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Stan Getz: Captain Marvel & Bossas and Ballads

By AAJ Staff
October 31, 2003
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Submitted on behalf of George Harris

Many a musician have an artistic and commercial peak. Very few have more than one; the true masters are able to reach artistic heights over many periods and styles. For the ones who have had only one period of creativity, God in his mercy has created places of refuge for them, known as Las Vegas. Gifted with a unique voice and style, Stan Getz was able to adapt to, master, define and ultimately transcend each era and artistic style that was brought his way.

Reinventing himself by surrounding himself with young, fusion sympathetic musicians (Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Tony Williams, Airto Moreira) to create an absolute classic of its era. Captain Marvel survives better than any other recording of it’s era taking a fledging style and making it ultimately his own. On searing flamenco sketches like "La Fiesta," with it’s hypnotic beat, or mournful mood pieces like "Five Hundred Miles High," Getz' luscious tone soars to levels of intensity and pathos that he’d never reached, or even strived for before. Not a single glib note on these selections: every solo has passion and drive. This recording is one for the ages. The remastering brings out extra snap to Clarke's bass and Moreira's percussion.

Fast forward about a decade later and you have Getz in his last era with his final classic quartet. Getz’ voice, with age, had changed; deeper, more world-weary, but ever more luscious. Bossas & Ballads is a textbook example of a working band completely at home with one another. Kenny Barron is the composer of most of these beautiful, timeless and memorable songs. The pianist is the perfect accompanist, supplying subtle support, challenging twists and sophisticated ideas for Getz to work with.

"Soul Eyes," while tempting one to make comparisons to John Coltrane’s famous version, simply brings forth Mr. Coltrane’s quote, "Everyone wants to sound like Stan Getz." Incredibly, these pieces were "lost" for years, but no longer. These discs are two peaks in a career of very few valleys.

Columbia/Legacy on the web: www.legacyrecordings.com.
Verve on the web: www.vervemusicgroup.com.

Track Listing

Captain Marvel: La Fiesta/ Five Hundred Miles High/ Captain Marvel/ Times Lie/ Lush Life/ Day Waves/ Crystal Silence/ Captain Marvel/ Five Hundred Miles High

Bossas and Ballads: Sunshower/ Yours and Mine/ Joanne Julia/ Soul Eyes/ Spiral/ Beatrice/ The Wind/ El Sueno/ Feijoada

Personnel

Captain Marvel: Stan Getz- tenor saxophone; Chick Corea- keyboards; Stanley Clarke- bass; Tony Williams- drums; Airto Moreira- percussion

Bossas and Ballads: Stan Getz- tenor saxophone; Kenny Barron- piano; George Mraz- bass; Victor Lewis- drums

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