Stan Getz With Cal Tjader

by Stan Getz

Product Description:

Personnel: Stan Getz (tenor saxophone); Cal Tjader (vibraphone); Vince Guaraldi (piano); Eddie Duran (guitar); Scott LaFaro (bass); Billy Higgins (drums).

Recorded at Circle Record Studios, San Francisco, California on February 8, 1958. Originally released on Fantasy (3266). Includes liner notes by Ralph J. Gleason.

STAN GETZ WITH CAL TJADER is a classic, not only because it pairs the renowned tenor player (Getz) with the great vibraphonist (Tjader), but because the additional personnel on the session make it something of an all-star date. Drummer Billy Higgins, still some time away from his work on the groundbreaking experiments of Ornette Coleman, appears here on one of his first sessions. Bassist Scott LaFaro, who would achieve fame as a member of Bill Evans's legendary trio, also makes an early appearance. Pianist Vince Guaraldi, a leader and composer in his own right (his "Ginza Samba" is one of the highlights on the set), sits in, as does fleet-fingered guitarist Eddie Duran.

The ensemble--which has a lively, robust sound due to the instrumentation--moves effortlessly between highly lyrical ballads and fierce, up-tempo bop. The set includes several Tjader tunes, including the smart and swinging "Crow's Nest" and "Big Bear," while the group's treatment of the standard "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" displays remarkable sensitivity and sweetness. Though Tjader and Getz are naturally in the forefront throughout--they both balance shimmering, cool tones with dazzling dexterity--there is fine soloing from all involved, making this a consistently superb set.