Stan Getz on "Night and Day"

Cover art by Dave Heffernan - vaguely C.M. Coolidge-like?

Stan Getz & Bill Evans (1964) was one of the first jazz CDs I ever bought—before I knew who Bill Evans was, and also before I knew who Ron Carter and Elvin Jones were and why they were so important in the 1960s. Although this particular session has generally received lukewarm reviews from critics in comparison to the other Getz/Evans recording available—But Beautiful a live date from 1974—I always thought this CD was a solid set of playing by Getz and unique all-star band assembled for the record. The two takes of "Night and Day" take an interesting arrangement: the band lays out for the #IV descending 8 bars at the end of every 16-bar section of the first chorus. Getz's solo over the regular take is available in Greg Fishman's first book of Stan Getz transcriptions. I was always personally more fond of the alternate take, though, primarily because of what Getz plays over the breaks (the climactic third break was an early eye-opener to the dramatic possibilities of altissimo). Check it out:

 

So many Bird-like embellishments in this solo — Getz always had them from Lester Young, but it's unusual how many he uses in this solo (just check out m. 9). Also, the 3/4 hemiola at m. 33 always threw me a bit when I was younger (Elvin!).

 

 mm. 41-48: Yes!

 

***Getz also plays an excellent rendition of "Night and Day" on People Time (1991) with Kenny Barron: probably my favorite Stan Getz album.

***Also, check out "Grandfather's Waltz" on Stan Getz & Bill Evans: Bill's piano introduction is classic solo-rubato neo-Romanticism, and the tune itself is highly singable while somehow extremely obscure.