No, I do not believe that Stan Getz was God. In fact, most of his life the tenor man had fought many demons, mostly alcohol, which he finally defeated at the very end of his life before leaving this earth from the effects of cancer. The irrefuteable point that music this beautiful, as well as Getz’s sound itself, is proof of a loving God, who gives grace “upon who He pleases.” As it is written, “every good thing comes from above,” and this audio and video recording from a Montreux concert from 1972 is a true gift.
Not only was Getz just starting a renewal of energy in his playing, but he linked up with three of the most important “young guns” of the time. Chick Corea/ep and Stanley Clarke/b were part of the highly popular fusion group Return to Forever, while Tony Williams/dr not only made his name with Miles Davis, but was leading an important jazz rock band of his own, Lifetime. Together, they push Getz to the limits as only the young can do to the “old,” from material from their recent album Captain Marvel. Most of the songs, Corea compositions, are indeed marvels: “La Fiesta” and “Captain Marvel” are wondrously inspiring, with the rhythm section pushing Getz left and right; you can feel his enjoyment at being pushed by these young bucks. Getz’s tone is of course heavenly, whether on the ballads “I Remember Clifford” and “Lush Life” or on the white knuckler “Time’s Lie, ” which has Corea leading the rhythm section through a tsunami of a tidal wave, overcoming everything in its wake before receding into a low tide. Whether watching or listening to this concert, you have to wonder “how did music get this good?” with the followup “where did music take a wrong turn?” An Rx of one listen a day for 28 days will cure any illness. Guaranteed.
Eagle Records/dvd
www.eaglerockent.com