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 Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me
Stan Getz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And when you smiled at me,
In my heart I felt a thrill you see,
That it was love at sight and
I was right to love you as I do.
Still I never dreamed that you could love me too.
Your eyes of blue, your kisses too,
I can't believe that you're in love with me.
You're telling ev'ry one I know
I'm on your mind each place we go
They can't believe that you're in love with me.
I have always placed you far above me.
I just can't imagine that you love me.
And after all is said and done,
To think that I'm the lucky one.
I can't believe that you're in love with me.
Skies are gray. I'm blue each day
When you are not around.
Ev'ry thing goes wrong, my dear I've found
But when you're by my side I fill with pride
For I'm so proud of you
It all seems too good to me to all be true
Your eyes of blue, your kisses too,
I never knew what they could do.
I can't believe that you're in love with me.
You're telling ev'ry one I know
I'm on your mind each place we go
They can't believe that you're in love with me.
I have always placed you far above me.
I just can't imagine that you love me.
And after all is said and done,
To think that I'm the lucky one.
I can't believe that you're in love with me.
The song "I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me" by Stan Getz is a love song that expresses the surprise and disbelief of the singer upon finding out that his beloved is actually in love with him. As the singer recounts their first encounter, he shares how he knew he was in love with her at first sight. However, he never imagined that his love for her would be reciprocated, as he always believed she was far above him. The singer expresses his amazement and gratitude that she loves him despite his flaws, making him the lucky one.
The lyrics capture the universal theme of love and the insecurities that come with it. The singer's disbelief that his beloved could love him despite his perceived inadequacies is a sentiment that many can relate to. The use of sensory imagery - the blue eyes and kisses - evokes a sensual and intimate atmosphere and emphasizes the emotional connection between the two individuals. The repetition of the phrase "I can't believe" highlights the singer's astonishment and reinforces the significance of the partner's love.
Overall, the song captures the thrill, uncertainty, and joy of falling in love and the realization that the feelings are mutual.
Line by Line Meaning
Yesterday you came my way,
I recall the day when you crossed my path,
And when you smiled at me,
Your smile created a surge of emotions within me
In my heart I felt a thrill you see,
I was ecstatic and thrilled beyond words
That it was love at sight and
My mind whispered that it was love at first sight
I was right to love you as I do.
I realized I was correct in loving you wholeheartedly
Still I never dreamed that you could love me too.
But I never imagined that you would reciprocate my feelings for you
Your eyes of blue, your kisses too,
The color of your eyes and your kisses hold an immense power
I never knew what they could do.
I didn't realize their depth and effect on me
You're telling ev'ry one I know
You proclaim to everyone we meet
I'm on your mind each place we go
That I occupy your thoughts wherever we go
They can't believe that you're in love with me.
People find it hard to believe that you could fall in love with me
I have always placed you far above me.
I have always considered you superior to me
I just can't imagine that you love me.
It's difficult for me to comprehend that you actually love me
And after all is said and done,
When everything is completed and settled
To think that I'm the lucky one.
I can't believe that I'm the fortunate one in this situation
Skies are gray. I'm blue each day
Without your presence, life seems gloomy and sad
When you are not around.
When you're not with me
Ev'ry thing goes wrong, my dear I've found
Everything seems to go wrong, and I realized it was because of your absence
But when you're by my side I fill with pride
But when you're with me, I feel elated and proud
For I'm so proud of you
Because I consider you the epitome of excellence
It all seems too good to me to all be true
Everything seems too perfect to be true
You're telling ev'ry one I know
You proclaim to everyone we meet
I'm on your mind each place we go
That I occupy your thoughts wherever we go
They can't believe that you're in love with me.
People find it hard to believe that you could fall in love with me
Your eyes of blue, your kisses too,
The color of your eyes and your kisses hold an immense power
I never knew what they could do.
I didn't realize their depth and effect on me
I can't believe that you're in love with me.
I'm still surprised and cannot believe that you have fallen in love with me
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, MEMORY LANE MUSIC GROUP
Written by: CLARENCE GASKILL, JIMMY MC HUGH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
lastknowngood0
Stanley blowing his heart out! All his hurt is gone now hopefully! <<<3
Gunnar Karlsson
Vilken härlig tid 50 -talet var. Kanonbra musik och ingen trängsel på flyget!
Nadia Lynggaard
nice dialoge with Stan Getz
Nadia Lynggaard
also for Rujaz Godt nytår og Happy nytår ..Love you ...
jazzka
Thank you Nadia. Godt nytår!
Richard K
Yes-in-dee-dee.
lastknowngood0
<<<3 believe it or not?