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Recorded August 9, 15, and 19, 1955; November 24, 1956; and August 2, 1957. Mastered at PolyGram Studios. The mainstream came to know this remarkable tenor sax player via bossa nova - his unforgettable, breathy solo on "The Girl from Ipanema" propelled the song to number five in 1964 and to continued popularity to this very day, every bit as much as Astrud Gilberto's equally stunning, spare voice. But Stan Getz's involvement in this populist '60s craze actually displeased many a serious jazz enthusiast who'd admired his work in that field for more than two decades. After all, this 17-time winner of the Down Beat poll for top tenor saxophonist had already staked out a remarkable reputation, playing in the bands of such vaunted names as Stan Kenton, Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, and Woody Herman from 1944-1949, and then leading his own bands thereafter. This three-CD box, then, finds Getz in top form as a jazz soloist and bandleader. Recorded, as so much jazz was, in various off-the-cuff sessions from 1955-1957 - although this box culls from different LPs such as West Coast Jazz, Stan Getz and the Cool Sounds, and The Steamer - it still all fits together as one long, languid, bop-to-bluesy session. Fusion beckoned to many a talent of the time, but Getz nicely held his ground, insisting that long, wide-stretching solos always serve a well-grounded song, be it a composition by George and Ira Gershwin, Miles Davis, Jimmy Van Heusen, or himself. With an almost unparalleled sense of time and space, Getz fills it in no particular hurry, and his piano, trumpet, bass, and drums likewise seem inclined to be tasteful rather than showoff-ish virtuosity. The slow, quiet-afternoon melancholic stuff, such as "A Handful of Stars," are the real favorites. Like "Girl from Ipanema," these allow Getz to blow like the gentle lull before a storm or, as original pianist Lou Levy writes in the notes here 40 years later, like "a sound of an angel." But the man is a master of all the styles presented, and an overriding cool, calm, pleasant air nicely defines these spontaneous yet well-organized sessions. This box is a fitting legacy and a thorough overview of an inspired period in his prolific career (37 CDs and counting by Getz are available on Verve). The mainstream came to know this remarkable tenor sax player via bossa nova - his unforgettable, breathy solo on "The Girl from Ipanema" propelled the song to number five in 1964 and to continued popularity to this very day, every bit as much as Astrud Gilberto's equally stunning, spare voice. But Stan Getz's involvement in this populist '60s craze actually displeased many a serious jazz enthusiast who'd admired his work in that field for more than two decades. After all, this 17-time winner of the Down Beat poll for top tenor saxophonist had already staked out a remarkable reputation, playing in the bands of such vaunted names as Stan Kenton, Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, and Woody Herman from 1944-1949, and then leading his own bands thereafter. This three-CD box, then, finds Getz in top form as a jazz soloist and bandleader. Recorded, as so much jazz was, in various off-the-cuff sessions from 1955-1957 - although this box culls from different LPs such as West Coast Jazz, Stan Getz and the Cool Sounds, and The Steamer - it still all fits together as one long, languid, bop-to-bluesy session. Fusion beckoned to many a talent of the time, but Getz nicely held his ground, insisting that long, wide-stretching solos always serve a well-grounded song, be it a composition by George and Ira Gershwin, Miles Davis, Jimmy Van Heusen, or himself. With an almost unparalleled sense of time and space, Getz fills it in no particular hurry, and his piano, trumpet, bass, and drums likewise seem inclined to be tasteful rather than showoff-ish virtuosity. The slow, quiet-afternoon melancholic stuff, such as "A Handful of Stars," are the real favorites. Like "Girl from Ipanema," these allow Getz to blow like the gentle lull before a storm or, as original pianist Lou Levy writes in the notes here 40 years later, like "a sound of an angel." But the man is a master of all the styles presented, and an overriding cool, calm, pleasant air nicely defines these spontaneous yet well-organized sessions. This box is a fitting legacy and a thorough overview of an inspired period in his prolific career (37 CDs and counting by Getz are available on Verve). Although not strictly a 'West Coast' musician Stan Getz did live and play regularly in California. In the two years between August 1955 and August 1957 he recorded a number of sessions for Norman Granz's Verve label which resulted in three albums being issued: 'West Coast Jazz', 'The Steamer' & 'Award Winner' plus four tracks that formed part of a fourth album,'Stan Getz And The Cool Sounds'. Backed by some of the best west coast musicians of the time these are some of his best recordings. A few years ago all the music from these sessions was issued in a three CD set, with some additional tunes and takes not included on the original albums. === Here is the complete set: Disc One Stan Getz - tenor sax Conte Candoli - trumpet (tracks 1-7) Lou Levy - piano Leroy Vinnegar - bass Shelly Manne - drums Recorded: Tracks 1 August 9, 1955 Hollywood Tracks 2-7 August 15, 1955 Hollywood Tracks 8-13 August 19, 1955 Hollywood Tracks 1 & 3-7 on original LP issue: 'West Coast Jazz' Track 10 on original LP issue: 'Stan Getz And The Cool Sounds' Other tracks previously unissued Disc Two Stan Getz - tenor sax Lou Levy - piano Leroy Vinnegar - bass Shelly Manne - drums (tracks 1-4) Stan Levey - drums (tracks 5-12) Recorded: Tracks 1-4 August 18, 1955 Hollywood Tracks 5-12 November 24, 1956 Hollywood Tracks 1,3 & 4 on original LP issue: 'Stan Getz And The Cool Sounds' Tracks 5-9 & 12 on original LP issue: 'The Steamer'. Other tracks previously unissued Disc Three Stan Getz - tenor sax Lou Levy - piano Leroy Vinnegar - bass Stan Levey - drums Recorded: August 2, 1957 Hollywood Tracks 1,3,5,6,11 & 12 on original LP issue: 'Award Winner' Other tracks previously unissued All Music Guide
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