Stan Getz's "Lost" A&M Sessions

[Captain Bacardi]

I just picked up Bossas And Ballads: The Lost Sessions by Stan Getz, which was released on A&M/Verve. This was produced by Herb Alpert. In fact, this was recorded before Getz's Apasionado album. This release is a straight-ahead jazz album with Stan's basic quartet: Kenny Barron on piano, George Mraz on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums.

The tunes are:

• 1. Sunshower (Kenny Barron) 7:21
  2. Yours And Mine (Thad Jones) 8:00
  3. Joanne Julia (Kenny Barron) 7:50
  4. Soul Eyes (Mal Waldron) 7:23
  5. Spiral (Kenny Barron) 7:54
  6. Beatrice (Sam Rivers) 8:14
  7. The Wind (Russ Freeman - Jerry Gladstone) 8:56
  8. El Sueno (Kenny Barron) 6:36
  9. Feijoada (Kenny Barron) 6:24

The liner notes have several quotes from Herb and Barron, and there are photos of the musicians and Herb as well. So why wasn't this released after the recording session? According to Herb, "We didn't release the album because A&M wasn't set up for a straight-ahead jazz album. We lacked the appropriate marketing and sales strategies peculiar to this genre. Besides, by then Stan and I were in deep discussion about Apasionado, the new project which was absorbing our interest." Funny, but I thought the Modern Masters Series was for that purpose.

The music is terrific, vintage Getz. The album is aptly titled. It's all bossas and ballads. Getz and Barron are great together. Nice tunes, great recording.


Capt. Bacardi

 

[LPJim]

Thanks for the information. I plan to look for this album. Are there any other A&M-Verve releases coming out in the near future?
I agree Getz's albums would have fit in the 'Modern Masters' series, but it's possible only John Snyder productions were included at the time (1988-90).
JB

 

[Captain Bacardi]

Are there any other A&M-Verve releases coming out in the near future?

There wasn't any other listing that I recognized as an A&M artist. I think this was just a special thing.

I agree Getz's albums would have fit in the 'Modern Masters' series, but it's possible only John Snyder productions were included at the time (1988-90).

In the liner notes, it says that Snyder approached Alpert and mentioned that Getz didn't have a label, so Herb jumped at the chance to have him record for A&M. This was recorded in March 1989. I didn't realize that Snyder produced the Modern Masters series himself. Guess I'd better read those liner notes a bit more carefully.


Capt. Bacardi
NP: Weather Report - Mysterious Traveller

 

[Brasil_Nut]

We ran out to Rasputin this evening to pick up a few movies. While looking through the Jazz section of new CDs, I encounterd "The Lost Sessions" -- the last copy they had -- and snagged it immediately.

I've only given it a cursory run-through. However, from what I've heard so far, it's pure Getz through and through. Can't wait to sit down in the morning and give it a spin.

Jon

...who loves Getz, online...

 

[Rudy]

The sad part about this release is that, at first glance, it's "just another Verve release". Getz is one artist that Verve hammers on quite often for new releases, whether it's unreleased tracks or compilations of existing recordings. The sheer volume of Getz Verve releases is staggering, and I don't usually look them over. Just looking at this title at a glance, I usually wouldn't think of buying it. (The only label marking on the cover is the Verve logo.) But with the A&M connection, I'm going to grab this one for sure!

I could bemoan the fact that it's not an SACD release, but I do now have Getz/Gilberto on SACD...very nice.

 

[Captain Bacardi]

I wasn't too impressed with the cover myself. If it wasn't for the fact that I was actually looking for it, I would never have found it. I mean c'mon, show a little imagination!

Good thing the music is great!


Capt. Bacardi

 

[Rudy]

To top it off, that is NOT the way Stan looked later in life...far as I can tell. Not that it's a bad thing, but the photo and the Verve logo would make me believe that it was recorded during his Verve years. Aaaaah well, maybe they thought the Getz diehards would go for it. I mean, heck...could the packaging be more generic than it actually is??

Regardless...I'll still pick this one up. Knowing how quickly these things disappear!

