Timeless tones from the 1960s, presented here as they were meant to be imbibed.
Few styles have lasted as long as the bossa nova pulse, brought from Brazil and popularized by Stan Getz in a multitude of best selling albums. This 1964 release has him with the ultra cool voice of Astrud Gilberto of “Ipanema” fame , along with a sleek team including a very young Gary Burton/vib, Kenny Burrell/g, Gene Cherico-Chuck Israels/b and Joe Hunt-Helcio Milito/dr. The recording from the Greenwich Village club Café Au Go Go includes the million selling song as well as the haunting “Corcovado” and impressionistic “It Might As Well Be Spring”. Getz is marvelously mellifluous throughout, defining the cool heat of the period on pieces like “One Not Samba” and “Here’s That Rainy Day”. Brazilian beauty.
The successful two trombone team of JJ Johnson and Kai Winding recorded a number of bopping sessions together, with this latter session from 1961 including the crème of the crop in sidemen. Bill Evans/p, Paul Chambers-Tommy Williams/b and Art Taylor-Roy Haynes/dr supply the settings for a mix of originals and standards. The brass glides on Steve Allen’s “This Could Be The Start of Something Bog”, with Johnson in rich form on “Georgia On My Mind” and “Judy” and Winding sliding like Ricky Henderson into third on “Going, Going, Gong!”. Bopping brass!
While the 1966 film about the gigolo played by Michael Caine has not aged well, Sonny Rollins’ music for the soundtrack has, and like a fine wine. Backed by an orchestra conducted by fellow tenor saxist Oliver Nelson, and including JJ Johnson-Jimmy Cleveland/tb, Kenny Burrell/g, Phil Woods/as, Roger Kellaway/p and Walter Booker/b, Rollins is energetic and enthused on “Alfie’s Theme” and “Differently”. Even more long lasting are the more reflective and sensitive pieces, like the regretful “He’s Younger Than You Are” and intimate during a relaxed “On Impulse”. This is a tenor sax for the ages.