Stan Getz and Cal Tjader

In 1958, when tenor saxophonist Stan Getz and his combo, which included bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Billy Higgins (both new names at the time), were playing the Black Hawk in San Francisco, he and vibist Cal Tjader, accompanied by Vince Guaraldi (Tjader’s pianist) and local guitarist Eddie Duran, were finally able to hook up and record this tantalizing record. This reissue capitalizes on Getz’s more famous name, but when it was originally released on Fantasy it was titled Cal Tjader-Stan Getz Sextet, giving Tjader more than equal billing, a generous gesture.

Tjader had been recording Latin music for four years by this time (Mongo Santamaria got his start with him), and Getz was soon to become entranced with bossa nova, so their musical interests jelled quite nicely, as is apparent from the first tune, “Ginza Samba,” a solid 10:57 cooker. As one of the premier disciples of Lester Young, Getz excelled on ballads, and the version here of “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face” is magnificent.

Whether they’re boppin’ or getting down in 3/4 time, all hands are on the same page of the cookbook. It seems odd now—in fact it seemed odd to me at the time—that, due to stereo’s newness, Tjader’s on one speaker and Getz on the other. JVC not only preserves that dichotomy, but its patented Extended Resolution process also provides stunning clarity.