Broadcast on 02-Feb-2009

Of all the bands that tenor saxophone giant Stan Getz put together, this one is the least documented. It was formed in 1953 and worked on the East Coast but Stan bought a house in Los Angeles and took the band out there to play gigs in that area. They made three recording sessions for Norman Granz in July and August 1953 and we'll hear some of the results of those. They were first issued on Granz' Clef and Norgran labels as "Interpretations #1 #2 #3 by the Stan Getz Quinttet".The group consisted of Getz, Bob Brookmeyer on valve trombone, Johnny Williams, piano, Teddy Kotick on bass and the underrated drummer Frank Isola. Getz and Brookmeyer had a unique musical chemistry that allowed them to weave lines together and improvise collectively almost like a modern Dixieland band, Pianist Johnny Williams' contributions to this band are enormous as he plays with the stabbing intensity of Horace Silver and Russ Freeman but sounds like only himself. Bassist Teddy Kotick was Charlie Parker's favourite and Bird called Teddy..."my heartbeat". Frank Isola was a subtle and swinging drummer who kept everything light and very swinging.Jimmy Giuffre said that this quintet was Stan Getz' best band and you'll hear why. It broke up in the late Fall of 1953 because of a lack of work but Getz re-united it for his legendary Shrine Auditorium concert in November 1954.