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.
That Old Feeling
Stan Getz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Last night my heart was so gay
Last night I found myself dancing
In my favorite cabaret
You were completely forgotten
Just an affair of the past
Then suddenly something happened to me
And I found my heart beating, oh, so fast
I saw you last night and got that old feeling
When you came in sight I got that old feeling
The moment that you danced by I felt a thrill
And when you caught my eye my heart stood still
Once again I seemed to feel that old yearning
And I knew the spark of love was still burning
There'll be no new romance for me, it's foolish to start
For that old feeling, is still in my heart
I saw you last night and got that old feeling
When you came in sight I got that old feeling
The moment that you danced by I felt a thrill
And when you caught my eye my heart stood still
Once again I seemed to feel that old yearning
And I knew the spark of love was still burning
There'll be no new romance for me, it's foolish to start
For that old feeling, is still in my heart
These lyrics describe the feeling of an old flame being rekindled when seeing someone from the past. The singer begins by saying how happy they were before running into this person, who was previously just an affair of the past. However, upon seeing them again, they're struck with a sudden rush of emotion and their heart begins to beat quickly. Even though they try to resist these feelings, they can't help but feel that old yearning and the spark of love that's still burning in their heart.
The repetition of the phrase "that old feeling" throughout the song emphasizes the nostalgia and longing the singer feels towards this person. While they acknowledge that it's foolish to start a new romance, they can't deny the strong connection they once had. The lyrics also highlight the physical reactions the singer has when seeing this person again, such as feeling a thrill and having their heart stand still. The use of these descriptors adds to the overall emotional intensity of the song and the power of past relationships.
Overall, the lyrics to "That Old Feeling" show how seeing someone from the past can bring up unexpected emotions and memories. The singer struggles with their desire to move on while still feeling drawn to this person, illustrating the complexity of love and relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Last night I started out happy
Yesterday evening I began with a cheerful outlook
Last night my heart was so gay
Yesterday evening my heart was filled with joy
Last night I found myself dancing, in my favorite cabaret
Yesterday evening I found myself dancing at my favorite nightclub
You were completely forgotten, just an affair of the past
You were completely out of my mind and just a thing of the past
Then suddenly something happened to me, and I found my heart beating, oh, so fast
Then something unexpected happened which made my heart beat rapidly
I saw you last night and got that old feeling
When I caught sight of you last night, I experienced those old, familiar emotions
When you came in sight, I got that old feeling
As soon as I saw you, I experienced those old, familiar emotions
The moment that you danced by I felt a thrill
As you danced past me, I felt a sense of excitement
And when you caught my eye my heart stood still
And when our eyes met, my heart stopped for a moment
Once again I seemed to feel that old yearning
Once again I seemed to feel the same old longing
And I knew the spark of love was still burning
And I knew that I still had feelings of love for you
There'll be no new romance for me, it's foolish to start
I won't pursue a new romantic relationship because it would be unwise
For that old feeling, is still in my heart
Because those old feelings for you are still in my heart
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PD TRADITIONAL, SANFORD SCHMIDT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Håkan Nygren
Real jazz preformed by two of the best. Improvisation at the highest class. for all jazz lovers!!!!
Angel68iou1
What an amazing song. Not a single second was wasted on this track. The voicings of the melodies are mind blowing. It’s like these two are speaking to eachother with their saxophones. It’s truly magnificent.
Daniel Scheinhaus
Stan, as usual is terrific. But who are the other players? They're very good too.
Angel68iou1
Gerry Mulligan