Two giants of jazz meet for a 1958 West Coast date

This is a sweet 1958 West Coast jazz session that brought together vibraphonist Cal Tjader and tenor saxophonist Stan Getz. Also playing on the session is noted San Francisco pianist Vince Guaraldi, guitarist Eddie Duran, bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Billy Higgins. Each of the side men were starting to stir up some notice, though they were each a few years away from their breakthroughs. Getz stands at the session’s center, but leaves room for the others to solo; Guaraldi and Duran offer some particularly interesting lines on “Ginza Samba” and “Crow’s Nest.” Tjader swings a few tunes, but it’s his breezy touch on the ballads that partners most fruitfully with the cool of Getz’s sax. The band creates a relaxed mood for Lerner and Lowe’s “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face” and swings warmly through Tjader’s waltz “Liz-Anne.” The seven tracks recorded here turned out to be all there is – no alternates, no outtakes – a remarkable occurrence for an ad hoc band that recorded with no rehearsal. The ability of the players to cohere in such short-order (the entire session was three hours) is a testament to both their talent as players, and their shared vision as musicians. Those with an earlier reissue might still want to check this out for Joe Tarantino’s 24-bit remaster and new liner notes by Doug Ramsey. Ralph J. Gleason’s original notes are included in a reproduction of the album’s back cover, as well as in a surprisingly error-filled transcription within the set’s booklet. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com]