CD of the Day - "Stan Getz: Sweet Rain"

CD of the Day
Stan Getz: "Sweet Rain" (Verve) 2008


The classy b&w front cover, with a photo by Tom Zimmermann, says it all. This Creed Taylor production, recorded during a single-day session at Rudy Van Gelder Studio on March 30, 1967, ranks among Stan Getz's finest albums. In addition to the iconic saxophonist's masterfully modulated cool style and classic husky tone, "Sweet Rain" offers the unique opportunity to hear Getz play with a modern rhythm section that pushes the envelope avant '60s-style. Aristrocatic bassist Ron Carter, pianist Chick Corea, and drummer Grady Tate help to situate Getz's playing in a highly fluid setting.

The high quality program consists of two Corea originals (the opening "Litha", that would become the name of his publishing company, and the closer "Windows", later magnificently recorded by Flora Purim - with Joe Henderson - on her "Encounter" album), a cool version of Dizzy Gillespie's latin-tinged "Con Alma", a delightful take on Antonio Carlos Jobim's bossa-ballad "O Grande Amor" (previously recorded by Stan in 1963 on the best-selling and multi-Grammy winning "Getz/Gilberto"), and Mike Gibbs's intriguing title tune. The level of interplay is at a high, kinetic crackle throughout, even--maybe especially--when the musicians make ample use of space. The 2008 reissue, remastered by Kevin Reeves for the Verve "Originals" series, comes in a digipack sleeve, preserving Johnny Magnus' original liner notes.