Some excellent and insightful points/thoughts from all and the short version of my thoughts regarding Stan's magic goes back to Jon's use of the word universal to describe Stan and his music. When we are talking about that which is universal in music, we are usually thinking (or feeling) something about something extraordinarily pretty or lyrical or accessible, all of which Stan gave us through his instrument and of himself. Serious jazz fans and musicians would also find the complexity in his playing; I think all great musicians carry some form of complexity in their music. It is when complexity and lyricism and beauty meet and many different people from all over the world are touched by someone's music - that, in my opinion, makes someone not only a jazz legend, but a musician worthy of and receiving widespread and universal acclaim from music fans and from peers.

A personal wish of mine would be to someday see videos of Stan, Duke, Armstrong...so many others as an important part of any library in all schools/colleges/universities having any kind of music programs.

Thanks for starting the discussion, Jon!

Marla

Hi Jon. What a great discussion you've started here.

All the contributors are wonderful to read to, especially yours Bev where you're talking about Stan having no musical barriers/blocks or prejudice inside himself. I find this a so very very important quality to have as a musician.

There is something that has to be settled inside yourself before this, and why; because this sets the quality level you're working from. The thing I'm talking about is practice. Stan Getz rehearsed 8-10 hours a day. Becoming the master he is and was as a musician is a result of hard work. He played all the "boring" stuff over and over again, and not only over and over again, but also in every single key. This made (well in my opinion) the ground for what he became.

And when this work is done you're able to receive/reach a level where the freedom becomes a part of your playing and you're able to play guided by your intuition. Bill Evans said in an interview once that knowledge has to lead the intuition, and he also said that playing as beautiful as Stan Getz was hard both physical and psychic.

When you've reach the level Stan had reached and has the kind of philosophy about music like Bev says about him having no musical barriers, then you're able to adapt something that will show in your playing so everybody can find something "familiar" (to say it "simple"). And it comes to mind that there's no "bad" music only bad musician to say it roughly - what I'm trying to say is that you have to be a very good musician to play all kinds of music and music genres good.

Another thing is that he, where ever he was in the world, made tribute to the countries he visited by playing music from the country he was in; f.ex. like the wonderful bossa albums, he also recorded tunes from the Nordic countries like "Grandfathers Waltz", national anthems, national folk-music, music for children (like lullabies) etc.etc. When he did this people instantly connected to him, they felt he loved them and that he thought they were special.

I could have written a whole chapter about this subject, because I haven't even mentioned his musical strategy, his pauses, his choose of notes, his way of sounding relaxing when the cord progression is so hard to follow that you're sitting with your mouth open can't believe you're hearing what you're hearing when he is playing. BUT this is whole new chapter so I'll stop here.

Sorry if there's a lot of wrong written words, English is not my main language. :-)

Smiles from Hilde

OH MY!!! I'm so happy to see so many of you respond to this discussion! Pumping some much needed blood back into the ole' forum!!! GREAT!!

All of your thoughts on this are so very thought provoking! WOW!

Hilde, I have never thought about what you wrote, concerning Stan's playing for the people in various countries! That is so true. He did have so much affection and respect for his audience, wherever he was playing.

So.... are you going to open a discussion (in all your free time! lol) on the musical strategy?! That would be a discussion I certainly could not contribute to, but would be so interested in hearing people's thoughts on!

Thanks to you all, and Jon again, for contributing here!
Bev

PS.... Hilde.... you AMAZE ME!! Your ENGLISH is BETTER THAN MINE!!!! SERIOUSLY!! I hope you speak Norwegian this well!!!! LOL!!! (~: