JAZZ SPOTLIGHT

STAN GETZ, “Nobody Else but Me” ( Verve Records ) *** 1/2

Recorded in 1964, when Stan Getz’s bossa nova playing had suddenly propelled him into commercial popularity, this set of tunes from his touring group of the time was never released. Apparently reluctant to risk undercutting the saxophonist’s chart-topping success with jazz samba, Verve withheld an album that, ironically, contains some of Getz’s most pure, straight-ahead jazz improvisations.

The presence of Gary Burton’s vibes as the quartet’s harmonic instrument provides an unusually translucent musical environment for Getz’s soloing, especially on ballads. Always a soaringly lyrical artist, Getz outdoes himself here, playing standards such as “Here’s That Rainy Day” and “Little Girl Blue” with an almost achingly poignant touch. In the background, Burton’s soft, unobtrusive chords float gently in space, quietly supporting Getz’s gorgeous high notes with an airy textural blend that could never have been supplied by a piano.

But Getz’s real purpose with this group was to maintain his jazz chops at a time when the siren call of bossa nova was demanding much of his attention. And on several tracks he does so with a vengeance. His chorus on “Out of Focus” is a driving, multi-metric rush, highlighted by passionately intense upper harmonic cries, and the way he digs into the Jerome Kern title tune confirms Getz’s often under-appreciated ability to swing, and swing hard.

Best of all, there is an up-tempo romp through “What Is This Thing Called Love?” that surely is one of Getz’s finest performances--a brilliant demonstration of the incredible generative force of an improvising musician at the peak of his powers.

Aside from his stellar harmonic work, Burton, only 21 at the time, plays with an impressively mature touch, and bassist Gene Cherico and drummer Joe Hunt lay down the steady, low-profile flow that Getz insisted upon in his rhythm sections.