Stan Getz - Your Favorite Albums

[king ubu]

I'm currently really enjoying the early Prestige sides and my French CD of "The Master". I didn't

know about this West Coast Sessions set, just ordered a copy. Thanks for mentioning it!

You'll love those, I'm sure!

I only just got the early Prestige CDs (mentioned in another thread), but the Roost set, the West Coast set, the Clarke/Boland, they're all among my favourites. The Dizzy jams never quite did it for me, though (not even the one with Rollins/Stitt, it's ok, but...)

But my later Getz is still rather thing, I have "People Time" by now, one of the two Anniversary/Serenity (always mixing the titles up, which keeps me from buying the missing one, don't want to end up with two of the same), the Rowles Peacocks, Poetry with Dailey - most of these are great, too, but I generally prefer early Getz.

[king ubu]

I'm weird. I like Focus AND Mickey One.

another weirdo here!

[tkeith]

I know I'm in the minority on this one, and it probably has much to do with my not being a Getz "fan" by trade. But I love Pure Getz. Seemingly, the love affair for the Getz-krishnas I know was very short with People Time, but that'd be up there for me, too.

[mr jazz]

Many of my favorites have been mentioned. Another one of my favorites is Anniversary. Of the later albums, I find it the most compelling for my taste.

and the followup from the same dates-Serenity

Voyage is another nice one from this period as well.

[MartyJazz]

I love all the later concerts he recorded with Kenny Barron on piano. And for a very special treat, I highly recommend the DVD of a concert he did with KB in Munich, around 1990 I believe.

Click on this link for DVD

Edited February 27, 2008 by MartyJazz

[analogak]

so sweet rain is not a favorite of most people?

my cent on captain marvel is that airto is annoying.

[Guest Bill Barton]

so sweet rain is not a favorite of most people?

my cent on captain marvel is that airto is annoying.

For me, Sweet Rain ranks up there. And I also agree with all of the folks who have cited the latter-day recordings with Kenny Barron.

My take on Captain Marvel is decidedly different than yours. Airto is one of the reasons I like it. However, I wouldn't say that it is among my top favorite Getz sessions.

[analogak]

well i would probably characterize airto as annoying on every single album he is on where he plays percussion rather than drums. i like him as a drummer but find him an intrusive percussionist. just because you can play a water buffalo's jawbone doesn't mean it makes "bitches brew" sound better.

[AndrewHill]

Sweet Rain is probably 5 or so on my list.

Anyone ever compare The Penguin Guide to Jazz's 1st edition to the 4th and later editions? "Bland but occasionally beautiful, this was one of the more willowy of Get'z quartets, with Corea the probable culprit and Carter failing to save the situation..." to "This was an excellent quartet and the youthful Corea proved to be a sympathic and encouraging partner for the cantankerous leader...and Carter and Tate have the measure of the situation."

[jazzbo]

well i would probably characterize airto as annoying on every single album he is on where he plays percussion rather than drums. i like him as a drummer but find him an intrusive percussionist. just because you can play a water buffalo's jawbone doesn't mean it makes "bitches brew" sound better.

I love Airto as a trap drummer and a percussionist, as a band leader. . . .The man just is a force of nature.

[Guest Bill Barton]

When I heard Airto In performance with his own group a few years ago he did an unaccompanied pandeiro solo that was amazing. Yes, "force of nature" is a very good description.

[John L]

I like Airto, but not always and everywhere. I used to hear him all the time in various groups in the SF Bay Area in the 70s, and he liked to take loooooong solos.

[king ubu]

I've never heard "Sweet Rain" so far... sort of always kept waiting for a reissue, didn't grab it (neither the Hamp/Getz) even in local sales, I assume new reissues are unlikely, so at the next occasion I'll pick both of them up!

[Alexander]

If it's a tenor, and I think it's an alto, it's often Stan Getz. If it's an alto, and I think it's a tenor, it's often Jackie McLean.

If it's an alto and I think it's a soprano, it's often Paul Desmond...

