Stan Getz
| Stan Getz | |
|---|---|
Stan Getz in 1958
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Stanley Gayetzky |
| Born |
February 2, 1927 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | June 6, 1991 (aged 64) Malibu, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | |
| Years active | 1943–91 |
| Labels | |
Stanley "Stan" Getz (February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of his idol, Lester Young. Coming to prominence in the late 1940s with Woody Herman's big band, Getz is described by critic Scott Yanow as "one of the all-time great tenor saxophonists". Getz went on to perform in bebop and cool jazz groups, but is perhaps best known for popularizing bossa nova with the worldwide hit single "The Girl from Ipanema" (1964) performed with Astrud Gilberto, and for his work done under the influence of João Gilberto and Antônio Carlos Jobim.
Getz was born on February 2, 1927, at St. Vincent's Hospital in Philadelphia. His grandparents Harris and Beckie Gayetski were from the Kiev area of Russian Empire but migrated to Whitechapel, in the East End of London and owned the Harris Tailor Shop at 52 Oxford Street for more than 13 years. In 1913, Harris and Beckie emigrated to the United States with their three sons Al, Phil, and Ben after their son Louis Gayetski in 1912 (Getz's father Al was born in Mile End, London, England in 1904 and his mother Goldie Yampolsky in Philadelphia in 1907).
The Getz family first settled in Philadelphia, but during the depression the family moved to New York City, seeking better employment opportunities. Getz worked hard in school, receiving straight As, and finished sixth grade close to the top of his class. Getz's major interest was in musical instruments and he played a number of them before his father bought him his first saxophone at the age of 13. Even though his father also got him a clarinet, Getz instantly fell in love with the saxophone and began practicing eight hours a day.
He attended James Monroe High School in the Bronx. In 1941, he was accepted into the All City High School Orchestra of New York City. This gave him a chance to receive private, free tutoring from the New York Philharmonic's Simon Kovar, a bassoon player. He also continued playing the saxophone. He eventually dropped out of school in order to pursue his musical career, but was later sent back to the classroom by the school system's truancy officers.
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