 

[Brasil_Nut]

To top it off, that is NOT the way Stan looked later in life...far as I can tell. Not that it's a bad thing, but the photo and the Verve logo would make me believe that it was recorded during his Verve years.

That's what I thought at first glance. Stan definitely looked his age when he passed away, that's for sure.

Neil, I think you hit the nail on the head. It's a pretty clever idea from a marketing perspective. I mean, everything old being new again, perhaps they thought a retro-looking cover would sell more copies.

Whatever the case, I've now listened to it all the way through...Pure Getz...and that's Happiness!!

Jon

...admittedly a Getz-O-Phile, online...

 

[Captain Bacardi]

There is a review of this album now in the new Down Beat (Nov 2003), and they give this album 3-and-a-half stars. The review is by Mitch Myers and he says:

Stan Getz was just two years away from his death when these "lost sessions" were recorded. Fighting cancer and recovering from a heart attack in 1989, the tenor saxophonist still managed to find the strength to articulate his profound musical vision. Accompanied by pianist Kenny Barron, bassist George Mraz and drummer Victor Bailey, Getz sounds at ease and in control. Staying within the structure of his sophisticated-yet-simple quartet, Getz proceeds leisurely but not without passion.

Getz's tone is a thing of beauty, and the subtle mastery with which he approaches the recording date is impressive. Getz sounds focused and his playing is unabashedly melodic. On Barron's "Spiral", Getz unleashes his cascading tenor style, revealing a graceful inner logic that could only have been developed through decades of performances. Credit also goes to producer Herb Alpert for sustaining the session's mellow mood.

Barron's bossa novas give Getz plenty of room to move, and on "El Sueno" the pianist mirrors Getz with emphatic accompaniment and a light, swinging solo. "Soul Eyes" is given prime treatment and the introspective tenor work on the Mal Waldron classic is particularly inspired. The Thad Jones composition "Yours And Mine" is another highlight as Getz jumps from the low register of his sax straight up to the heavens without missing a beat.


Capt. Bacardi

 

[music]

I JUST PICKED UP THIS CD TODAY AND IT IS TERRIFIC. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT TO ANY ONE WHO LIKES JAZZ &ANYONE WHO IS A FAN OF BOTH STAN GETZ &HERB ALPERT WHO DID A WONDERFUL PRODUCTION ON THIS ALBUM.

 

[jimac51]

The latest True Blue catalog came today,with an interesting look at the Getz album. True Blue is a jazz-only mail order sideline of Mosaic,run by record producer Mike Cuscuna,with considerable(50%?)financial interest from EMI. Besides their first all color cover(previously in a grey-blue tone),the have a box on the back cover for the new LOST SESSIONS album,cover shot included. True Blue is a fairly discriminate catalog and their featuring this title(especailly on a cover) says something about the perceived quality of the album. When my wife asks me for gift ideas,I mark the items in True Blue that I already own and let her go from there. BTW,yes,the cover looks like a "typical" shot from an earlier,healthier period in Stan's life,but it's hard to fault UMG/Verve for its use. It is classy,understated,with a certain timeless look to it,meaning that they hope any Getz fan may pick it up now or in the future. There is another"lost" sessions album in the Verve catalog,NOBODY ELSE BUT ME(7 314521 660-2),a 1964 session released in 1994. They use another generic shot of Stan(though,in all fairness,this one is probably closer to the time of the recording)made to look like a painted picture-not bad,but nothing exceptional here,with an orange background( possibly to suggest the Getz/Gilberto bestseller?). The session was made of Stan's then touring group(Gary Burton on vibes,Gene Cherico on bass and Joe Hunt on drums) and paints a picture closer to what the touring Getz quartet was performing at the time(not unlike the new Alpert produced disc). It was shelved in favor of the bossa nova recordings released to cash in on the interest that Stan was responsible for starting. And what a shame,because it is one lovely album and further proof of Stan's genius of picking the right foil against his sound,usually a pianist-in this case,Gary Burton on vibes. Interesting that it was the only studio recording these four made,while it was probably Getz' most popular period and more people saw these four on stage than any other Getz group. The album also contains a fiery "What is This Thing Called Love?",that shows how wonderful it was when Getz & Co. really got cookin'. Mac