His parents were Ukrainian Jews who immigrated from Kyiv city, Ukraine in 1903. The family later moved to New York City for better jobs. Stan worked hard in school receiving straight "A's" on average and finished 6th grade close to the top of his class. Stan's major interest was in musical instruments, and he felt a need to play every instrument in his sight. He played a number of instruments before his father bought him his first saxophone at the age of 13. Even though his father also got him a clarinet, Stan instantly fell in love with the saxophone and began practicing 8 hours a day. In 1941, he was accepted into the All City High School Orchestra of New York City. This gave Stan a chance to receive a private, free tutor from the New York Philharmonic, Simon Kovar - a bassoon player. He also began to spend more time 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.
In 1943, he was accepted into Jack Teagarden's band, and because of his youth he became Teagarden's ward. Getz also played along with Nat King Cole and Lionel Hampton. After playing for Stan Kenton, Jimmy Dorsey, and Benny Goodman, Getz was a soloist with Woody Herman from 1947 to 1949 in 'The Second Herd' and he first gained wide attention as one of the band's saxophonists, who were known collectively as 'The Four Brothers', the others being Serge Chaloff, Zoot Sims and Herbie Steward. With Herman, he had a hit with "Early Autumn" and after Getz left 'The Second Herd' he was able to launch his solo career. He would be the leader on almost all of his recording sessions after 1950.
During the early '50s, Getz broke away from the Lester Young style to form his own musical identity and he was soon among the most popular of all jazzmen. He discovered Horace Silver in 1950 and used him in his quartet for several months. After touring Sweden in 1951, he formed an exciting quintet that co-featured guitarist Jimmy Raney; their interplay on up-tempo tunes and tonal blend on ballads was quite memorable. Getz's playing helped Johnny Smith have a hit in "Moonlight in Vermont," during 1953-1954 Bob Brookmeyer made his group a quintet and, despite some drug problems during the decade, Getz was a constant poll winner. After spending 1958-1960 in Europe, the tenorman returned to the U.S. and recorded his personal favorite album, Focus, with arranger Eddie Sauter's Orchestra.
Getz became a central figure in introducing bossa nova music to the U.S. audience. Teaming with guitarist Charlie Byrd, who had just returned from a U.S. State Department tour of Brazil, Getz recorded Jazz Samba in 1962 and it became a hit. The title track was an adaptation of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "One Note Samba". Getz won the Grammy for Best Jazz Performance of 1963 for "Desafinado". As a follow-up, Getz recorded Jazz Samba Encore! with one of the originators of bossa nova, Brazilian guitarist Luiz Bonfa.
He then recorded the album Getz/Gilberto with Tom Jobim, João Gilberto and his wife, Astrud Gilberto. Their "The Girl from Ipanema" won a Grammy Award. The piece became one of the most well-known latin jazz cuts of all time. Getz/Gilberto won two Grammys (Best Album and Best Single), besting The Beatles' A Hard Day's Night, a victory for Bossa Nova and Brazilian jazz. A live album, Getz/Gilberto Vol. 2, followed, as did Getz Au Go Go, a recording made live at the Cafe Au Go Go. Unfortunately, Getz' affair with Astrud Gilberto brought an end to his musical partnership with her and her husband and he began to move away from bossa-nova and back to cool jazz. Even while still working with the Gilbertos, he recorded Nobody Else But Me an album of straightforward jazz with a new quartet including vibraphonist Gary Burton, but Verve Records, wishing to continue building the Getz brand with bossa-nova, refused to release it. It eventually came out 30 years later, after Getz had died.
In 1972, Getz recorded in the fusion idiom with Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke. This group, without Getz, went on to become the famous Return to Forever, and many of the pieces including "La Fiesta" remained in their repertoire. In this period Getz experimented with an Echoplex on his saxophone, for which critics vilified him. He eventually discarded fusion and "electric jazz", returning to acoustic jazz, while at the same time gradually de-emphasizing the Bossa Nova, opting for more esoteric and less-mainstream jazz. He had a cameo in the movie The Exterminator (1980).
Towards the end of his life the now drug-free Getz had another creative peak with a group including the pianist Kenny Barron, whom Getz described as "my musical other half".
In 1986, he was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame.
Getz married Beverly Byrne, a vocalist with the Gene Krupa band, on 7 November 1946; they had three children together: Steven, David, and Beverly (who married Michael McGovern).
Getz became involved with drugs and alcohol while a teenager. In 1954, he was arrested for attempting to rob a pharmacy to get a morphine fix. As he was being processed in the prison ward of Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, Beverly gave birth to their third child one floor below.
Getz tried to escape his narcotics addiction by moving to Copenhagen. He married Swedish aristocrat Monica Silfverskiöld on 3 November 1956 and had two children with her: Pamela and Nicolas. In 1957 Swedish girlfriend Inga Torgnér gave birth to a son Peter. Stan divorced Monica in 1987.
