1961 · Album
Focus
Recorded July 28, 1961 · Verve Records · Produced by Not specified in available sources
Getz and Sauter's Arranged Masterpiece
Getz later called Focus his favorite record he ever made—a seven-part suite that proved strings and jazz could speak the same language.
Focus arrived in 1961 to immediate and sustained critical praise. The Penguin Guide to Jazz later selected it for its core collection, and AllMusic critic Stephen Cook called it arguably Getz's finest moment. Getz biographer Donald L. Maggin went further, arguing that Getz and arranger Eddie Sauter had created the most fully realized third stream record ever made. The album was noticed right away—not a slow-build reputation, but recognition from serious listeners that something unusual had happened.
What made it unusual was the collaboration itself. Sauter wrote a seven-part suite specifically for Getz, and the pairing worked because Sauter understood that strings didn't need to sweeten or soften jazz—they could extend it. The orchestra breathes with Getz rather than around him, and songs like the opening title track give his tenor room to float over arrangements that feel composed but never rigid. Roy Haynes on drums and John Neves on bass keep the foundation loose enough that Getz can phrase freely, while the strings—Norman Carr, Alan Martin, Gerald Tarack on violin, Jacob Glick on viola, and Bruce Rogers on cello—respond rather than dictate.
Getz loved this record so much he called it his favorite among all his own recordings. That matters. This wasn't a commercial compromise or a one-off experiment; it was a musician at the height of his powers choosing to work in a context that challenged him. If you want to understand what third stream jazz could achieve when both sides were serious about the work, start here.
Who's playing
John Nevesdouble bass
Stan Getztenor saxophone
Roy Haynesdrums
Norman Carrviolin
Jacob Glickviola
Alan Martinviolin
Bruce Rogerscello
Gerald Tarackviolin
Where next?
More by Stan Getz
Jazz Samba Encore! 1963
Stan Getz & Bill Evans 1960
Captain Marvel 1975
Stan Getz and The Oscar Peterson Trio 1957
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
