The Complete Roost Recordings

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Making it look easy
Three CD's of the young Stan Getz cranking out gem after gem. He makes it look so easy.

Must-have recordings
This 3-CD set brings together all the Roost recordings Getz made from 1950-52, including the sides he made with guitarist Johnny Smith; also thrown in for good measure are 3 live guest performances Getz made at Birdland with the Basie band in 1954. Taken as a whole these sides are among the very best Getz ever made, certainly during this early period. Included is a whole CD of material recorded live at Storyville in Boston in October 1951, with Jimmy Raney on guitar, that contains superb examples of Stan's swinging Lestorian approach (Raney is in top form as well). RUBBERNECK, SIGNAL, and MOSQUITO KNEES are timeless and can be listened to over and over again without loosing their freshness. JAGUAR from one of the Johnny Smith sessions reveals incredible technique from both musicians. I'm not sure how long this set is going to remain in print, so if you see it and don't have it, grab it before it's too late. These are essential recordings, not only for Getz fans, but for all jazz enthusiasts. A gotta-have set.

Elegant, invaluable early Getz compilation
An invaluable document of Stan Getz in his early prime. The light tone and hard-swinging attack are already abundantly evident. Here he plays with the likes of Al Haig, Horace Silver, guitarist Jimmy Raney, and on three tracks the Count Basie Orchestra. (!!) The vast majority of this collection is composed of quartet and quintet sessions though, the best of them recorded live at Storyville, Boston, on October 28, 1951. Raney and Getz seemed to have a real rapport going; the sparks fly when they play together. The one caveat is the sound; Roost was a small label, and as the producer warns, it was impossible to locate first-generation masters of most of these songs. But considering that, the sound isn't THAT bad----certainly the spirit and panache of the music easily shines through any audio flaws. Finally, I very much appreciate how physically efficient the packaging of this compilation is----Michael Cuscuna had the consideration to house the CD's in extra-slim jewel boxes, which are in turn nested in a simple paper slip-case. The result is that this svelte 3-CD set takes up less shelf space than many another space-wasteful double-CD compilation. Yet liner notes, session info, and the whole nine yards are here. If only other companies would follow suit. All this and photos by William Claxton, too. This set's a keeper.

Getz glows in early cool jazz
Early Stan sound always has that pleasant glow of a dry martini or a glass of champagne! Stan is a balm to this stressful world; warm, melodic, lyrical, never corny or syrupy. His playing is virtuosic without him seeming to break a sweat. The more I listen the more I want to listen, have it up loud for intense examination or down soft in the background, what could be better? Music for four centers: spirit, mind, emotions and body. The wellsprings of early Stan Getz (early 1950's) often shows glimpses of his mature sound in the 80's. Cool and aloof playing, Stan avoids the harsh overblowing type be-bop and sets him apart from his contemporaries. Many ballads. Also fast Bebop. Warm, pleasant vacuum tube recordings. This set is divided and parsed on many other CD's - the Europeans only recognize 50 years on copyrights. They now consider this public domain, hense the many duplicate or overlapping CD's available. But this set has most of, but not all of the best early stuff, without duplication. Stan is sometimes playing with Al Haig, a marvellously lyrical pianist, the best accompanyist Getz ever had until Kenny Barron. Haig is somewhat hard to find on other CD's but well worth the effort. The songs with Raney on guitar are also noteworthy. All recordings are monophonic, 2-3 minutes long and frequently better sounding than the early stereo "ping pong" recordings with the drums in the left and the sax on the right which came a few years later. Sound quality varies...a lot... I wrote this years ago and am updating it. It deserves more than three stars - five, but I can't figure out how to change it. A favorite set of mine. Many "set" CD's are not worth the expense. This one is. This compendium takes you back to the sound and the feel of the early fifties. It made Stan Getz a household name after "Early Autumn". Highly recommended.