Stan Getz - Voyage (BlackHawk, 1986)

This post is by Dan

Stan Getz (ts); Kenny Barron (p); George Mraz (b); Victor Lewis (d); Babatunde (congas & brushes on one track only)

Recorded February 26 and 27, 1986

My oldest brother was the biggest influence on my appreciation of jazz, which began when I was about 12 years old. So when he told me in the late 1980s that Stan Getz's Voyage was one of the best albums he'd ever heard, I had to take note. At the time, the only Getz album I owned was Sweet Rain (Verve, 1967).

As a bass player himself, my brother also clued me into George Mraz, who plays bass on Voyage. I've been raving about Mraz in my previous posts. There's a completeness to his playing in any setting that makes the difference between a routine jazz gig and an exceptional one.

It is a great discovery to find both Mraz and Kenny Barron playing behind the legendary Getz in an acoustic quartet that includes the inestimable Victor Lewis. If anything, actually hearing this album exceeds the high expectations one might have for it. This was a prime period for Getz as he returned to his primary strengths as a swinging improvisor with a magnificent sound. 

There are only two standard ballads on the album: "I Thought About You" and "Yesterdays." The rest are composed by Barron, Lewis, and Victor Feldman. The opening "I Wanted to Say," penned by Lewis, has a mysterious melody and changes that afford the soloists ample opportunity to find more interesting phrases than are usually associated with the standards songbook. The standards are full of sublime group moments, such as the segue from Getz's solo to Barron's on "I Thought About You." The standout title tune by Barron comes last, and it's by now a jazz staple. 

Everything works to perfection on every track, even Babatunde's Latin percussion on "Dreams." The original cover art by Aiko Suzuki, titled "Stan Get[z] Blue," stands as a visual representation of the quartet's high art.  

Great playing throughout, great recording and production, and great chemistry among the band. Not much more you could wish for. Don't let this one escape attention in the crowded Getz discography. It just might be his best ever!!