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STAN GETZ
GETZ PLAYS JOBIM : THE GIRL FROM IPANEMA
Stan Getz ( tenor saxophone ) with collective personnel :
Gary Burton ( vibraphone ); Antonio Carlos Jobim ( piano, guitar
); Luiz Bonfa, Charlie Byrd, Joao Gilberto, Jim Hall ( guitar );
Astrud Gilberto ( vocal ); Gary McFarland ( arranger, conductor
); and others.
Recorded 1962 - 1964
 VERVE 589
414-2 |
1. Corcovado ( Quite Nights of Quiet Stars )
2. Desafinado - instrumental version
3. Chega de Saudade ( No More Blues )
4. The Girl From Ipanema
5. O Morro Nao Tem Vez
6. Vivo Sonhando ( Dreamer )
7. One Note Samba - instrumental version
8. Eu e Voce ( Me and You )
9. Desafinado - vocal version
10. Once Again ( Outra Vez )
11. O Grande Amor
12. So Danco Samba
13. How Insensitive
14. One Note Samba - vocal version
The early 1960s were an amazing time in the evolution of Jazz - Sonny
Rollins came down from " The Bridge " and preached his new
gospel of hard bop tinged with freedom; John Coltrane was progressing
from " My Favourite Things " to " A Love Supreme "
and Stan Getz was introducing the Bossa Nova to the world stage. All
of these events were to be of great and lasting significance in the
grand scheme that is the history of the music.
This welcome compilation is, to quote the sleeve note, " culled
from the six bossa nova albums Getz recorded in the 1960s." The
music here is all from the pen of Antonio Carlos Jobim - with various
collaborators on some of the titles. Getz was certainly one of the
best, if not the best, interpreter of these tunes . A few artists
have made their own versions which are worthy of comparison, notably
Ella Fitzgerald ( "Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Antonio Carlos Jobim
Songbook" ) and Joe Henderson ( "Double Rainbow ")
but in most cases it is Getz who has given the definitive reading
and certainly set the benchmark for all future renditions. His clarity
of tone and ability to float effortlessly across the complex samba
rhythms and often quite difficult chord progressions gives the music
a drive and yet a sense of ease which a lesser performer would find
difficult to achieve. Stan Getz had that quality of making the almost
impossible seem simple, which is found in only the greatest of players.
All of the favourite bossas are here, sometimes in both vocal and
instrumental versions. The other musicians on these recordings are
excellent and there are many outstanding contributions from them.
The guitar solos of Charlie Byrd spring to mind as do the quirky piano
comments from Jobim himself ( " Ipanema "). The broken English
singing of Astrid Gilberto adds great charm and character to the proceedings
and often seem to spur Getz into his more fiery moments ( " Eu
e Voce ") from the wonderful live album (" Getz Au Go Go"
).
There are some lesser known tunes amongst these selections which,
nevertheless, provide some of the most interesting moments on the
album. Dizzy Gillespie fans will be familiar with " Chega De
Saudade "- a long composition which must rival " Begin The
Beguine " for its extended form but makes a fine instrumental
in the right hands. Also worth mentioning are "O Morro Nao Tem
Vez" and "Once Again " into the coda of which Getz
manages to work a quote from " Johnny One Note" .
This is significant music in the development of Jazz - the Bossa Nova
has become part of the standard repertoire, mainly through these recordings
- miss them at your peril !
Dick Stafford
CD Reviews
