Stan Getz

Stan Getz was born Stanley Gayetsky on February 2, 1927 in Philadelphia, Pa. His parents were Ukrainian Jewish immigrants. His father bought him his first saxophone at the age of thirteen.

At the age of 16, Stan dropped out of high school to join Jack Teagarden's Band. His big band experiences continued, playing with Stan Kenton, Jimmy Dorsey, and Benny Goodman. From 1947 to 1949, Getz played with the Woody Herman Band and was one of the original "Four Brothers." While he was with Herman he had a hit single called "Early Autumn" which helped launch a solo career.

From the mid 1950's to 1961 Getz worked from Scandinavia. Upon returning to the U.S. he became the central figure in introducing Bossa Nova to Americans. In 1962, his album "Jazz Samba" sold over a million copies and he won the Grammy For Best Jazz Performance of 1963 for "Desafinado." This was followed by "Jazz Samba Encore" which also sold over a million copies. In 1963, the album "Getz/Gilberto" sold over a million copies and the hit single "The Girl From Ipanema" won for him a Grammy.

In the mid-1980's, Stan worked in the San Francisco Bay area and taught at Stanford University. In 1986, he was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame.

Stan Getz died from liver cancer on June 6, 1991. His body was cremated and the ashes were scattered at sea off the coast of Malibu, Ca.

Earlier this afternoon I listened to "Jazz Samba" for the umpteenth time. It is my favorite Bossa Nova album and whenever I'm in the mood for Bossa Nova I listen to it. It features Stan on tenor sax and Charlie Byrd on Guitar. They are joined by two bassists, Keter Betts and Joe Byrd, and two drummers, Buddy Deppenschmidt and Bill Reichenbach. It is a 1962 Verve release.





Here's a video of Stan with Astrud Gilberto doing "The Girl From Ipanema"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJkxFhFRFDA&feature=player_detailpage