Stan Getz Music

Man, who cares if some of the selections on this CD are on another collection! This is some fine "cool" jazz for those who like that style. The low-key understated playing by Getz on this disc would be a perfect addition to the collection of anyone who is a "west coast" or "cool" jazz listener.

Three stars for this masterpiece could be a greatly misleading rating even if the reviewer take his time to explain that he's judging the product, not the music. I will talk about the music instead. It is surely one of the best albums in the whole Getz enormous discography, full of gems by the way. You can buy it easily, you will not be disappointed, it's impossible. Getz swings lightly here, he flies over a perfect accompainment. In the first four tracks it is provided by a stellar west coast combo, Shelly Manne drums, Leroy Vinnegar double bass, Lou Levy piano. Impressive. It's simply a marvel. West coast jazz at its best, swinging, relaxing, coooooooool west coast jazz to die for. The year is 1955. Then you have 6 more tunes with different personnel. Bob Brookmeyer valve trobone, Tony Fruscella trumpet (they don't play in the same tunes, Fruscella palys only in "Blue bells" and "Roundup time"), Max Roach drums and lesser player. The program is composed only by standards plus an original by Brookmeyer at the end of the record. Getz sounds always perfect in his music, sometimes at least too perfect but a little bit cold (not cool, I mean cold). Art Pepper was of this same idea, "Stan's perfect but too cold" he used to say. I agree. But here Getz played so well that you almost can forget his perfectionism and enjoy fully his enormous talent and impeccable swing. "Cool sounds" is truly one of his best records. Be aware that this same music is contained in the West coast 3 cd box by Stan too. I own both. This cover is something you can't miss if you (like myself) love fifties records.

I love Stan Getz, and "Cool Sounds" is a collection of great music he made between 1953-55. But the release of this limited edition CD is definitely not cool! The reason is that the disc's first four tracks have already been released as bonus tracks on the CD of "West Coast Jazz" (see my review). See, when "Cool Sounds" originally came out on vinyl, it was a collection of outtakes and abbreviated sessions packaged together to further capitalize on Getz's soaring popularity. But now in the era of the compact disc, these selections should be issued as bonus tracks along with other material recorded at the time of their creation, as was already done on "West Coast Jazz." What the folks at Verve should have done instead of reissuing "Cool Sounds" was reissue the long out-of-print "More West Coast Jazz," and include tracks 5-9 from this disc as bonus tracks. Now that would have been cool!

In 1962, I took my first paycheck ever into a record store looking for "West Side Story". There, on an end cap, was an album with a picture of the Jets on the cover--much more appealing than the all-red cover of the sound-track. The clerk said "If you like that, you've got to hear this!" and put a copy of "Stan Getz and the Cool Sounds" on the turntable (in those days, they didn't shrink-wrap music, and they'd play it before you bought it). That day, I bought my first two albums...Thus began a lifetime love of that moment in jazz between swing and be-bop personified by Oscar Peterson and (briefly) Stan Getz. Here, Getz swings with an incredibly mellow sound; and does it without being syrupy. Bob Brookmeyer joins in on several numbers and makes you wish he'd made more than two appearances with Getz. The rhythm section stays mostly in thebackground, but catch John Williams' piano solo on Roundup Time and the solid rhythm of the Frank Isola cuts. This is music for *listening*. If all you know of Getz is the latin stuff, you owe it to yourself to find out what he did for thirty years before he learned to samba. I'm so glad to see this out on CD. I'm waiting for the US remaster, but it's on my short list. That 40-year-old record is so muddy it's hardly worth copying, but it's still one of the half dozen that live on the "play me" shelf--right next to the Peterson "West Side Story".

While Stan Getz may only be featured on some of the tracks on this release, the other stuff is still great. The Lighthouse All-Stars were a more than capable ensemble and their standards are lively and entertaining. The tracks that do feature Getz are incredibly fresh and worth the purchase price alone.

This 2-CD set has a misleading label. The first 6 tracks on disc 1 are indeed Stan Getz Live at the Lighthouse. These tracks are very rare and have never before been released on CD. They were originally released in 1953 on Vantage LP NLP-5003. These 6 rare tracks make the purchase of this 2-CD set worthwhile. (5 stars) ..........However, you will be disappointed if you expect to hear Stan Getz on the remaining tracks of disc 1 and all of disc 2. These tracks are reissues of Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars Contemporary LPs previously released on Fantasy CDs OJC-151, -406 and -972. (1 star).

I certaintly would indeed like to review this music. But since you have seen fit not to permit us to listen to samples of the offering, it can not be realisticly done.

Thanks anyways,

Artiedoes

This cd is fool of cool and mellow tempos along with some upbeat swinging rhythms. Once you put it in the cd player you won't want to take it out.

This album takes two amazing musicians and brings them together for incredibleness. If you don't have it and you like jazz, get it.

WONDERFUL 1957 RECORDING WITH OSCAR PETERSON, STAN GETZ, RAY BROWN AND HERB ELLIS. MELLOW JAZZ AT ITS' ULTIMATE PEAK. GETZ' LIGHT AND BREEZY STYLE OF PLAYING COMPLEMENTS OSCAR'S ACCOMPANIMENT SUPERLATIVELY. SOME OF THE BEST RECORDED WORKS BY EITHER OF THESE GREAT MUSICIANS (AND THAT'S SAYING A LOT).

Now that the men who collaborated in this session 50 years ago have passed away, this disk provides memories of jazz artists who will never be heard from any other way. Their unique style ic as classic as classical music.

This recording is in my top ten jazz recording list. This should be in every jazz fans collection. When the terms swing, groove, or playing in the pocket are thrown around, this recording should be on of the first to come to mind. Getz and Peterson are in total communication. Their phrasing and ideas are in total aggrement and their lines are fluid and creative. The technique is amazing but never unmusical. There is an obvious Lester Young influence coming through Getz, but one never feels that it's a rip-off like so many players are guilty of. This album is also just a hell of a lot of fun to listen to. Get it!!

This cd is fool of cool and mellow tempos along with some upbeat swinging rhythms. Once you put it in the cd player you won't want to take it out.

This album takes two amazing musicians and brings them together for incredibleness. If you don't have it and you like jazz, get it.

WONDERFUL 1957 RECORDING WITH OSCAR PETERSON, STAN GETZ, RAY BROWN AND HERB ELLIS. MELLOW JAZZ AT ITS' ULTIMATE PEAK. GETZ' LIGHT AND BREEZY STYLE OF PLAYING COMPLEMENTS OSCAR'S ACCOMPANIMENT SUPERLATIVELY. SOME OF THE BEST RECORDED WORKS BY EITHER OF THESE GREAT MUSICIANS (AND THAT'S SAYING A LOT).

Now that the men who collaborated in this session 50 years ago have passed away, this disk provides memories of jazz artists who will never be heard from any other way. Their unique style ic as classic as classical music.

This recording is in my top ten jazz recording list. This should be in every jazz fans collection. When the terms swing, groove, or playing in the pocket are thrown around, this recording should be on of the first to come to mind. Getz and Peterson are in total communication. Their phrasing and ideas are in total aggrement and their lines are fluid and creative. The technique is amazing but never unmusical. There is an obvious Lester Young influence coming through Getz, but one never feels that it's a rip-off like so many players are guilty of. This album is also just a hell of a lot of fun to listen to. Get it!!