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.
I've Got You Under My Skin
Stan Getz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've got you deep in the heart of me.
So deep in my heart that you're really a part of me.
I've got you under my skin.
I'd tried so not to give in.
I said to myself: this affair never will go so well.
But why should I try to resist when, baby, I know down well
I've got you under my skin?
I'd sacrifice anything come what might
For the sake of havin' you near
In spite of a warnin' voice that comes in the night
And repeats, repeats in my ear:
Don't you know, you fool, you never can win?
Use your mentality, wake up to reality.
But each time that I do just the thought of you
Makes me stop before I begin
Cause I've got you under my skin.
I would sacrifice anything come what might
For the sake of havin' you near
In spite of the warning voice that comes in the night
And repeats, how it yells in my ear:
Don't you know, you fool, ain't no chance to win
Why not use your mentality, get up, wake up to reality?
And each time I do just the thought of you
Makes me stop just before I begin
Cause I've got you under my skin.
And I like you under my skin.
The lyrics of "I've Got You Under My Skin" by Stan Getz are about an intense infatuation with someone. The singer describes how the person they desire is deeply ingrained in their heart and mind, to the point where they are a part of the singer. Despite trying not to give in to their feelings and attempting to resist, the singer admits that they cannot help feeling this way because they have the person under their skin.
The lyrics also suggest a struggle between the singer's heart and their logical mind. The singer knows that pursuing this person could lead to trouble, as they are warned by a "voice that comes in the night." This voice urges the singer to use their "mentality" and "wake up to reality," suggesting that their feelings are not grounded in reason. However, each time the singer tries to listen to this voice and resist their affection, they find themselves unable to do so.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got you under my skin.
You are always in my thoughts and emotions, no matter what.
I've got you deep in the heart of me.
Your presence in my life has become such an integral part of who I am.
So deep in my heart that you're really a part of me.
Your influence on me runs so deep that I cannot separate myself from you.
I've got you under my skin.
You have become a permanent and inescapable part of me.
I'd tried so not to give in.
I attempted to resist your hold on me, but failed.
I said to myself: this affair never will go so well.
I knew in my heart that our relationship was not meant to be and would end badly.
But why should I try to resist when, baby, I know down well I've got you under my skin?
I couldn't resist you because I knew that you held power over me.
I'd sacrifice anything come what might For the sake of havin' you near
I am willing to give up anything, face any challenge or obstacle to keep you close to me.
In spite of a warnin' voice that comes in the night And repeats, repeats in my ear: Don't you know, you fool, you never can win?
Even though I know our relationship is doomed, my heart still yearns for you and ignores the warnings of my mind.
Use your mentality, wake up to reality.
I should rely on my intellect and face the truth about our relationship.
But each time that I do just the thought of you Makes me stop before I begin
I cannot bring myself to let go of you, even when my mind tells me to.
Cause I've got you under my skin.
You are so deeply ingrained in my heart and mind that I cannot escape your hold on me.
I would sacrifice anything come what might For the sake of havin' you near
My desire to be with you is so strong that I would give up anything for it.
In spite of the warning voice that comes in the night And repeats, how it yells in my ear: Don't you know, you fool, ain't no chance to win
My mind tells me that there is no hope for our relationship, but my heart refuses to listen.
Why not use your mentality, get up, wake up to reality?
I should face the truth and move on, but my emotions are clouding my judgment.
And each time I do just the thought of you Makes me stop just before I begin Cause I've got you under my skin.
Despite my attempts to let go of you, the strength of my feelings for you causes me to hesitate.
And I like you under my skin.
Even though I know it's not logical, I enjoy the feelings you give me and want you to stay with me.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MrJazzohjazz
Listening to Stan over the years is such a pleasure. I especially like early Stan ... his tone was always wonderful but his edge was different and had more swagger and less sophistication .. perhaps I like this song better because it reminds me of my youth in the 50's when my main concern in life was running out of Wildroot Cream Oil for my DA.
araci scarpa
Maravilhoso!
JD John
Hear a track like this...it's not hard understand Stan as one of the Best in Jazz Sax....
Buddy Dearent
I’m 83 as I write this and have followed his career since being a very young teenager buying his recordings to the end. Enough for a down payment on a house but I made the right choice. There’s some joke about God wanting
to play tenor until he heard Stan then changed his mind.
wilbert blankenstein
You're absolutely right !!!!!!! Getz was nearly God !!!!! but his younger period was the best ever !!!!
Cary Lachman
incomparable
坂巻洋
🌼💚🌱😁
Benjamin Marks
Stan really getz it doesn't he
Laurent James
Il y en a qui ont de la veine.
Bruno Staley
Cortante