Live

Tenor saxophonist Stan Getz is heard in a series of exciting live performances at the Lighthouse Café on Pier Avenue just off the Strand in Hermosa Beach, CA, and at the Irvine Bowl on Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach. The Lighthouse recordings were made in February and May 1953; tracks 21-26 were taped at the Irvine on June 20, 1955. The exhilarating beachfront ambiance is palpable throughout this magnificent compilation of live West Coast jazz; the festive crowds loved these jam sessions, their enthusiasm fueled the band and will most likely infect the listener and change the dynamic wherever the recording is played back. If some of the reeds -- Getz, Bob Cooper, Jimmy Giuffre and Bud Shank -- seem occasionally to be ever so slightly off mic, bear in mind that these are not perfectly balanced, professionally mixed recordings. Somebody was rolling tape in a club atmosphere thick with easy conversation and cigarette smoke. Yet this is no slipshod location air check; the overall sound is surprisingly consistent and the music is outstanding. There are cool passages by vibraphonist Teddy Charles, and strong contributions from trumpeters Shorty Rogers and Maynard Ferguson as well as trombonists Milt Bernhart and Frank Rosolino. The rhythm section, invariably driven by bassist Howard Rumsey with either Shelly Manne or Stan Levey behind the drums, sometimes features pianists Russ Freeman or Hampton Hawes. "La Soncailli" is a fabulous feature for Manne and "Round About Midnight" spotlights guitarist Barney Kessel. Getz sounds divine on every tune, in any company, no matter what goes down. Great moments abound on this superb compilation; highlights include two extensions of the Basie book: a nearly 12-minute jam on Harry "Sweets" Edison's "Jive at Five" and a magnetically hip rendering of Eddie Durham's "Topsy." Note also how "Love Me or Leave Me" magically mutates into Billy Strayhorn's "Johnny Come Lately." ~ arwulf arwulf|