THAN A GIRL FROM IPANEMA
Yesterday marked the 17th anniversary of jazz giant Stan Getz's passing, lost to liver cancer at age 64 in 1991. Though best known for popularizing Brazilian music with mainstream America with 1961's No. 1 selling Jazz Samba and especially 1964's “The Girl From Ipanema" with Astrud Gilberto, there were tremendous depths to this hugely influential musician. Unabashedly romantic, Getz took swing into the bedroom long before cats were using the phrase in the '70s.. His playing was joyful and defiant, without a word, embracing tradition only as far as it served the music and the people making it with him. The leader of several classic jazz ensembles, Getz played with eloquence and frequent loveliness, pouring on heat only when necessary. You catch his fingerprints in modern blowers like John Ellis and even in Skerik's more subdued moments. We mourn Stan Getz's passing but salute his contribution to music today.
We begin with Getz sharing sax duties with John Coltrane on “Hackensack," backed by Oscar Peterson (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) and Jimmy Cobb (drums).
Here's a gorgeous slice of Getz's magical late career collaboration with pianist Kenny Barron.
This “Airegin" from 1982 features Getz with Marc Johnson (bass), Victor Lewis (drums) and James Mc Neely (piano). Towards the end, Getz makes some observations about jazz, especially in times of crises.
We conclude with Getz's dazzling 1972 quartet comprised of Chick Corea (keys), Stanley Clarke (bass) and Tony Williams (drums).
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