Getz For Lovers

There has never been an instrument that conveyed more romance than Stan Getz's tenor saxophone, from the breathy, beautiful tone--all air and gauze--to the rapturous sweep that he could bring to a melody. It's a sound both warm and cool--able to convey everything from hesitation to keening passion. Getz could also swing hard, but this compilation puts its emphasis squarely on the ballad side, picking up highlights from his Verve recordings from 1952 to 1968, placing him in intimate small groups to orchestral settings. Getz perfectly captures the breezy warmth of a Brazilian beach in his collaborations with João and Astrud Gilberto, including "Corcovado" and "Girl from Ipanema," while there's another kind of poetry in the way he floats across the orchestra on "Moonlight in Vermont" and "Alfie." Herb Ellis's guitar frames Getz beautifully on "I'm Glad There Is You," while Getz's stunning melodic invention is highlighted in two quartet tracks with pianist Bill Evans, "But Beautiful" and "Melinda." --Stuart Broomer