Stan Getz The 1953-54 Clef/Norgran Studio Sessions Numbered Limited Edition 180g Mono 4LP Box Set

Limited to 5000 copies! Individually Numbered!
180 Gram Vinyl 4LP Box Set! Mastered From Original Clef/Norgran Analog Tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Sound!

Now, for the first time in decades, the 1953-1954 Clef & Norgran Studio Sessions from Stan Getz are available again on LP. Three alternate takes buried in the vaults, and a recording of “Pot Luck” initially released on 78 only, appear on LP for the first time ever. It’s a great retrospective of the music of a man who reached an almost unparalleled position in jazz and widespread, international celebrity.

Getz’s relationship with Norman Granz began almost the night of his first big break as a leader, at a Carnegie Hall tribute to Duke Ellington. Performing an up-tempo version of “Moonlight in Vermont,” his easy-listening hit with Johnny Smith, Getz commanded the attention of jazz fans. With Granz, Getz would prove to be highly prolific. And the music? Some of the finest he would make in his career.

As a child, Getz would practice up to eight hours a day, and he even tried to drop out of school to pursue music full time. He had to re-enroll, at least until the age of 16 when he joined Jack Teagarden’s band. Other bands, including Woody Herman’s, would follow, but Getz was a leader from the time he turned 23.

Born the year Lester Young was striking out on his own, he created a modern version of his idol’s innovations on tenor saxophone. His touch was delicate, intimate, and caressing, but there was more drive.

While his technical mastery of the instrument was second to none, Getz avoided the showy excesses of bebop and remained true to his roots with a lyrical approach and a coy manner of dragging the beat. He would become an influence himself on a generation of musicians seduced by the “cool” jazz movement -- the reaction to bop.

The group on these Norgran sessions was a real working band, and valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer’s soloing ability was up to the task of matching Getz’s standards. His musical pairing with Brookmeyer was one of those inspired arrangements that produced exceptional music. Brookmeyer’s tone was warm and dry, like Getz’s, but the blend they created was only partially about the sonic affinity they shared. They were entirely on the same wavelength when it came to developing and expressing musical ideas – almost like the same guy picking up a different instrument. Credit Getz’s personal sound and free-flowing musical ideas for what identifies this music, but not without equal credit to the byplay with Brookmeyer.

The quintet of this era also included the excellent John Williams on piano, and briefly after Brookmeyer left to join Gerry Mulligan, Tony Fruscella on trumpet. Drummer Al Levitt or Frank Isola and bassist Bill Crow, Teddy Kotick or Bill Anthony round out the line-up. Our set also includes an excellent quartet date with Jimmy Rowles, Bob Whitlock and Max Roach recorded midway through the quintet’s life.

As was common on Granz projects that often featured highlights of the great American songbook, there are many well-known selections included in this release, such as “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” “I’ll Remember April,” “Give Me The Simple Life,” “Willow Weep For Me,” “We’ll Be Together Again” and many more.

Four LPs comprise our box set, with 26 tracks arranged by session and accompanied by our exclusive Mosaic booklet. It includes an essay by Ashley Kahn with track-by-track analysis and a complete discography. Photos from the era capture the magic as they were making it. . The 180-gram pressings of this 4-LP set were mastered from analog sources using the original Clef/Norgran master tapes for unparalleled sound.

Much of this music has been unavailable for decades, and to LP buyers, never before released in coherent form. It’s a rare opportunity to hear a young, acknowledged master in top form. Please reserve a copy of this exciting, highly collectible set to avoid a gap in your collection.

"Like many of his generation, Getz was drawn to the subdued, airy tone and relaxed phrasing of Lester Young, and found a way to combine it with the advancements of bebop. His triumph was in forging a musical signature that remained fresh and stylistically flexible, even as new styles and musical ideas came and went." - Ashley Khan, liner notes

"Once you start, you'll find it difficult to stop the side-turning until the last side ends. A great set every vinyl-loving Getz fan should own." - Michael Fremer

Producer's Note: The original full-track mono masters were used in the creation of the masters for this set with one exception. No tape exists on the 78 take of Pot Luck. This tune was transferred from a 78 rpm pressing by Kevin Reeves.

Features:
• Limited Edition, 5,000 copies!
• Numbered
• 4LP Box Set
• 180g Vinyl
• Mono
• Mastered From Original Clef/Norgran Analog Tapes
• Mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Sound, North Hills, CA
• 26 tracks arranged by session
• Three alternate takes
• Exclusive Mosaic booklet
• Essay by Ashley Kahn with track-by-track analysis
• Complete discography
• Original session produced by Norman Granz
• Original sessions produced by Norman Granz
• Recording engineers: Val Valentin (B-F), Aaron Nathanson (G)
• Produced for release by Michael Cuscuna
• Tape transfers: Malcolm Addey

Musicians:
Stan Getz, tenor saxophone
Bob Brookmeyer, trombone
John Williams, piano
Tony Fruscella, trumpet
Al Levitt, drums
Frank Isola, drums
Bill Crow, bass
Teddy Kotick, bass
Bill Anthony, bass
Max Roach, drums

Selections:
LP 1
Side A:
1. Have You Met Miss Jones
2. Erudition
3. Cool Mix
4. Rustic Hop
5. Love and the Weather
Side B:
1. Spring Is Here
2. Pot Luck
3. Willow Weep For Me
4. Crazy Rhythm
5. The Nearness of You

LP 2
Side A:
1. Minor Blues
2. Fascinating Rhythm
3. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
Side B:
1. Tangerine
2. It Don't Mean A Thing
3. The Varsity Drag

LP 3
Side A:
1. Give Me the Simple Life
2. I'll Remember April
3. Oh Jane Snavely
Side B:
1. We'll Be Together Again
2. Feather Merchant
3. Flamingo

LP 4
Side A:
1. It Don't Mean A Thing (alt. version)
2. Pot Luck (78 take)
3. Blue Bells
4. Round Up Time
Side B:
1. Nobody Else But You
2. Down By the Sycamore Tree
3. I Hadn't Anyone Till You
4. With the Wind and the Rain In Your Hair
5. Nobody Else But You (alt. take)
6. I Hadn't Anyone Till You (alt. take)