Stan Getz and John Coltrane live in Dusseldorf, Germany in 1960 (with Oscar Peterson, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb)
Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd - Samba Triste (composed by Baden Powell)
Stan Getz
Stan Getz was one of the few five-star tenor saxophonists of the 20th century. He was born in Philly in 1927 and played in a variety of swing big bands as a teenager since he was too young to make the draft during World War II. His prime influence was Lester Young, though he grew to develop his own musical identity and style that ultimately earned him the definitive nickname “The Sound” for his beautiful pristine tones. Throughout his career, he played with countless musicians including Benny Goodman, Horace Silver, Charlie Bird, Dizzy, Chick Corea, Gil Evans and Kenny Barron. The year 1963 marked the beginning of the Bossa Nova era when “Desafinado,” a track from his album Jazz Samba, won him the Grammy for Best Jazz Performance. Within the next year, he won two more Grammies for his collaboration with João Gilberto in an album entitled Getz/Gilberto which includes the famous sweet-sounding tune, “The Girl From Ipanema.” In spite of this tremendous success as a musician, he struggled with drug problems for many years of his life and it wasn’t until the very end that he finally found a road to recovery. He passed away in 1991.
Written by Leila Currah
A good quartet is like a good conversation among friends interacting to each other’s ideas.
— Stan Getz
A little bit of history.. short interview with Bunk Johnson.. (plus photos and a music recording)
Willie “Bunk” Johnson
It’s hard to get a straight story about “Bunk” Johnson because he had few qualms against making up his own history, reputedly making jazz historians work for their living. He was probably born in the 1880’s, and he certainly played his trumpet in the early 1900’s. He played with Buddy Bolden, Frankie Dusen’s Eagle Band, and the Original Superior Orchestra, with all the flavors of early jazz in New Orleans. In between these classy gigs, he toured with circuses and played with minstrel bands. His career took a dip in 1931 when he lost his trumpet and his front teeth in a brawl. However, as luck would have it, he was included in the famous book Jazzmen, published in 1939, and at that time, the authors took up a collection for a new set of teeth and a new horn. In 1942, he made his first recordings, and he was back on the scene. The best years were the last few years of his life, until a stroke in 1948. He died in 1949.
Written by Leila Currah
Thank you for your requests
Thank you so much for sending in your requests. I will be painting them in the order that they were received. Yours truly, Leila
