AMG Review of Jazz 'Round Midnight: Stan Getz

Richard S. Ginell
All Music Guide

The owner of one of the most intimately romantic tenor sax sounds in jazz was a natural candidate for Verve's Late-Night series, and so this 14-track collection treats would-be-Lotharios to several candlelit samples from Verve's archives, the orchestras (and two cooing choirs) led by Claus Ogermam. Artists including Johnny Pate and Russ Garcia alternate with small-combo ballad dates originating from the U.S. and Europe, including an exquisite "But Beautiful" with Bill Evans. Of course, there are also plenty of tender bossa novas with Laurindo Almeida, Charlie Byrd, Chick Corea, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Joao Gilberto. Along the way, Verve manages to sneak in the harmonically and structurally complex "Pan" from the Focus album which injects a somewhat abrasive interlude into the seductive sequence. But no matter, knowledgeable Casanovas can just program it out on their CD players and get back down to business.