Stan Getz

The Cabu jazz reissue series is named after French caricaturist Cabu, or as it says on his birth certificate, Jean Cabut. Perhaps his adventures as a political cartoonist (he once ignited a somewhat violent controversy by sketching a not very flattering depiction of the prophet Mohammed) explains the often distorted quality of his illustrations used on the album covers of the Cabu compilations. Although the creature pictured on the cover of the 2008 Stan Getz Anthology resembles a hybrid monster wrenched into existence using genetic material filched from John Kennedy, John Forsythe, and Bill Clinton, the effect is altogether less vulgar than some of the other entries in the series, and the music within is consistently excellent. Drawn from more than a dozen albums recorded between December 1952 and December 1955, the Anthology focuses mainly upon sessions organized and supervised by producer Norman Granz. Exceptions are a 1953 Prestige album released under the nominal leadership of guitarist Jimmy Raney and three Roost/Roulette recordings of Getz sitting in with Count Basie at Birdland in 1954 (nestled in the reed section amongst Marshall Royal, Frank Foster, Ernie Wilkins, and Charlie Fowlkes.) Getz is heard jamming with vibraphonist Lionel Hampton, with trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, trombonist Bob Brookmeyer, pianists Oscar Peterson and Jimmy Rowles, and drummers Shelly Manne and Max Roach. Getz shows up on-stage at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and is caught cooling out in Stockholm, Sweden with pianist Bengt Hallberg, bassist Gunnar Johnson, and drummer Andrew Burman. What you get here are 31 inspired performances, some allowing for seven, eight, or nine minutes' worth of intensive, extended improvisation. Ideal as an introduction to Stan Getz and to jazz in general, this would also be the perfect choice for those who already know the man's work, and desire a diversified overview of tasty episodes from his early maturity. ~ arwulf arwulf, All Music Guide