(Contemporary Jazz, West Coast Jazz) Stan Getz - Apasionado - 1990, FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

As my musical horizons continue to expand, I have discovered two saxophone players I really enjoy. One is John Coltrane, the other is Stan Getz. I picked up the album Apasionado by Stan Getz courtesy of my local library, and I have been listening to it regularly since. The album was released in 1990.
Tracks
Theoretically, this album has 8 tracks, Apasionado, Coba, Waltz for Stan, Espanola, Madrugada, Amorous Cat, Midnight Ride and Lonely Lady. I say theoretically, because when I listen to this album, the songs just melt into each other into one long beautiful saxophone journey into a state of relaxation and ethereal calm.
The Musicians
This album is richly textured, and after reading the list of musicians it is no surprise.
Stan Getz plays saxophone; Eddie del Barrio and Mike Lang play synthesizers; Kenny Barron plays acoustic piano; Paulinho da Costa is on percussion; Jimmy Johnson on Bass, Oscar Castro Neves on electric guitar, Jeff Porcaro on drums, George Bohanon and Reginald Young on trombones, Noland Smith Jr., Rick Baptist and Oscar Brashear on Trumpets, William Green on saxophone, and Tom Johnson on Tuba.
You will notice that no one is credited with vocals on this disc, the album is pure instrumental bliss.
Sound Quality Well having heard Getz's seminal performance on Gilberto / Getz from 1964 and being amazed at the sonic perfection achieved from over 30 years ago, the fact that this album is sonically perfect having been recorded in 1990 came as no surprise. The stereo recording easily creates a full rich soundfield that will have your ear next to the center channel to insure that DSP channels weren't accidentally left on. Nope, in pure stereo, this album has clean pure sound in which all the instruments sound natural and realistic, and can all be clearly pointed to in the studio. The sound is so clear that in one song during a bass solo, I could hear the pick scrape the strings as it plucked the notes.
The Music
Can you describe the color blue? That is the problem I have with describing jazz. I know I like it, I know it's beautiful, but I have a heck of a time telling someone else why! Apasionado is soft instrumental jazz that is very relaxing. Numerous instruments, keyboards, horns, guitars lightly float in and out, with Getz's saxophone right in the center. If you are stressed, this music will quickly relax you, it just floated from my system. I honestly didn't notice when one song ended and when the next one began, the gentle melodies just come in waves. Although there are no immediately recognizable melodies, neither does it have that free flow discordant sound of experimental or free form jazz.
To give you an idea of what this album is all about I will do my best to describe the title track:
Gentle piano plays, a high hat is gently rings in the background, the piano and the high hat get louder, Drums enter. Trumpets sound from the center! Saxophone enters and all gets quieter as the saxophone solos. Light percussion emphasize the solo from the edges of the stage. The piano quietly plays from the side, then a jazz guitar joins in. The sax really gets into it now hitting the upper registers, ringing out clear and beautiful in the center. Heavy drums underscore the waves of rhythm created by the synthesizers and guitars. The saxophone stays center like a beacon in a sea of music. Trumpets and horns join in frantically. After they leave, the sax slows down a bit blowing softly. Now just the piano and synthesizers play along held in place with the soft bass beat. I can hear the cymbals of the drums keeping time. Now the drum, the piano plays furiously, a trumpet joins in again right from the center. Waves of instruments are coming in from the sides, I can't even pick out all the individual instruments so many are playing. The song slows down again, now I only hear the picking on jazz guitars going from right to left. The piano joins in again, and the drummers high hat. Soon the song fades out.
My suggestion is to go to your library, check out some Stan Getz. He's under jazz. Then if you like it, you can thank me, and go out and buy some of his CDs like this one.
Summary A Supreme Court Justice once said of pornography that he could not define it in words, but he would know it if he saw it. I cannot describe good jazz in words, but I know it when I hear it, and Stan Getz has it in Apasionado
Recommended:
Yes
Great Music to Play While: Going to Sleep

348647068 85895084 01 - Apasionado.wav
1678828101 75186428 02 - Coba.wav
1991149443 64797644 03 - Waltz For Stan.wav
2910016074 45064364 04 - Espanola.wav
1976553585 57572300 05 - Madrugada.wav
3273814421 52760108 06 - Amorous Cat.wav
1977284720 95291324 07 - Midnight Ride.wav
1372024773 59811404 08 - Lonely Lady.wav
auCDtect: CD records authenticity detector, version 0.8.2
Copyright (c) 2004 Oleg Berngardt. All rights reserved.
Copyright (c) 2004 Alexander Djourik. All rights reserved.
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Processing file: [01 - Apasionado.wav]
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Processing file: [02 - Coba.wav]
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Processing file: [03 - Waltz For Stan.wav]
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Processing file: [04 - Espanola.wav]
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Processing file: [05 - Madrugada.wav]
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Processing file: [06 - Amorous Cat.wav]
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Processing file: [07 - Midnight Ride.wav]
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Processing file: [08 - Lonely Lady.wav]
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Final Conclusion:
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These tracks looks like CDDA with probability 100%