A Taste of Stan Getz Over 5 Decades

10 clips of the tenor saxophonist in rare live and studio settings

After Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz is probably the best-known, household-name jazz star to emerge in the post-war years. I’d put him after Gillespie and just above Dave Brubeck and Chet Baker in terms of name recognition by the mass market. Which is interesting, since of the musicians I’ve just cited, he’s the only one who adapted another artist’s playing style—Lester Young’s. [Publicity still above of Stan Getz]

Getz began his recording career in 1943 with Jack Teagarden’s big band, followed by stints in the bands of Stan Kenton and Benny Goodman in the mid-1940s. He recorded as the leader of a small bebop group in 1946 before joining Woody Herman’s “Four Brothers” band, where he became a star. Prestige recorded him in 1949, billing him as Stan Getz Tenor Sax Stars and as the Stan Getz Quartet.

Throughout this period and beyond, he was probably among the best-known disciples of Young’s revolutionary laid-back style, which was heard during Young’s years with Count Basie and on his own after World War II. Getz idolized Young, adding a slickness to his sound over the years. Getz and Young never recorded or performed together, but they met on the road in 1959.

Their encounter occurred in Paris in February 1959—a day before Young was due to begin his eight-week engagement at Le Blue Note where Getz was wrapping up. Young reportedly said: “Nice eyes, Lady Getz, nice eyes,” a line Getz reportedly cherished. For lay jazz fans, I’ll translate: “Beautiful interpretation of my sound, pretty Stan.” Young would die on March 15.

Today, a batch of rare videos and recordings by Getz in the 1940s, ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s:

Here’s Stan Getz in February 1954 playing Out of Nowhere with the Gerald Wilson Big Band at the San Francisco War Memorial Building (now the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center). Tenor saxophonists Wardell Gray and Zoot Sims were also part of the concert…

Here’s Getz at Zardi’s Jazzland in Los Angeles in 1956, with Lou Levy (p), Max Bennett (b) and Gary Frommer (d)…

Here’s Getz with tenor saxophonists Coleman Hawkins, Don Byas, Barney Wilen and Guy Lafitte with Martial Solal (p), Arvell Shaw (b) and J. C. Heard (d) live in Cannes, France, on July 13, 1958…

Here’s Getz with Jan Johansson (p), Ray Brown (b) and Ed Thigpen (dr) in Dusseldorf, Germany in 1960 playing Out of Nowhere…

Here’s Getz at the London School of Economics on Nov. 14, 1966, with Gary Burton (vib), Steve Swallow (b) and Roy Haynes (d), colorized…

Here’s Getz with Brazilian vocalist Flora Purim in Paris in 1969, with Stanley Cowell (p), Miroslav Vitous (b) and Jack Dejohnette (d)…

Here’s Getz in 1970 playing Desafinado at the Jazzhouse Montmartre in Copenhagen, with Mike Pyne (p), Ron Mathews (b) and Spike Wells (d)…

Here’s Getz on Side 1 of a test pressing for Concord Jazz, recorded at Coast Recorders in San Francisco on Jan. 29, 1982 with Jim McNeely (p), Marc Johnson (b), Victor Lewis (d) and Billy Hart (d)…

And here’s Side 2…

Bonus: Here’s the solo on Ralph Burns’s arrangement of Early Autumn in 1948 that made Getz famous. The first solo is by Woody Herman on alto saxophone, followed by Terry Gibbs on vibes and then Getz…