The American tenor saxophonist Stan Getz (1927-1991) remains the most popular performer on this instruments in the history of jazz.

His warm and gentle tone, which earned him the nickname 'The Sound', was mainly inspired by 'Pres(ident)' Lester Young (1909-1959), who offered a lyrical alternative to the more robust approach of Coleman Hawkins (1904-1969), the first great tenor stylist.

Getz started his career at the age of 16 in the band of trombonist Jack Teagarden and went on to play in the big bands of Stan Kenton, Lionel Hampton, Benny Goodman and Jimmy Dorsey. From 1947 to 1949 he formed the 'Four Brothers', the saxophone section of the Woody Herman Big Band with Serge Chaloff, Zoot Sims and Herbie Stewart, and recorded his first hit 'Early Autumn'. Getz later became the most popular soloist of Cool Jazz along with trumpeter Chet Baker, but also played with all the greats of swing and bebop over the years. For while he also shared the rhythm section of Al Haig, Tommy Potter, and Roy Haynes with Charlie Parker.

Getz was involved with the producer and jazz impressario Norman Granz and his various labels for a long time, which resulted not only in a host of albums by Getz and his trios, but also quite a few exciting encounters – live and in the studio – with the greatest soloists from the 50s and 60s, many of which make up the core of this box set. Among them are a few albums, that are not so well known, such as the wonderfully relaxed LP 'Like Somebody in Love' with Ella Fitzgerald and the Herb Ellis album 'Nothing but the Blues', which omits the obligatory piano and presents an unusual and exciting frontline with Roy Eldridge and Getz. Stan Getz's quintets with trombonists Jay Jay Johnson and Bob Brookmeyer, as different as they are wonderful, also demonstrate the stylistic versatility and dreamlike sense of security of this extraordinary virtuoso.

International success came with the great Bossa Nova albums of the 60s, which are represented here with the albums 'Jazz Samba' and 'Big Band Bossa Nova'.