On January 28 and 30, 1977,
Stan Getz performed live at
the Cafe Montmartre Jazz-Hus in Copenhagen, Denmark, with pianist
Joanne Brackeen, bassist
Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen, and drummer
Billy Hart. The excellent music recorded at these gigs was initially issued by
Steeplechase on the albums
Stan's Party and
Live at Montmartre. All 11 tracks became available on CD in 2002 and again in 2008, courtesy of Japan's
Video Arts label. This is a supremely satisfying spread of straight-ahead jazz, using a rich palette of melodies composed by
Billy Strayhorn,
Chick Corea,
Wayne Shorter,
Dizzy Gillespie,
Steve Swallow,
Milton Nascimento, and
Stan Getz. Investigation reveals that there are a surprising number of different tunes that share the title
"Lady Sings the Blues." The one performed by
the Stan Getz Quartet on this live compilation album is not the famous air by
Billie Holiday and
Herbie Nichols but a more ruminative offering penned by
Alec Wilder. ~ arwulf arwulf
