NEW YORK, July 2 (UPI) -- Verve Records has uncovered lost bossa nova and ballad recordings that late saxophonist Stan Getz made in 1989.
A&M Records' chief Herb Alpert recorded the session two years before the sax great died of cancer. It was lost in A&M's eagerness to record Getz's orchestral project, "Apasionado."
"When we rediscovered the tapes, we realized how good they were," Alpert said. "It's straight-ahead Stan playing with a strength and sweetness that characterized the last period of his life."
"Bossas and Ballads: The Lost Sessions" will be released Sept. 9. Getz made it with pianist Kenny Barron, bassist George Mraz and drummer Victor Lewis.
It bridges the formats for which Getz was best known. He found crossover stardom with his bossa nova collaborations with Charlie Byrd and Brazilians Antonio Carlos Jobim, Astrud Gilberto and Joao Gilberto. His No. 1 pop hit "Girl from Ipanema" was 1964's record of the year.
