Best of West Coast Sessions

Stan Getz | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 25, 1997)
• Original Release Date: February 25, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Polygram Records
• ASIN: B0000047E9
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #373,158 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

In the mid-1950s, Stan Getz used the same musicians whenever he was performing on the West Coast. He also recorded a series of LPs with them that have been collected in the three-CD West Coast Sessions. This "Best of" has been culled from the set by Lou Levy, the group's pianist, and it represents Getz and the band at a very high level indeed. The style might be called "cool bop," a distinct hybrid with more rhythmic bite than is associated with the cool school, but a more mellow sound and less aggression than bop usually suggests. Getz is in wonderful form, his singing, slightly muffled tenor sound giving forth a stream of fluid lines. He's very well matched with Levy, who's both an adroit accompanist and a soloist capable of developing concentrated momentum and seeing his ideas through to the end. Leroy Vinnegar's resilient bass lines offer a springy foundation, and both Shelly Manne, on six tracks, and Lou Levey, on four, provide lightly propulsive drumming. Trumpeter Conte Candoli is present on four tracks. He's a good partner for Getz, with a style that can suggest Miles Davis in his early bop period. The theme statements on the quintet tracks get a distinct character from the mix of two horn sounds that are so mellow. Apart from Miles's "Four," the opening track, and "Blues for Mary Jane," a Getz original, the tracks are all standards, and they provide Getz with the melodic inspiration that he needs. "You're Blasé" and "But Beautiful" are classic ballad performances by a giant of the lyric tenor saxophone. At the opposite end of the tempo spectrum, the concluding "Shine" is a model of inventiveness at a flying tempo. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars not this version, April 22, 2002

By 

rash67 (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Best of West Coast Sessions (Audio CD)

For the perplexed.

This CD is a "best of" culled from the Getz three CD set called "West Coast Sessions".

Years later, Verve re-released the complete original 1950's sessions on CD's "West Coast Jazz", "Award Winner" and "The Steamer". These have much better mixes of the same music at a higher sampling rate and some other additional tracks.

The first of these, "West Coast Jazz", duplicates much of the tracks herein and includes some others.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice selections from the big West Coast set, September 15, 2000

By 

Jon Warshawsky "Sinatra Guru" (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Best of West Coast Sessions (Audio CD)

I was not surprised to read that Lou Levy, the pianist for Stan Getz' West Coast sessions, selected the tracks. The piano almost steals the show from Getz' marvelous sax.

Still, Getz is the highlight, and this is a great collection of small ensemble performances. While some numbers are more uptempo (How About You, East of the Sun) this album really shines in the evening when you can sit back and appreciate the tremendous artistry of Stan Getz and -- yes -- Lou Levy, whose piano provides an ample (and tasteful) rhythm section.

Recommended.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Yet again, 'rash67' and I are on the same page!, August 29, 2003

By 

"douglasnegley" (Pittsburgh, Pa. United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Best of West Coast Sessions (Audio CD)

This is the best single CD culled from the box-set with the same cover. All of the tracks on this one are great. "Blues For Mary Jane", "Four", the opening track, and especially the beautiful ballad - with a few false starts, "Handful Of Stars". This is a fairly priced gem of Stan's "West Coast" best along with one of my favorites, who passed away last year, Conte Candoli, Lou Levy, Shelley Manne, and Leroy Vinnegar. Don't pass this one by.