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Stan Getz with Benny Goodman


jeffcrom

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I listened to the Benny Goodman Columbia CD Volume III: All the Cats Join In today, and was struck with how fresh, assured, and imaginative the Stan Getz solos on the album were. The three tracks with Getz solos are "Lucky (You're Right, I'm Wrong)," "Rattle and Roll," and "Swing Angel." They're all excellent. "Rattle and Roll" has long been one of my favorite Goodman recordings - it was in that first box of 78s my grandmother gave me around 1974 - but "Lucky" is the Getz solo that really knocks me out: it has drive, harmonic imagination, and is extremely well-constructed. "Swing Angel" is almost as good, but suffers from being only half as long - eight measures as opposed to sixteen in "Lucky."

I don't have the Mosaic Goodman box set, and am unlikely to get it, since I feel that I more recordings than I can listen to. But it has those three tunes, and alternate takes of all. Getz's first solo with Goodman is not on the Mosaic set - "Give Me the Simple Life," from November 20, 1945. The tenor solo is nearly as good as the three I mentioned above, but shows a little rhythmic uncertainly right at the beginning. Are there Getz solos on any Goodman recordings other than the four I've mentioned?

In any case, these solos show remarkable talent and originality from an 18-year old.

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Yes, there are more recordings of Stan soloing with Benny.

I'm sorry, my Russ Connor discographies are not at hand, but below is what's on the first two Masters Of Jazz CDs in the Getz series. Some are airchecks, some are from AFRS transcriptions, and a few studio recordings for Columbia:

Stan Getz Volume 1 (MJCD 117):

Columbia, New York, November 20, 1945
co35210-3 - Give Me The Simple Life (master take)
co35210-4 - Give Me The Simple Life

Columbia, New York, December 19, 1945
co35523-1 - Rattle And Roll (master take)
co35523-? - Rattle And Roll

AFRS Magic Carpet 199 A, Terrace Room, Newark, NJ, November 28/December 23, 1945
Seven Come Eleven

Sustaining Broadcast (Mutual), Terrace Room, Newark, NJ, December 20, 1945
Rattle And Roll

Sustaining Broadcast (Mutual), Meadowbrook Gardens, Culver City, CA, January 14, 1946
Rattle And Roll

AFRS "One Night Stand" No. 856, Hollywood, CA, January 27, 1946
Who's Sorry Now?

AFRS Jubilee Series H-11, Program 168, Hollywood, CA, January 1946
I'm Always Chasing Rainbows
Who's Sorry Now?

Stan Getz Volume 2 (MJCD 144):

AFRS Jubilee Series H-11, Program 166, Hollywood, CA, January 1946
Rattle And Roll
Give Me The Simple Life

AFRS Jubilee Series H-11, Program 168, Hollywood, CA, January 1946
Who's Sorry Now?

Columbia, Los Angeles, CA, January 30, 1946
HCO 1672-1 - Swing Angel

AFRS One Night Stand No. 872, San Diego, CA, February 2, 1946
Rattle And Roll

The above information is taken from the booklets to the Masters Of Jazz releases.

Edited by James Accardi
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Not wanting to sidetrack this discussion unduly but as I've found I do not have all the Stan Getz solo tracks discussed above (nor quite a few others from that period) here's a question to those who still are into vinyl (or remember what was around on vinyl):

Was there ever a VINYL reissue series that chronicled the Columbia years of the BG BIG BAND in a comprehensive manner (similarly to the way RCA did it with its Bluebird twofers, etc.)?

I have the entire 12-LP "The Alternate Goodman" LP series on Phontastic as well as an assortment of Columbia reissues ("Presents Eddie Sauer Arrangements"; "Clarinet A La King", "Put That Swing Back", "Solid Gold instrumental Hits" plus two compilations on Jazz Society) but which vinyls would you suggest to get the MASTER takes of the big band (but also of the small units) in a comprehensive maner? Provided there were any suitable reissue series (to keep overlaps within limits or avoid them altogether).

(I have my outlets that I might scour for OOP vinyl, hence my question ;))

Edited by Big Beat Steve
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American Columbia never did anything like that. It's possible French CBS did, somewhere back in the day. I know they did a couple of complete Basie LP sets.

French CBS did complete sets on Ellington, Basie, and Lunceford. Can't recall ever seeing one on Goodman.

Edited by Stereojack
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American Columbia never did anything like that. It's possible French CBS did, somewhere back in the day. I know they did a couple of complete Basie LP sets.

French CBS did complete sets on Ellington, Basie, and Lunceford. Can't recall ever seeing one on Goodman.

Well, if *Jack* can't recall it, it didn't happen! Sorry Steve!

gregmo

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Thanks four your info, everybody!

I hadn't actually thought of the Basie Columbia reissues on the red CBS twofers but it would indeed have been nice if there had been something like that featuring the BG recordings from that period.

Looks, then, like the "Alternate Goodman "LP series was the next most comprehensive vinyl reissue (though there were quite a few Columbia recordings that were not represented by alternates in this series, including some of the Stan Getz features mentioned here earlier - which spurred my question).

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My recollection (I'm out of town at the moment) is that the Phontastic LPs (and presumably the later CDs) provided alternates, not the master takes, of the Goodman material. I can't think of any comprehensive issue of the master takes.

French CBS issued two big boxes of Basie recordings. These boxes were more complete than the later series of orange double albums.

My recollection (I'm out of town at the moment) is that the Phontastic LPs (and presumably the later CDs) provided alternates, not the master takes, of the Goodman material. I can't think of any comprehensive issue of the master takes.

French CBS issued two big boxes of Basie recordings. These boxes were more complete than the later series of orange double albums.

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But that's what I said and quoted (twice): "ALTERNATE Goodman"! (I'd thought that had made things halfway clear ;))

It would have been nice to have the master takes chronologically and comprehensively on vinyl back then (and even now) but honestly, with THIS artist I am not enough of a matrix suffix fetichist to whine about the fact that this or that recording may have been accessible as an alternate only and not as the master take. But given how spotty and overlapping the individual LP reissues were (such as those I mentioned above and which seem to to include several of the key CBS reissues, according to AMG) with several tunes being reissued several times and others not at all or not on easily accessible records, The "Alternate Goodman" series indeed seems to be the most comprehensive reissue of the Columbia-era music AS SUCH in ONE place. And if it weren't for the fact (again - already stated above) that this series does not include any alternates of quite a few of the master takes recorded during that era then the question of a comparable MASTER takes reissue SERIES would probably not have been asked at this time. ;)

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