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Jeffery Dunn's avatar

Ted, I'm cleaning coffee off my monitor screen, thanks to you...I love your insights into music and life, but your comedic timing on the written page is certainly nothing to sneeze at! Also, thanks for a sensitive portrayal of Mr. Getz, a brilliant musician who fought a lot of personal battles throughout his lifetime. Cheers!

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Lo Carmen's avatar

I loved this tale.

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Jim Frazee's avatar

Great story, Ted! You must have enough material to do a full-length memoir on Getz. I was lucky enough to do a phoner interview with him in '87 I think, right after the release of VOYAGE. I almost missed the opportunity entirely. I'd called him to arrange a time to interview, and he wanted to do it on the spot, but I couldn't. So he told me if I call back, I might not reach him. I did after 3-4 tries. He was very generous with talk about improvisation, how much it meant to him, and then the conversation veered off toward other sax players, focusing on tone. He went on at length about Ben Webster's tone, and then Lester Young's, and then Don Byas'. I was left with the thought that these legends and others were all minutely absorbed by Getz, and what we got from Stan was the result.

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Andy Geiger's avatar

Memories! I remember James, I remember your helping Stan with his Master Class q. and a. session, and fear of public speaking in that setting. I treasure those years at Stanford and the times I had with Stan, including an amazing trip to Israel with him. Thank you for sharing this story.

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Anne Teichert's avatar

A funny story well told! 😊 Hard to keep your head with one of those wake the dead alarms going off...

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Steve Slagle🎷's avatar

I met Stan a couple times, and was friends with his son who also passed—LOVE THAT STORY! I can picture of the first thing the cop saw was your butt sticking into his closet! Anyhow, we may have met I’m@steveslaglemusic.com

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Gregory Drumm's avatar

Precious laughter!! Thanks!! 🤣🤡😹

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Mercia52's avatar

Amazing story. A lucky escape. You might have wound up in Jail until they could contact Stan. How did we get by without cell phones.

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Scott Burson's avatar

About "Freeze!" -- I'll never forget this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Yoshihiro_Hattori

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John Wilson's avatar

Delicious!

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Charles J Kahlenberg's avatar

I always loved Getz...and especially think of what Coltrane said about him..."Let's face it--we'd all sound like that if we could." As to the AA meeting. My wife and I attended at the behest of a VERY successful recording star in Nashville in the mid-1970's. Very poignant and extremely moving. I know exactly why Getz took you along. He felt safe with you........

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fuskinhed's avatar

I was fortunate to grow up in a house full of music and early on my father taught me the word "hemidemisemiquaver", which is half as long as a demisemiquaver, but you know that.

Thanks for the story and using a word that carried me back decades.

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Steven Elworth's avatar

Thanks again Ted. I just reread this in honor of Stan’s birthday and laughed again

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Brian Curtiss's avatar

Great story!

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Sam Dahan's avatar

😂😂😂sorry to use emoji in response to such good writing but man what a funny story!

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MattieRoss's avatar

Phenomenal story, thank you for sharing!

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