Jazz' Best is a spectacularly comprehensive, deeply definitive, and historically monumental acoustic jazz anthology released on double-compact disc in 1991 by the legendary Verve Records. Spanning over two hours and twenty minutes across 36 masterfully selected tracks, this high-fidelity archive serves as the ultimate primer and a luxurious overview of mid-century jazz history, gathering the absolute finest vocalists, instrumentalists, and bandleaders from the golden ages of Swing, Bebop, Hard Bop, and Bossa Nova. The collection brings together an unparalleled vanguard of jazz royalty, tracing the foundational lineage of the genre through its most iconic pairings and definitive ensemble sessions. Listeners are treated to the sublime, cool jazz breezes of Stan Getz, João and Astrud Gilberto on foundational bossa classics like The Girl From Ipanema and Desafinado, juxtaposed with the timeless, unparalleled vocal chemistry of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong on standard pillars like Summertime and Cheek To Cheek. From the block-chord brilliance of The Oscar Peterson Trio and the roaring Hammond B3 wizardry of Jimmy Smith, to the heartbreaking vocal mastery of Billie Holiday and the deep, breathy tenor saxophone dialogues of Ben Webster and Coleman Hawkins, every single track represents a historic blueprint. Exceptionally preserved in pristine dual-format lossless and high-bitrate audio with full booklet artwork scans, this sweeping compilation stands as an absolute mandatory cornerstone for beginners and a prized collector's archive for global purists of elite jazz heritage and classic Verve catalog lore.

Tenor saxophonist Stan Getz was at the peak of his popularity after his featured role as one of the "Four Brothers" in Woody Herman's band of the late 1940s. His breathy, post-Lester Young ballad style would go on to become one of the most recognizable sounds of 1950s jazz. The Best of the Roost Years shows Getz in the starring role with great sidemen, including the exceptionally sympathetic guitarist Jimmy Raney, pianists Horace Silver, Al Haig, and Duke Jordan, and various rhythm section components including bassist Tommy Potter and drummer Roy Haynes. "Autumn Leaves" sums up the Getz appeal.

With his beautiful, Lester Young-inspired tone, his grace with a melody, and his willingness to gently push boundaries, tenor saxophonist Stan Getz was known as "The Sound" for good reason. Coming to fame with the Woody Herman band in the '40s, he held his own through both the swing and bebop eras, then found renewed commercial success in the early '60s when a João Gilberto collaboration, "The Girl from Ipanema," was a big hit and ushered in a bossa nova boom. Getz loved playing with bold young players like Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke, and he didn't shy away from new technology, championing the Echoplex for a time. This wonderful set includes the albums he recorded for Columbia Records between 1972 and 1979 (most of which he produced himself), as well as the soundtrack LP to a Dutch film called Forest Eyes from 1979, and a bonus disc of Getz at Carnegie Hall for the 40th anniversary of the Woody Herman band…

This two-CD sampler is most highly recommended for listeners not familiar with Stan Getz's recordings of the 1950s and '60s. Starting with a version of "Stella by Starlight" that co-stars guitarist Jimmy Raney, this set matches Getz's cool tenor with such artists as trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie and Conte Candoli, trombonist J.J. Johnson, baritonist Gerry Mulligan, pianists Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans and Chick Corea, valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer and vibraphonist Gary Burton. Also included are his two main bossa nova hits "Desafinado" and "The Girl from Ipanema" along with a couple of tracks from Getz's highly-rated Focus album. It's a fine overview of the great tenor's middle years.

One of his best LPs from a very creative and innovative period, In Stockholm is wonderful almost in spite of itself. Getz recorded this date for Norman Granz in December of 1955, after returning from a several-months-long period of recuperation in North Africa due to a crippling illness - the combination of pleurisy and pneumonia. Getz is in the company of three Swedish jazzmen: pianist Bengt Hallberg, bassist Gunnar Johnson, and drummer Anders Burman. The program is made up of standards and a mix of ballads and faster bop-flavored tunes. The bluesy "Indiana" kicks the date off with a brief solo tenor intro. Getz's trademark tone is warm, rich, and full. His real foil on the track is Johnson, whose bop playing is on the money. Hallberg is knottier and very formal, and Burman is merely keeping time, but it hardly matters since it's a blues…

Jazz Samba Encore! is a studio album by American saxophonist Stan Getz and Brazilian guitarist Luiz Bonfá, released by Verve Records in April 1963. The album's style is bossa nova in a slower groove. It contains a mix of Antônio Carlos Jobim standards as well as originals by Bonfá. Performers also include Jobim and vocalist Maria Helena Toledo, Bonfá's wife. The cover features an abstract expressionist painting by the New York-based Olga Albizu from Puerto Rico.

