"Gary Berg's solos are masterpieces of wit and charm, bop-driven and infused with soul " - Jonathan Francis The MAC Weekly

Gary Berg, a tall man on tenor, pays tribute to the late great Stan Getz on January 14th and 15th at the Artists' Quarter in Saint Paul. Stan Getz was known as "the sound" because of his great tone. It takes courage to tackle the task of evoking a legend, but then it takes courage to drive an MTC bus (which Gary did for years). This is an annual gig with a loyal following.

Staring in the great swing bands in the 40's , Stan Getz played with Jack Teagarden when he was just 16 and then was with Stan Kenton, Jimmy Dorsey, and Benny Goodman; In Woody Herman's Second Herd, Getz was one of the original "Four Brothers" along with Zoot Sims, Herbie Steward, and Serge Chaloff. And in the 50's Getz worked in smaller groups with the pianists Al Haig, Duke Jordan and Horace Silver. But his biggest commercial hit of the 50's came with "Moonlight In Vermont", when he joined guitarist Jimmy Smith's quintet.

Getz popularized bossa nova and Brazilian influenced jazz in 1962 by recording "Jazz Samba" with Charlie Byrd; their rendition of "Desafinado" was a big hit played on radio stations and jukeboxes across the nation. During the next year, Getz recored "Getz/Gilberto" in collaboration with Antonio Carlos Jobim and Joao Gilbertor. That was his biggest seller, thanks in large part to the popularity "The Girl From Ipanema".

This weekend Gary Berg will play many of the great tunes from Stan's book. Gary Berg can also be heard on a slew of current local recordings including "Pieces of Dreams" by Carole Maritn, "This is Organ Night" by Billy Holloman, and "The Highest Mountain" by George Avaloz. A trooper who has played with many groups in town, Berg is currently best known for his regular appearance in the popular Tuesday B3 organ night at the Artist Quarter. Reporting on AQ Tuesday nights, Jonathan Francis of The MAC Weekly states:"Billy Holloman sits at the keyboard, preparing to play. He stabs at a few keys, splashes a few chords, then launches ahead with a fat, infectious groove that soon spreads to the drummer. Gary Berg nods his head in tempo. He knows this one (he knows them all), and he joins Holloman on the melody ('Sister Sadie'). And then, the solos. All three of these guys are veterans, each adept at crafting perfect solos with formulae tried by time. Gary Bergs solos are masterpieces of wit and charm, bop-driven and infused with soul ... Charlie Parker meets old school rhythm-and-blues meets 60's hard bop."

"As far as playing jazz, no other art form, other than conversation, can give the satisfaction of spontaneous interaction. A good quartet, listening closely to each other, is like a good conversation among friends interacting to each other's ideas." - Stan Getz

Check the "good conversation" between Gary Berg, Kenny Horst, Terry Burns and Chris Lomhein Friday and Saturday, Jan. 14th and 15th at the Artists' Quarter (651) 292-1359, 408 St. Peter St., in the basement of the Hamm Building, St. Paul. Visit their website at www.mnjazz.com