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Cool Velvet is a studio album by American saxophonist Stan Getz, recorded and released in 1960 on Verve Records.

After a decade establishing himself as one of the premiere tenor saxophonists in jazz with a slew of top Verve albums, Stan Getz began the ’60s with this first foray into the world of strings. This, of course, would not be his last album with strings; later milestones like the Eddie Sauter-arranged Focus and lesser bowing dates like the Michel Legrand collaboration, Communications ’72, would follow. And while certainly not on the same level as Focus, Cool Velvet still finds Getz at his melodic best over the course of ten tracks. Like earlier strings dates by Charlie Parker and Clifford Brown, Cool Velvet’s slinky charts bring out the best in Getz’s already romantic and liquid-toned approach. Recorded in Germany with a local combo, the album features Russell Garcia’s (Louis Armstrong, Mel Tormé, Anita O’Day) relatively tame charts on a program that includes such highlights as “Early Autumn” and “Born to Be Blue.” A very pleasant outing that trades in the cinematic atmospherics of Focus for some straightforward ballad dreaminess. Cool Velvet is also available as a two-fer with 1966’s Voices album (Stephen Cook/AllMusic).

Track listing:
“The Thrill Is Gone” (Brown, Henderson) – 5:03
“It Never Entered My Mind” (Hart, Rodgers) – 4:06
“Early Autumn” (Burns, Herman, Mercer) – 4:45
“When I Go, I Go All the Way” (Garcia) – 4:00
“A New Town Is a Blue Town” (Adler, Ross) – 2:42
“‘Round Midnight” (Hanighen, Monk, Williams) – 3:07
“Born to Be Blue” (Torme, Wells) – 3:53
“Whisper Not” (Golson) – 5:04
“Goodbye” (Jenkins) – 4:24
“Nature Boy (Ahbez) – 3:02

Personnel:
Stan Getz – tenor saxophone
Russell Garcia – arranger and conductor
Blanchie Birdsong – harp
Dave Hildinger – vibes
Jan Johansson – piano
Freddy Dutton – bass
Sperie Karas – drums
Unidentified strings

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Released: Mid November 1960
Recorded: March 1960
Baden-Baden, West Germany
Label: Verve
MGV 8379
Producer: Creed Taylor