A unique all-star set recorded in various combinations between 1949 and 1951, Conception is an underappreciated masterpiece of cerebral cool jazz. Although Miles Davis gets top billing, he appears on only half the album and then most often as a sideman with only occasional solos. Saxophonists Lee Konitz, Stan Getz, and Gerry Mulligan are the true stars of the album, with Konitz particularly shining.
His two duets with guitarist Billy Bauer, a relaxed take on Victor Herbert's standard "Indian Summer" and his own "Duet for Saxophone and Guitar," are outstanding examples of cool jazz as the term was originally understood before it came to signify new age-leaning elevator music; Konitz's solos in "Indian Summer" disassemble the melody entirely while remaining accessibly tonal, and Bauer's filigree guitar lines stay clear of the uninspired comping…

This five-LP box set (which has been reissued on CD) contains nearly all of Stan Getz's classic bossa nova sessions, five wonderful yet diverse LPs (Jazz Samba, Big Band Bossa Nova, Jazz Samba Encore, Stan Getz/Laurindo Almedia, and Getz/Gilberto). The cool-toned tenor is heard on his groundbreaking collaboration with guitarist Charlie Byrd (which resulted in the best-selling "Desafinado"), is showcased with a big band arranged by Gary McFarland (introducing "No More Blues" and "One Note Samba"), stars in recordings with guitarists Laurindo Almeida and Luiz Bonfa, and is heard at the famous meeting with composer/pianist Antonio Carlos Jobim, guitarist João Gilberto, and singer Astrud Gilberto, which resulted in the major hit "The Girl From Ipanema." This essential set finishes off with three previously unissued performances from a 1964 Carnegie Hall Concert, concluding with a remake of "The Girl From Ipanema." These recordings stand as proof that it is possible for good music to sell.

Tenor saxophonist Stan Getz was in-between contracts with major record labels in 1974. The following year, he would sign with Columbia and begin recording important albums including The Best Of Two Worlds with Joao Gilberto. Included in this CD is one of the relatively few known recordings of Getz's in 1974, and most likely the only one with his regular quartet at the time with Al Daily on piano, George Mraz on bass and Billy Hart on drums.
Recorded live in Milan, Italy, the original tape captured the master and his group in three extended performances, each clocking at 9, 12 and 21 minutes, respectively. The performance is fiery and exciting, with everyone given opportunities to stretch out. Getz's style, which used to be cool and breezy, was changing in this period to acquire a harder edge and hotter, more passionate expression. An important recording for fans of Stan Getz!

One of two inaugural releases from upstart Label M and the vast tape archives of the 36-year-old Left Bank Jazz Society of Baltimore, MD. Culled from a May 1975 performance by Stan Getz and his band consisting of Richie Beirach (piano), Dave Holland (bass), and Jack DeJohnette (drums), the program features fine sound from a four-track recorder and a lively set of tunes, including Chick Corea's "Fiesta" and one tune that no one could seem to find the name of. Label M head and executive producer Joel Dorn has promised a dozen free CDs to the one who can properly identify it. Happy hunting.

The Complete Roost Recordings is a three-disc, 59-track set that contains all of the recordings Stan Getz made for the Roost record label in the '50s. The set includes all of his officially released sessions - including the date led by guitarist Johnny Smith, the live performances with Count Basie, and a full disc of live performances with his quintet - as well as many unreleased and alternate takes. Roost was the first label Getz recorded for as a leader, and what's surprising about these sessions is how mature he sounds here. He had already arrived at his full, rich tone and was able to improvise with skill and grace. That's what makes this set so rewarding - it's not only historically important, but it offers a wealth of excellent music.

When Stan Getz visited Paris to witness the French Open tennis matches, he would hang out at the Blue Note nightclub to hear how the locals did it, being told their jazz scene was not up to snuff. In London, he would pick up the European band he heard in Paris for an engagement at Ronnie Scott's. Because of his stature, Getz was able to grab the very best musicians the continent could provide, in this case the brilliant Belgian guitarist René Thomas, organist Eddy Louiss from Martinique, and French classical and jazz drummer Bernard Lubat. Bringing no charts of his own, Getz was happy to play the music of his bandmates, choosing virtually no standards, and fitting in beautifully with nary a hint of brandishing his famed ego to the proceedings. This original two-fer LP has been reissued on a double CD, a whopping 88 minutes of highlights over a three day span during an unprecedented three week engagement from this club date at the legendary venue owned the British fellow tenor saxophonist Scott…