With his beautiful,
Lester Young-inspired tone, his grace with a melody, and his willingness to gently push boundaries, tenor saxophonist
Stan Getz was known as "The Sound" for good reason. Coming to fame with the
Woody Herman band in the '40s, he held his own through both the swing and bebop eras, then found renewed commercial success in the early '60s when a
Joao Gilberto collaboration, "The Girl from Ipanema," was a big hit and ushered in a bossa nova boom.
Getz loved playing with bold young players like
Chick Corea and
Stanley Clarke, and he didn't shy away from new technology, championing the Echoplex for a time. This wonderful set includes the albums he recorded for
Columbia Records between 1972 and 1979 (most of which he produced himself), as well as the soundtrack LP to a Dutch film called
Forest Eyes from 1979, and a bonus disc of
Getz at Carnegie Hall for the 40th anniversary of the
Woody Herman band that also includes live sets from the 1977 Montreux Jazz and the 1979 Havana Jam festivals. It's beautifully packaged, and
Getz is
Getz throughout. ~ Steve Leggett
