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Stan Getz VOYAGE

A long time Getz fan, this one slipped under my radar until a couple of days ago when I found a vinyl copy at a street sale. One of the greatest jazz records I have heard in quite some time, I can't recommend it highly enough. Getz is in top form, and exceptionally poetic in his playing. He proves once again that saxophone playing can be hip and contemporary, while still sounding velvety, and not as if the horn is about to split at the seams. The rhythm section is superb in every respect. Victor Lewis on drums, George Mraz on bass, are outstanding. But it is pianist Kenny Barron who steals the show on this session. Check out his incredible solo on the opening cut "Wanted to Say"; it is a model of logic and thematic development while swinging his a** off.

This 1986, Blackhawk release is sonically terrific. Producer Herb Wong was obviously inspired by the feeling of the music in the choices he made. The sound is detailed enough, but velvety with a rich bottom end, and no hint of shrillness. Not "audiophile grade" hyper-detailing here, but extremely listenable. After a recent disappointing rash of very noisy used record purchases, my copy of this pressing is very quiet, and consistent. There are three copies of this lp on ebay as I write, including one with an "Excellent" grading. Check this one out, you won't be disappointed.

Enjoy.
frogman
sogood51
2,157 posts
 
Great music! I like Getz, and I play Cafe Montmartre all the time.........MELLO. I do not have this one.....thanks, and I'll check it out soon.

Dave
frogman OP
7,473 posts
 
There are so many beautiful moments on this record. One of the moments that just kills me, and which is a testament to the excellence of this rhythm section, happens in the first six measures of Barron's solo in "I Thought About You". If you are ever asked by someone: "what is jazz?", play this cut for them, and point out what happens in those first six measures. It is a perfect example of intuitive, improvisatory interplay by two great musicians. It is the essence of jazz.

On that cut, Getz solos with his usual brilliance. He is followed by Barron. Listen to how Mraz does much more than just outline the chord changes; he is having a conversation with Barron. Barron plays a motif going into the fifth measure, and Mraz answers. Then, in the sixth measure, the magic happens. The two are so keyed into each other's playing that the interplay leads to a statement in perfect unison. This is not scripted nor preplanned, it is spontaneous. Great stuff.
roxy54's avatar
roxy54
8,045 posts
 
I am at work, and I just received my copy of Voyage from Amazon. I want to leave work so I can go home and listen to it, but I'll just have to wait until tonight...
kencalgary
45 posts
 
other Stan Getz recordings (LPs) would you recommend for similar sonic quality and musicality?
roxy54's avatar
roxy54
8,045 posts
 
I got home late last evening, and only gave a cursory listen to the Voyage disc. I am sure that I will come to like it very much, but on first casual listen, I wasn't "blown away" in the same way as I was with Anniversary or The Lost Sessions. Again, to put it in context, I only listened to it once and I was tired.
One thing that I can say with certainty is that the recording was a little disappointing. It isn't bad by any means, but the way Stan's sax was recorded was not as good as on The Lost Sessions. On The Lost sessions, you can hear his breath and the sound of the reed so clearly, and yet it is balanced with the sound of the rest of the instrument. Those sounds add so much to the expression of the playing when they are clearly reproduced, and on the Voyage disc, it didn't seem as clear. I also noticed that when he played certain loud notes, it sounded a little peaky, bordering on uncomfortable. Overall, the sound was good, but I am comparing to The Lost Sessions which is very good. I look forward to getting very familiar with this disc.
Thanks for the heads up Frogman!
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