bossas and Ballads, this is nevertheless one of the finer units to every play jazz together.

If ever a disc deserved five stars, it is this one.