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The Steamer

I was very lucky to find a '60s copy of the justly famous Getz/Gilberto LP for a very reasonable price seven or eight years ago, but have had less luck with Getz's work since then, picking up and discarding a few albums bearing his name that I didn't much care for. I was in two minds, then, about buying this one last year, a 1964 UK issue of a record originally released in '57, all the more so as its sleeve was in rather grubby condition.

The record turned out to be decidedly dirty itself: barely playable until a first thorough cleaning, and not sounding too good until a second. I'm glad I persevered with it, as it's an excellent slice of straight-ahead late '50s jazz, and the disc, now free of its accumulated patina, sounds great. Getz is part of a quartet here, joined by Lou Levy on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass and Stan Levey on drums.

The mid-tempo 'Blues For Mary Jane' kicks things off in confident style, the only number on the record composed by the saxophonist. The others are all standards. 'There'll Never Be Another You' ticks along at a slightly quicker pace, and it's not until 'You're Blasé' that we hear Getz's eminently smooth way with a ballad. Two slowish pieces continue the mellow mood on Side B, before the bustling closer 'How About You'. Peter Clayton provides the sleevnotes, which, apart from some weak attempts at humour, are suitably informative.
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