THIS IS A TENOR SAX 101… Stan Getz: Classic Collaborations & More-Verve Recordings 1953-57

As John Coltrane himself admitted, “Everyone wants to sound like Stan Getz”

What else do you need to know?

This four disc set has the tenor man when he was his most “ Stan Getzian”, meaning, warm, fluid and bopping. Just before striking it rich by starting the samba bandwagon, Getz release a series of albums on Verve Records that made him the standard bearer of “West Coast Cool”, or whatever you wanted to call it.

Most of these albums have Getz with a guest or two, and backed by the team of Oscar Peterson’s trio with Herb Ellis/g, Ray Brown/b and Max Roach/dr. or the West Coast team of Lou Levy/p, Leroy Vinnegar/b and Shelly Manne/dr. Interpretations, West Coast Jazz and The Steamer have Getz defining the West Coast sound, with trombonist Bob Brookmeyer on the gorgeous “Willow Weep For Me” and “The Nearness of You”. West Coast Jazz and The Steamer feature Getz’s quintet with Conte Condoli/tp, and the band is super hip on “Four”, with the quartet team has Getz in bel canto form on “How About You”.

The summit meetings are a joy as well, with Getz and vibist Lionel H ampton hitting it off on a torrid “Cherokee” and “Jumpin At The Woodside”. Dizzy Gillespie enters in for a gorgeous “I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart” and “It’s The Talk of The Town” while Getz comes up with the brilliant idea of switching horns with baritone saxist Gerry Mulligan for half of their meeting together, and it’s hard to tell them apart on “ “Too Close For Comfort” and “This Cant’ Be Love”. Take my word for it; it doesn’t get any better than this!