Description
Focus, released in 1961 on Verve Records, stands as a singular entry in saxophonist Stan Getzs discography a chamber jazz suite composed and arranged by Eddie Sauter, with Getz as its sole improviser. Recorded in July 1961 at Webster Hall in New York City, Focus pairs Getzs expressive tenor saxophone with a string orchestra conducted by Hershy Kay. Sauters seven-movement suite originally envisioned for violinist Jascha Heifetz unfolds in layered harmonic landscapes and orchestral textures. Getzs parts were entirely improvised, captured live in single takes without written music, as he navigated pre-composed frameworks with melodic invention and emotional clarity. The album represents a true collaboration between Sauter and Getz, and a radical departure from the conventions of jazz with strings albums of the time. Sauters charts emphasize contrapuntal writing, rhythmic complexity, and harmonic ambiguity, while Getz unedited and unrehearsed in the traditional sense weaves a lyrical, instinctive line throughout. The result remains one of the most original and artistically daring projects in Getzs recorded legacy; the artists favorite of all the records he made.
The Verve Vault series is always mastered from analog tapes and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal. (via Label)
First released in 1961, Focus is a classic of its era, but unlike Kind of Blue or Sketches of Spain, it hasn’t always been easy to track down, which makes this reissue especially welcome.
Tenor saxophonist Getz breezes through a suite of compositions for small string orchestra and rhythm section composed by Eddie Sauter, the former big band arranger.
The orchestration has a rhythmic drive and harmonic sophistication unmatched at the time. There’s a wide emotional and technical range to the orchestral writing; listen to the flamboyant Pan, the lush Her or the dramatic strumming of Night Rider.
Getz is a wonder, delivering a stream of melodic invention that’s adventurous, yet grounded in the golden era of jazz. Unlike other experiments of this nature, time has been kind to Focus. Now that collaborations between classical music and jazz are common at every level – from school to symphony hall – there’s much here to teach a new generation. (via The Guardian)
Vinyl Tracklist
A1 I’m Late, I’m Late
A2 Her
A3 Pan
B1 I Remember When
B2 Night Rider
B3 Once Upon A Time
B4 A Summer Afternoon
Label: Verve Records
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, Gatefold
Reissued: 2025 / Originally Released: 1961
Genre: Jazz
Style: Cool Jazz, Post Bop
File under: Audiophile Jazz
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