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For his casual listeners, tenor saxophonist Stan Getz peaked during the bossa nova craze of the early to mid 1960s. And as Verve's five-disc, 2008 box set, The Bossa Nova Albums, reminded casual and committed listeners alike, Getz and bossa nova were, indeed, made for each other.

But anyone willing to rewind through the 1950s will find a cornucopia of less well known, though equally transporting music, as Getz emerged from the big bands to become a small group leader of style and substance. In the first years of the decade, Getz, with his quintets, developed a contrapuntal improvising approach with his frontline partners—first, guitarist Jimmy Raney, and then, valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer—as captivating as the work of baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan and trumpeter Chet Baker in Mulligan's contemporaneous piano-less quartet. Factor in Getz's already singular lyricism, and you have something very special.

Jazz At Storyville gives new meaning to the expression "fast and loose." Most of the tracks are taken at tempos ranging from medium fast to atomic, with "Parker 51" (written by Raney for his friend Ray Parker) taken at a phenomenal 344 beats per minute. Getz and Raney dance over the tempos with perfect poise, locked in the moment and staying lyrical despite the velocity. Their theme statements and contrapuntal interactions have a precision which is almost literally breathtaking. It's a bravura performance by both men, and the track playing times—most are over five minutes and the longest run to 7:07 and 7:24—mean extended solos are the norm. There are choruses too from pianist Al Haig (who'd been on hand for some of Getz's first small group recordings with Raney, in New York in 1948 and 1949) and drummer Tiny Kahn, but in the main this is Getz's and Raney's show.

Personnel: Stan Getz: tenor saxophone; Jimmy Raney: guitar; Al Haig: piano; Teddy Kotick: bass; Tiny Kahn: drums.





Tracklist
01  Budo  5:12
02  The Song Is You  7:07
03  Parker 51  6:06
04  Mosquito Knees  5:20
05  Thou Swell  4:26
06  Yesterdays  2:56
07  Jumpin' With Symphony Sid  7:24
08  Pennies From Heaven  5:04
09  Move  6:01
10  Rubberneck  4:23
11  Hershey Bar  3:29
12  Signal  5:52
13  Everything Happens To Me  3:20