Award Winner

次中音萨克斯风大师史坦．盖兹除了因为继承李斯特杨温和流畅的哲学，能吹奏出柔软、纯淨最令人陶醉的音色而称霸乐坛之外，更重要的是他对于风格毫不划地自限的实验精神，从西岸酷派、Bossa Nova，到后期Bebop的实验创作，都提供了鲜活的爵士教材。‘得奖高手’专辑灌录于1957年，被乐评认为是他酷派时期最经典的所谓‘西岸三部曲’中的最后杰作，在首度发行的6首乐曲中，史坦与合作多年的节奏三重奏成员相当完美的营造出属于酷派爵士特有凝练、冷静的气氛。即使像"Woody 'n' You"与"This Can't Be Love"快速行进的演奏，史坦．盖兹与团员照样能在忘情流畅的演奏中，保持平稳自制的情绪，充分展现了高度的个人独奏技巧与团队默契实力，1958年之后，史坦．盖兹逐渐对拉丁音乐产生浓厚兴趣，在风格转换间，本专辑流露出来的专注与投入，更显弥足珍贵。

Award Winner reunites Stan Getz with his mid-'50s right-hand men pianist Lou Levy and bassist Leroy Vinnegar, plus drummer Stan Levey, who sat in with the trio on 1956's The Steamer. Not surprisingly, it's quite similar to that effort, as the quartet keeps thing alternately cool, swinging ballads, and simmering, low-key grooves. It's the sound that made Getz' reputation and brought him popularity, a fact alluded to in the set's title. In retrospect, that can make Award Winner seem like standard-issue Getz, since it is straight-up Stan, with no surprises. Still, that's a very good thing, since few other tenor saxophonists had such a deft touch with laid-back, sensual cool jazz. Each cut on the six-track album feels sensual, even when the tempo is fleet on the side-closers "Smiles" and "This Can't Be Love." Everyone involved sounds as if they're enjoying themselves, and that results in a solid record that may have a few outstanding moments here and there -- a nice turn of phrase by Getz, a good solo from Levy, supple support from Vinnegar and Levey -- but is more distinguished by its overall strength and consistency of mood. Not necessarily a knockout, then, but certainly a record any true Getz fan would want in their collection.