''Focus'' is a

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

album recorded in 1961, featuring

Stan Getz Stan Getz (born Stanley Gayetski; 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, with his prime influence being the wis ...

tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (whi ...

with a string orchestra, piano, bass, and drums. The album is a suite, which was originally commissioned by Getz from composer and arranger Eddie Sauter. Widely regarded as a high point in both men's careers, ''Focus'' was later described by Getz as his favorite among his own records. The pair would next collaborate on their soundtrack to the 1965 film '' Mickey One''.

Description

As noted in the booklet for the 1997 CD reissue, Sauter's orchestration did not include melodies for Getz. Rather, Sauter left spaces in the arrangements in which Getz would improvise. Documentation for the recording dates is incomplete, but the CD booklet reports that those involved in the original sessions recall that Getz recorded live with the strings on about half the songs, while he overdubbed sax solos on the others. The theme of the opening track, "I'm Late, I'm Late", is nearly identical to the opening minutes of the second movement of

Béla Bartók Béla Viktor János Bartók (; ; 25 March 1881 – 26 September 1945) was a Hungarian composer, pianist and ethnomusicologist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century; he and Franz Liszt are regarded as Hunga ...

's ''

Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta ''Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta'', Sz. 106, BB 114 is one of the best-known compositions by the Hungarian composer Béla Bartók. Commissioned by Paul Sacher to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the chamber orchestra '' Basler Kam ...

''. Bartók had been an early supporter of Sauter, who intended the track as an homage. "I'm Late, I'm Late" also features drummer

Roy Haynes Roy Owen Haynes (March 13, 1925 – November 12, 2024) was an American jazz drummer. In the 1950s, he was given the nickname "Snap Crackle" for his distinctive snare drum sound and musical vocabulary. He is among the most recorded drummers in ja ...

, the album's only soloist beside Getz. ''

The Penguin Guide to Jazz ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' is a reference work containing an encyclopedic directory of jazz recordings on CD which were (at the time of publication) currently available in Europe or the United States. The first nine editions were compiled b ...

'' selected this album as part of its suggested "Core Collection", stating: "Nobody ever arranged for Getz as well as this, and Sauter's luminous and shimmering scores continue to bewitch." Similarly, critic Stephen Cook describes ''Focus'' as "admittedly Getz's most challenging date and arguably his finest moment".

Track listing

:''All compositions by Eddie Sauter.'' #"I'm Late, I'm Late" – 8:10 #"Her" – 6:13 #"Pan" – 3:58 #"I Remember When" – 5:03 #"Night Rider" – 3:58 #"Once Upon a Time" – 4:48 #"A Summer Afternoon" – 6:03 #"I'm Late, I'm Late" 5 rpm issue– 2:31 Bonus track on CD reissue #"I Remember When" 5 rpm issue– 2:57 Bonus track on CD reissue

Personnel

* Stan Getz –

Steve Kuhn Steve Kuhn (born March 24, 1938) is an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, bandleader, and educator. He is the composer of the jazz standard " The Saga of Harrison Crabfeathers". Biography Kuhn was born in New York City, New York, to S ...

– piano * John Neves – bass *

–

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

* Alan Martin, Norman Carr, Gerald Tarack, and seven others – violin * Jacob Glick and three others –

viola The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...

* Bruce Rogers and one other –

cello The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...

* Unnamed harp player * Eddie Sauter – arranger * Hershy Kay – conductor ;Technical * Pete Turner – photography

References

External links

FreeCDDB entry

{{Authority control 1962 albums Albums arranged by Eddie Sauter Albums conducted by Hershy Kay Albums produced by Creed Taylor Stan Getz albums Verve Records albums