Zoot Sims, who had known Getz since their time with Herman, once described him as 'a nice bunch of guys', as a consequence of the wide behavioural range of which Getz was capable. In the final stages of his life Getz was able to end his addictions.
Getz died of liver cancer in 1991. His body was cremated and the ashes scattered at sea, off the coast of Malibu, California.
In 1998 the 'Stan Getz Media Center and Library' at the Berklee College of Music was dedicated through a donation from the Herb Alpert Foundation.
Goodnight My Love
Stan Getz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Goodnight my love, my moment with you now is ending
It was so heavenly, holding you, close to me
It will be heavenly to hold you again in a dream
The stars above have promised to meet us tomorrow
Till then my love, how dreary the new day will seem
So for the present, dear, we'll have to part
Sleep tight, my love, goodnight, my love
Goodnight my love, your mommy is kneeling beside you
Goodnight my love, to dreamland the sandman will guide you
Come now you sleepyhead, close your eyes, and go to bed
My precious sleepyhead, you mustn't play peek-a-boo
Goodnight my love, your little Dutch dolly is yawning
Goodnight my love, your teddy bear called it a day
Your doggy's fast asleep, my but he's smart
Sleep tight, my love, goodnight my love
The song Goodnight My Love, originally recorded in 1940 by bandleader Benny Goodman and His Orchestra, has been covered by many artists since then, including jazz saxophonist Stan Getz and pianist Al Haig. The song can be interpreted as a love song or a lullaby, since it speaks to a lover as well as to a child. The first verse, addressed to the lover, paints a picture of a beautiful moment that is coming to an end, as the moon descends and they must part. The second verse, addressed to the child, sets up a bedtime routine to help the child fall asleep.
The first verse can be interpreted as a moment of bittersweet nostalgia, as the lover looks back on a beautiful moment they shared and wishes they could experience it again. The "tired old moon" creates a wistful mood, suggesting that the night is coming to an end and the lover must leave. The line "the stars above have promised to meet us tomorrow" suggests that the lover hopes to see their partner again soon. The second verse, by contrast, is filled with soothing, repetitive language intended to lull the child to sleep. The use of words like "sleepyhead," "yawning," and "teddy bear" are meant to create a cozy, comforting atmosphere. The lines "your mommy is kneeling beside you" and "your little Dutch dolly is yawning" suggest a parental figure looking after the child, while "you mustn't play peek-a-boo" is a reminder that it's time for sleep.
Overall, the song creates a sense of warmth and tenderness in both its versions. The theme of parting, and the sadness and longing it can evoke, ties the two verses together, suggesting that the emotion one feels when saying goodnight to a loved one or to a child is universal.
Line by Line Meaning
Goodnight my love, the tired old moon is descending
As the moon is setting and the night comes to an end, I bid you goodnight, my dear.
Goodnight my love, my moment with you now is ending
Our time together has come to a close and it's time for me to say goodnight to you, my love.
It was so heavenly, holding you, close to me
Being close to you was like being in heaven, and it brought me so much happiness and joy.
It will be heavenly to hold you again in a dream
I can't wait to dream about holding you again, as it brings me great pleasure and comfort.
The stars above have promised to meet us tomorrow
The stars in the sky have promised that we will meet again tomorrow, and I look forward to that moment with you.
Till then my love, how dreary the new day will seem
Until we meet again, my love, the new day will seem dull and uneventful.
So for the present, dear, we'll have to part
Unfortunately, for now, we have to say goodbye and part ways, my dear.
Sleep tight, my love, goodnight, my love
Wishing you a good night's sleep, my love. Sweet dreams and goodnight.
Remember that you're mine sweetheart
Always remember that you belong to me, my sweet and beloved one.
Goodnight my love, your mommy is kneeling beside you
As your mother kneels beside you, I wish you a goodnight, my love.
Goodnight my love, to dreamland the sandman will guide you
The sandman will guide you to the land of dreams as I wish you a goodnight, my dear.
Come now you sleepyhead, close your eyes, and go to bed
It's time for you to go to sleep, my little sleepyhead. Close your eyes and get some rest.
My precious sleepyhead, you mustn't play peek-a-boo
My sweet and precious sleepyhead, you can't play peek-a-boo now. It's time for you to sleep.
Goodnight my love, your little Dutch dolly is yawning
Your little Dutch dolly is yawning as I wish you a goodnight, my love.
Goodnight my love, your teddy bear called it a day
Your teddy bear is already asleep, my love. Goodnight to you.
Your doggy's fast asleep, my but he's smart
Your doggy is already asleep, and he's quite clever to know when it's time to go to bed.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Harry Revel, Mack Gordon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind