Stan Getz

One of the all-time great tenor saxophonists, Stan Getz was known as "The Sound." He possessed one of the most beautiful tones in all of jazz, and was among the greatest of melodic improvisers. His main early influence was Lester Young, but he grew to influence generations of players himself and never stopped evolving as a musician. Getz was an extraordinary improviser who created a distinctive sound and vocabulary. Getz's solos managed to meld lush romanticism with jazz's sense of physical toughness. He preferred ballads and medium-tempo tunes, though he was equally gifted at...