Customer Reviews

Serenity

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is quite possibly the most beautiful tenor playing I've ever heard. Getz was never known by his compatriots in jazz for having an abundance of licks in his repertoire. What he WAS respected for was his tone and beauty. SERENITY is a perfect example of that. This LIVE session was recorded in '87 just a few years before Stan's death in '91 and contains part of a beautiful swan song from one of the greatest Masters of West Coast Cool who ever lived. Most of his fans prefer the ANNIVERSARY set from these sessions. To me there was something extraordinary that happened on this night that makes me wish he had never left the stage or us. Every time I put it on I'm overwhelmed by it's smokin' beauty.

Stan said, "I believe you should try to make music as beautiful as you can. It should not be done with ugliness. There's so much hate in the world; you have to counteract it with lovliness."

When I remarked to a friend about this being, maybe the greatest jazz recording I own (and I own a lot of jazz), my friend said, "In all the years I've been going to the Playboy Jazz Festival, Stan Getz is the finest musician I've ever heard play at the Hollywood Bowl." That's a bold statement.

Kenny Barron on piano is the perfect compliment to Stan's gorgeous playing on this.

To say that Rufus Reid on bass and Victor Lewis on drums were on fire that night would be an understatement.

TO HONOR THIS RECORDING PLAY IT THROUGH INFINITY SPEAKERS AT A HIGH VOLUME. (Infinity speakers have the warmest sound I've ever heard for jazz playback.) I HOPE THIS BECOMES ONE OF YOUR FAVORITES TOO.

If you like Late-model Getz go out and get ANNIVERSARY, BLUE SKYS, and PEOPLE TIME. Or if you're on a tight budget buy CAFE MONTMARTRE. It contains ballad selections from SERENITY, ANNIVERSARY, and PEOPLE TIME. IF ONE OF THESE DOESN'T MAKE IT INTO YOUR TOP TEN JAZZ CDS OF ALL TIME, IT'S TIME TO SEE A DOCTOR. SOMETHING MIGHT BE WRONG WITH YOUR HEARING.

ENJOY.

This is a review that I write with extreme pleasure because it's about a couple of discs that I really love since they came out in 1991. I'm talking about "Serenity" and "Anniversary" which are two albums that were recorded both July the 6th 1987 at Cafè Montmartre in Copenhagen. I remember that I heard that Stan already know to be at the end. He gave all that he still had inside here, he played here some of the best music of his life. No doubt. His sound was better than ever, his phrasing absolutly magnificient, unequalled. He was accompanied here by a very talented band, Kenny Barron piano, Victor Lewis drums and Rufus Reid double bass. They swang here as it was the most natural thing to do on Earth. The program is based on standards and it is exceptionally well balanced. It is even a very nice live recording, I may called it almost a "reference" album because it is very natural sounding. I mean, if you want some truly stellar Jazz, some truly stellar ballads and swinger standards, a master at the top of his game ... well let's begin buying these two discs from the immortal Stan getz. Some of the best music he played in his illustrious 5 decades career. You won't regret a single cent spent here. It's some of the best music I have ever listen to in more than twenty years of jazz. Buy both the albums and get the full picture of an heavenly Stan Getz. Maybe you can buy "People time" too. It's a recording that was made in this same period, a double cd set based on Stan and Kenny Barron duets. Fantastic. Believe me.

This is the second CD culled from the concert which produced the classic, "Anniversary!," and the energy here is not diminished. Getz is buoyant and lyrical as we would expect, with mirthful arpeggios and soulful moans. The rhythm section swings hard. But this CD has a quality which is rare outside of hearing jazz live -- a sparkling immediacy which is exhilarating.

I bought this CD back in the early 90's and have yet to find any album by anyone that can top it. If I had to take one CD to a desert island, this would be it. Stan was the best, and this is his finest overall disk. Kenny, Victor and Rufus are the perfect match. Energy, sublime finesse, gorgeous sound quality, inventive, the right amount of each component that goes into a great jazz album, ahhhhhhh.

there would be a big argument about which one is THE BEST. As has been pointed out Stan seemed to be at his peak with this recording, only four years from his death.

It's difficult to add anything to what has already been said (a penalty for reviewing things that you've had but only recently "rediscovered" in playing it again). Stan was known for his great tone, "The Sound", which is really epitomized on this and similar cds. Four of the five selections on this set are personal favorites of mine with "On Green Dolphin Street" ranking highest.

The rhythm section, led by pianist Kenny Barron, can't be beat. Kenny was Stan's choice for the final five years. If you would have any doubts of his ability, I would suggest you listen to "Night And The City" with just him and bassist Charlie Haden.

Read the other reviews certainly......but some additional facts you may not know are that this cd reached #5 for jazz albums of 1991 on Billboard.It also won a 1991 Grammy for the best instrumental performance by a jazz soloist ( "I Remember You").

This is a superlative performance of modern mainstream which allowed the musicians to stretch out. It will be a welcome and prized addition to your collection!

I considered giving this a "mere" 4 stars, because in some respects it's a fairly typical middle-of-the-road outing. However, the outstanding audio quality of this live recording--especially how well it captures the unique, gorgeous sound of Getz's tenor sax--nudged me to the higher rating. I own 7 Stan Getz CDs and they're all quite enjoyable, but this one, an early (1987) digital recording, SOUNDS best--probably by a substantial margin.

The other 3 musicians do good work throughout: Kenny Barron complements Getz beautifully and has quite a bit of nice solo space; Rufus Reid's bass is prominent in the mix and also heard in some fine solos; and drumming by Victor Lewis fits in well. But clearly Stan Getz is the star--and he shines ever so brightly here, at age 60, with but a few short years remaining. This is very accessible modern jazz that you can safely play for just about anyone.

I can think of few tenors more fluid and melodic as Stan Getz. His playing seems to pick you up and immerse you in most any title. On Green Dolphin Street is a perfect example. His side men are so much more than just that. It's no wonder 5 star reviews are so common to his work.

Recorded live at the Cafe Montmartre in Copenhagen on July 6, 1987, this CD conveys the spontaneity that one can really only find in a live performance. This is good Getz, with the other memebers of the quartet contributing good support and good solo work.

"Serenity" is the mostly upbeat, cheerful, bebop & swing part of the classic "Anniverary" set. (a somewhat odd title choice considering Anniversary is more Serene...).

Sparkling, exuberent performances by all involved. Muscular bass lines, piano integrates perfectly with Getz direction. Perfect play by sidemen including Barron, who is best piano man Getz ever had, with the possble exception of Al Haig in the '50's. Great recording quality. Stan had been considered pretty much washed up after a decade of Fusion misadventures and much drugs and disease in the 70's. Recorded to celebrate Getz's sixtieth birthday, he tried extra hard for perfection here. He had bounced back from cancer, that was now in remission. The 80's was his great come-back (see my Anniversary review) and arguably the best music of his life. Best song is the ballad "Falling in Love" which shimmers and sparkles like a diamond. Getz sails onto "Green Dolphin Street". "Voyage" is a Kenny Barron original that is now a jazz standard, one of his best known pieces. He would go on playing the best music imaginable another few of years before his cancer came back.

Stan never sounds angry (like some others), on this or any other album. He always maintains perfect control of his sax.

Gets 4-5 stars for a great performance. (I'd like to give this album more stars, if I knew how).

"Anniversary" gets a slight edge because it contains the songs I prefer, but any Stan Getz fan will want them both! For more great Getz see my list on this page.

Getz mellifluous music remains the antidote to a world of stress. "We'd ALL sound like Stan Getz,... if we could..." - John Coltrane.