🎵 AotW AOTW: Stan Getz: Apasionado (CD-5297)

[Captain Bacardi]

Stan Getz
APASIONADO
A&M CD-5297

Note: This was not part of the A&M Modern Masters Series, although at first Getz was signed to be part of the series. But since this is a jazz release it is the next catalog sequence.

Released 1990

Format: CD/Cassette

Produced by Herb Alpert

Songs:

• 1. Apasionado - 8:05
  2. Coba - 7:05
  3. Waltz For Stan (Eddie del Barrio) - 6:05
  4. Espanola - 4:15
  5. Madrugada - 5:26
  6. Amorous Cat - 4:58
  7. Midnight Ride - 8:58
  8. Lonely Lady (Mike Lang) - 5:39
  
  All songs written by Eddie del Barrio, Herb Alpert & Stan Getz except where indicated.

Musicians:
Stan Getz - Tenor Saxophone
Eddie del Barrio - Synthesizers
Mike Lang - Electric Piano, Synthesizers
Kenny Barron - Acoustic Piano
Paulinho da Costa - Percussion
Jimmy Johnson - Bass
Oscar Castro Neves - Electric Guitar
Michael Landau - Electric Guitar (#4)
Jeff Porcaro - Drums
George Bohanon - Trombone
Reginald Young - Trombone
Noland Smith, Jr. - Trumpet
Rick Baptist - Trumpet
Oscar Brashear - Trumpet
William Green - Sax
Tom Johnson - Tuba

Engineered, Mixed and Re-mixed by Niko Bolas
Assistant Engineers: Nick Jerrard, Ed Goodreau, Greg Goldman, Bob Vogt
Horns recorded by Shelly Yakus
Arranged by Herb Alpert and Eddie del Barrio
Horns and Strings Orchestrated and Conducted by Eddie del Barrio
Recorded live in A&M Studio "A"
Mastered at The Mastering Lab by Doug Sax

Art Direction/Design: Chuck Beeson
Photography: Dean Chamberlain (flowers), Michael Miller (Stan Getz)



Capt. Bacardi

 

[LPJim]

This was among Getz' final efforts, and it's a beautiful piece of work from start to finish. "Waltz For Stan" is by far my favorite cut; a simple melody that seems permanently stuck inside my head - and that's a good thing.
JB

 

[Captain Bacardi]

This is one of those albums that I want to like a lot, but just can't seem to get all the way there. Stan Getz's playing is solid as usual, but the strings and horns really are a distraction to the music. This really isn't what Getz was about. He gets buried in the overall mix. On the other hand this was his first album in years where he actually did some composing (I think the last time he did that was in the late 40's or early 50's). Some of the tunes are pretty nice, with my favorite being "Amorous Cat", where Getz does some sultry playing. "Apasionado" is a pretty nice tune as well, and I love Getz's solo on "Coba" and "Madrugada". I think "Lonely Lady" could've been a real nice tune, but the electronic stuff just clutters the recording. It's not a terrible album, but it's not close to Getz's best either. Three stars from me.


Capt. Bacardi

 

[Mike]

Captain, I think you've summed it up very precisely. I have the CD, it looks quite nice, but I just can't get into it... or, maybe I'm not ready yet.