1986 · Album
Voyage
Recorded 1986 · Elektra/Musician · Produced by Not specified in available sources
Kenny Barron's Steady Hand at the Helm
Getz found in Barron a pianist who understood his language completely, pushing without overwhelming.
Kenny Barron had been the consistent anchor in Stan Getz's final years, and on Voyage that partnership reaches its fullest expression. Where lesser pianists might have deferred entirely to Getz's towering reputation, Barron meets him as an equal — comping with intelligence, soloing with purpose, never disappearing into the background. He knows exactly when to stay minimal and when to assert a counterline. The rhythm section of Barron, George Mraz, and Victor Lewis moves with the ease of musicians who have played together long enough to anticipate each other's breathing.
The album ranges restlessly across styles: cool ballads, post-bop swingers, even a few pieces with percussion from Babatunde Olatunji that add unexpected color. Getz's tone throughout is remarkable — deep and reedy in the low register, brilliant and almost shouting in the upper reaches. His melodic ideas seem to arrive without effort, one phrase sparking another. On tracks like "Dreams," his opening statement unfolds with such clarity that you can hear decades of playing in a single held note.
Voyage arrived late in Getz's career, and for years it was difficult to find until a 2008 reissue. AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow rated it 4 out of 5 stars, praising the Getz-Barron partnership as nearly perfect. The album proved that Getz had lost none of his gift, and that sometimes the best late-career jazz comes when a bandleader stops trying to prove anything and simply plays.
Who's playing
George Mrazdouble bass
Kenny Barronpiano
Stan Getztenor saxophone
Victor Lewisdrums
Babatunde Olatunjicongas, percussion
Where next?
More by Stan Getz
All 36 albums →
