Stan Getz And J J Johnson At The Opera House REISSUE CD FLAC 1986 DeVOiD

Stan Getz And J.J. Johnson ‎- At The Opera House (1957) FLAC

Pairing Stan Getz with J.J. Johnson, backing them up with pianist Oscar Peterson's legendary trio including bassist Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis, and adding MJQ drummer Connie Kay to this truly classic jazz sextet. Two concerts done in Chicago (in stereo) and Los Angeles (in mono) comprise this expanded edition CD, with some stretched-out jams, repeat tunes, and extra material. Originally tabbed as an unusual teaming of tenor sax and trombone, the two principals sound well-suited, very compatible in their dynamic levels, and especially congruous when they play together, while Peterson is absolutely supportive so that these two giants of jazz can cut loose. The shorter concert in Chi-Town has the band absolutely on fire from the get-go, burning up the definitive bop flag-waver "Billie's Bounce" over ten minutes of hard-swinging perfection. For the L.A. show, the program also starts with "Billie's Bounce," done differently on the harmonic end just for kicks, while "My Funny Valentine" uses a completely different introduction from the horns. Peterson charges up "Crazy Rhythm" as the sax and 'bone play more in sync, while "Blues in the Closet" again closes the set, but is much shorter, faster, and a bit sloppy at the outset. The add-ons include a short (under four-minute) and easygoing feature for Johnson on "Yesterdays" and another brief rendering of the ballad "It Never Entered My Mind," exclusively for the soulful Getz and a more pronounced Ellis. The extraordinary playing by these expert jazzmen elevates this album to legendary status. It is some of their best work (from a pivotal year in modern jazz recording).

Track listing

"Billie's Bounce" (Charlie Parker) 9:45
"My Funny Valentine" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) 8:10
"Crazy Rhythm" (Irving Caesar, Joseph Meyer, Roger Wolfe Kahn) 7:59
"Blues In the Closet" (Oscar Pettiford) 9:04
"Billie's Bounce" 7:57
"My Funny Valentine" 8:28
"Crazy Rhythm" 7:47
"Yesterdays" (Jerome Kern, Otto Harbach) 3:42
"It Never Entered My Mind" (Rodgers, Hart) 3:52
"Blues In the Closet" 6:18

Personnel

Stan Getz tenor saxophone
J.J. Johnson trombone
Oscar Peterson piano
Herb Ellis guitar
Ray Brown double bass
Connie Kay drums


Notes:
Recorded in mono, October 7, 1957 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.