Search - Stan Getz, Zoot Sims :: Song Is You

Sublime!

Stephen Silberman | SF, CA USA | 01/25/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Let me say it simply: This CD is one of Getz's finest recordings, out of hundreds. It matches his wistful, moody lyricism with one of the most astoundingly inventive rhythm sections of all time: Stanley Cowell on piano, Miroslav Vitous on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on piano. If you like Getz's "Sweet Rain" with Chick Corea -- which is my personal fave -- you've got to get this. It's lean, adventurous, very subtle music. And at that price, I'd buy it for all the Getz fans you know. I did!"

Getz breaks away

Christopher Henrici | Washington, DC United States | 04/28/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Agree with the other reviewers here, this is a little known gem in the Stan Getz discography that is among his best live recordings. As the 60's drew to a close, Getz had been drawing away from the popular bossa nova sound he helped create with one of the biggest selling jazz records in history- "Getz/Gilberto". I remember reading in the booklet notes to a Verve vault discovery cd, called "Nobody else but me" with Gary Burton, that the music Getz made with that group had been shelved because the label did not want to diverge from the bossa nova and other popular oriented records he had been making. He began a new direction with that aforementioned cd of a 1964 recording which was released for the first time in any format in 1994. Btw that disc has since become a rare collectors item. Which leads us to the release at hand, people primarily familiar with his bossa nova records may be enlightened by "The song is you" which presents Getz as an artist capable of an adventurous and foward thinking sound- helped in no small part by a rhythm section consisting of future ECM artists Jack Dejonette on drums and Miroslav Vitous on bass, plus Stanley Cowell on Piano (who would soon help found an innovative independent jazz label with Charles Tolliver- Strata East). Each of them contribute original compositions, and the obligatory Jobim songs are given a fresh take. With this line up Getz has some young lions on par with some of the top progressive groups of the time. Getz alternately pushes the envelope with a harder edged sound, and at other times retains the tone and character found on his earlier recordings. As mentioned there is alot more than Stan's fine performance on this album- It is not an overstatment to call this one of the most spontaneous yet sympathetic rhythm sections he ever played with. This is jazz music making of a high caliber. Direction, interaction, reaction- it makes for a stimulating listen. Additionally the live recording from 1969 is pretty good- it has a diffuse sound akin to being in the audience at a concert. The disc is not over compressed or processed. At first glance it might seem like yet another obscure "import cd" of dubious quality- but not- this cd is released on US Jazz producer Sonny Lester's own label (LRC) and other than the scant amount of information about the concert and plain artwork, it is actually a genuine collector's item Stan Getz fans should get while they can. I interviewed Stan getz for the Irvington village green high school newspaper when I was 16, a time I'll always remember, he was very cordial and his golden retriever dog was really friendly too. In hindsight I think he was happy I did'nt ask him anything about bossa nova. I'll always have a sweet spot for the sound of Stan Getz' horn, a sound nobody else had. Of his lesser known cd's that have some of his best work I'd highly recommend this cd, as well as his live keystone dates from 1981 on the Concord label "Spring is here", and one released by Columbia/Legacy that he plays on with a stellar line up called "Bob Brookmeyer and friends"."