What the World Needs Now: Stan Getz Plays Bacharach and David

Long ignored by jazz folk who once thought the music of Burt Bacharach was beneath contempt, Stan Getz's collection of Bacharach-iana was no doubt rushed back into print in 1998 by the surprising resurgence of the composer's popularity among Generation X. Truth to tell, though, is that this isn't one of Getz's better gigs; his tone is not in the best of shape, and he sounds bored with some of the tunes (like lazily throwing in a jaded quote from "Tea for Two" in the middle of "Alfie"). However, "Any Old Time of the Day" is pretty good, as is "Trains and Boats and Planes," and "A House Is Not a Home" really engages Getz's attention (it is the only track to top four minutes in length). Richard Evans supplies the routine string and brass charts on most of the tracks; Claus Ogerman kicks in some others on three tracks, including some thoroughly useless voices. There are some top-flight jazzmen in the ranks — Herbie Hancock, Jim Hall, Kenny Burrell, Chick Corea, Phil Upchurch — but listeners only get to hear the latter two in the solo spotlight. The original 11-track LP is topped off on CD by worthy outtakes of "A House Is Not a Home" and "In Between the Heartaches" along with, inexplicably, two versions of "Tara's Theme" by Max Steiner, whom even the deaf would not mistake for Burt Bacharach. ~ Richard S. Ginell, Rovi