[Alexander]

One of my favorites, sadly not in print in the U.S. now, is "The Soft Swing," though it may be available in MP3 form. Unbelievably relaxed and lyrical, and Stan, while typically lyrical of course, wasn't always that rhythmically relaxed IMO. I'm also very fond of "Hamp and Getz," a very excited and exciting record all around. A celebrated one that I find a bit hard to take is "Focus." Have no problem with Sauter's writing for strings; it's that Stan was into his "moo-ing"/"oy-vey" bag at the time.

This reminds me of something that happened when I worked at B&N. I often played my favorite jazz cds over the in-store play (even though it was technically forbidden). One morning, I was playing a Stan Getz album (possibly one of this collaborations with Bill Evans) and this old Jewish man came back to the music department. He asked, "What is this?" and I told him. He said, "Getz? Really? Usually he's got too much schmaltz for me!"

I have a TON of Getz. He's far and away one of my all-time favs on tenor (even Trane said of Getz that "we'd all sound like that if we could"). It's very, very hard for me to choose my favorites. I have so many, and from so many different periods of his career. "The Steamer" and "West Coast Jazz" two big favorites. The ones I hear the MOST would be "Jazz Samba" and "Getz/Gilberto" because my in-laws own them and they play them EVERY week when we eat over there on Sundays.

[BruceH]

My first and still favorite Getz... something just mystical and haunting about this music in my ears.

You know, I think that may have been the first thing I bought by Getz (as a leader) too...first or second, anyway, and still a favorite.

[alocispepraluger102]

a few rarely mentioned jewels are the soundtrack of mickey one, getz and fiedler at tanglewood, for musicians only with sonny stitt and diz, and a gorgeous string album (cool velvet) arranged by russ garcia.

[alocispepraluger102]

i have on tape a great duo set stan did in france with elvin in the early 80's. i hope that is released someday.

[analogak]

a duo of getz and jones? that expands my prostate in excitement almost as much as finding tapes of the dave burrell/sam woodyard duos which happened in france in the late-ish 70s.

[BruceH]

Just counted how many Getz albums I have (on CD): Seventeen. Not as many as some, I'm sure, but more than I thought, and I can't think of one that I DON'T like...

[B. Goren.]

Happy Birthday Mr. Getz!

Stan Getz could have been 85 years old today.

Edited February 2, 2012 by B. Goren.

[BFrank]

Been listening to this lately. Quite an intense album - especially for Getz.

w/Beirach, Holland and DeJohnette.

[fasstrack]

My favorite Stan Getz albums are:

1) Whatever is now available to cover his work in 1950-52 with Jimmy Raney, Tommy Potter, Roy Haynes and Al Haig or Horace Silver. (I have this on vinyl).

2) East of the Sun/West Coast Sessions (Verve). 1955-56 sessions with Lou Levy, Leroy Vinnegar, Conte Candoli and Shelly Manne or Stan Levey.

3) Stan Getz and J. J. Johnson at the Opera House (Verve). 1957 session with the Oscar Peterson trio and Connie Kay in which everyone blows up a storm!

A Jimmy Raney date that was reissued as Early Getz is outstanding (the other side on the vinyl edition had a small group out of Woody's band). Raney wrote some excellent originals like Motion, Signal, and Lee, and there's a memorable Round Midnight. Hall Overton, Red Mitchell, and Frank Isola (I think) are the rhythm section. Getz-Raney got a great blend. The live stuff is better known, though. Give this one a listen.

From later periods I like Pure Getz. The series from the Montmarte with Kenny Barron et. al. (Serenity, Anniversary) are perfection. People Time is great, as is The Master, with Albert Dailey. And let's not omit The Peacocks (actually Jimmy Rowles' date).

[John Tapscott]

My three favorite Getz recordings

Voyage (Blackhawk)

followed by

and

Edited February 3, 2012 by John Tapscott

[Chuck Nessa]

My favorite Getz recording currently is the wrong track on the Hippo box. I can not believe these creeps ask us to live with an mp3 as a correction on a premium price set. I have purchased a number of their products and have stopped there. The lame Coltrane sets do not encourage more spending.

If I can send out corrected discs and print material, why can't these conglomerates?