AMG Review of Best of the West Coast Sessions

Scott Yanow
All Music Guide

In 1996 when Verve released a three-CD set that fully documented six sessions from the 1955-57 period by tenor saxophonist Stan Getz, they also came out with this one-CD sampler. Most Getz fans will prefer the former, which has 37 performances (as opposed to the latter's ten), but many of the main highlights are on this disc, including a heated rendition of "Shine," "Four," "A Handful Of Stars" and "East Of The Sun." The Lou Levy Trio and (on a few numbers) trumpeter Conte Candoli work quite well with the cool-toned tenor.