Memories of Stan Getz

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Comment by Denis Ouellet on July 15, 2009 at 10:26am

This is from a late 1980's interview of Don Lanphere by Les Tomkins.


In it Don talks about his wife Midge's love for ballad playing.
She says, “You know, Stan Getz knows how to stand up and play a pretty song for me.”
Don tells us that he mentionned this to Stan a little while back while in Seattle.
Stan replied "“Well, there may be some players around that swing more than I do but I’m very big with the ladies!”


Now this got me laughing .... still ...

Comment by Denis Ouellet on June 21, 2009 at 6:38pm

Thank you Derek and Virginia for these wonderful stories.
They warm my heart.

Denis

Comment by Derek Southon on June 21, 2009 at 6:08pm

Bev invited me to join the Community after I'd sent the following anecdote. Ronnie Scott was a good friend of mine and, as a painter of jazz musicians, I spent a lot of time at his club. I sometimes took my young daughter along and she would collect autographs. She was with me one night when Stan was playing there and we mer him in the foyer. I wasn't too sure how he would feel about autographs, but he smiled, asked my daughters, name and signed her book. As he made his way to the dressing room he smiled again and said, " Got to look after the kids, they'll be paying my wages one day." My daughter was about nine years old at the time, now, as a forty year old, she still treasures her book and the memories from a time when life was sweeter. Derek Southon.

Comment by Virginia Gordon on June 21, 2009 at 3:08pm

Still finding my way arround this wonderful site -
My husband & I first heard Stan and other great Jazz players at Howard Rumsey's L ight House in Hermos Beach(CA) back in the 40s & 50s. In those dayswe didnt have much money & we would nurse one drink for as long as possible so we could to stay & listen to those who who became the greats in Jazz ( like Stan who is my favorite)
I remember how nice they were - giving us free refills so we could stay longer. Sometimes it was so packesd we could not even get in the door.
I am so happy to find this site and all the people who love Stan as much as I
do.
Thanks to Beverly for making this wonderful site - I am just
discovering new things here every day when I log on.

Gratfully - Virginia

Comment by THEO URFF on April 10, 2009 at 4:45am

Hello again,when I was still a child in the fiftees I didnt know what jazz music was,I didnt even know what a saxophone was..then I heard music that changed my life...it was the magical sound of Stan Getz. Why that impact...the lyrical way he played...?....the beautiful sound of his horn..?
as far as it concernes myself.. he is the only musician who`s sound got deep burried in my soul...why?..its a little bit of that magic that in fact dont need explication.. ! I have a great collection of music.. jazz as wel classical..and no one ...not even Grieg or Mahler...Miles Davis or Coltrane give me that strange magic feeling ...something like longing for beautiful places ..sounds and colours...Sinatra made some music written by Rod Mc uen that gives me the same feeling!!!..its pure poetry...I think that is what IT IS...was Stan Getz a poet...? and than a very great one...! and did he know himself what an impact he had ,with his music,on people all over the world! can anybody tell me that??? greetings till next time THEO URFF FROM THE NETHERLANDS EUROPE.

Comment by Geoff Sims (not related to Zoot} on April 7, 2009 at 10:04pm

Hi Bev
Thank you for your recent email.
I'm not sure how to email you so lets see if this reaches you.
All the best
Geoff

Comment by Bev Getz on January 14, 2009 at 11:07pm

How beautifully you write of your memory of Montreux Jon! Thank you so much for sharing this here! Stan would be so honored. And... I am grateful!

Comment by jon sheldon roberts on January 14, 2009 at 9:15am

HOW CAN I EVER FORGET THE WARM BALMY NIGHT IN MONTREUX WHEN I HEARD THE SOUL MUSIC OF STAN GETZ FLOATING THROUGH THE JAZZ FOYER SPEAKERS

AND THE UNFORGETTABLE FRONT ROW SEAT TO HEAR STAN CHANGE MY LIFE WITH HIS INSPIRING BREATHTAKING ON STAGE PLAYING OF SOUL EYES AND THE REST

THIS ONE AND ONLY LIVE CONTACT WITH STAN HAS INSPIRED MY CREATIVE WRITING EVER SINCE THAT MEMORABLE NIGHT IN PARADISE MESMERIZED BY THAT WONDERFUL SOUND

WHERE I DISCOVERED WHAT SOUL MUSIC IS ALL ABOUT

NOT TO MENTION HIS AMAZING SENSE OF HUMOR

STAN WAS THE ESSENCE OF THE ETERNAL VALUES OF REAL JAZZ MUSIC ON THAT MAGICAL SUMMER NIGHT ON THE SWISS RIVIERA HUB OF WESTERN CULTURE

LIVING IN PARADISE HERVEY BAY QUEENSLAND AUSTRALIA WHERE THERE IS NO WINTER IN THE LUCKY COUNTRY
I AM INDEED FORTUNATE TO HAVE EXPERIENCED THAT EVENING IN THAT OTHER PARADISE SWITZERLAND WHERE OUR CULTURE CULMINATES IN THE MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL

EVEN NOW THE UNIQUE INSTANTLY IDENTIFIABLE SOUND OF THE GETZ TENOR SAX SHIVERS MY SPINE WHENEVER I CATCH A FRAGMENT OF HIS MASTERFUL PLAYING

WHAT A GENIUS OF OUR TIMES

THANK YOU STAN AND MERCI BEV

Comment by Dan Goodwin on September 24, 2008 at 7:47am

I first heard Stan about 1970 or so, and I was immediately hooked. Stan's playing gave me a feeling I still can't adequately describe. I had the honor and thrill of seeing him perform in Houston about 30 years ago. Thanks for making this great site.

Comment by angelo villani on August 30, 2008 at 11:39am

hello, i remember stan doing his son's friend brian,a benifit to recieve a new hand .this was in ervington n.y. this brian was taking pictures of stans son on a raft on the hudson river when he touched some high tension wires. lost both hands and some damage to his leg.that evening i had the honor to sit with stans wife and the parents of brian.the place ws a small restaurant but for me it was the greatest time of my life. God bless

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