Lighthouse All-Stars Collection XX ★ with Stan Getz (I)

Stan Getz

Scrapple From The Apple

Live At The Lighthouse 1952

The story behind this recording is actually a fascinating stroke of luck. On that particular night back in 1952, Jimmy Giuffre —The Lighthouse's regular tenor sax player—was a no-show. As it turned out, Woody Herman’s big band happened to be in Los Angeles on tour at the exact same time, so the club scrambled and called in Arno Marsh, one of Herman's current saxophonists, to fill the empty chair.

But the real magic happened when Stan Getz caught wind of the gig. Getz was already a massive jazz superstar by then, and since he had also been an alumnus of the Woody Herman band a few years prior, he decided to drop by the club completely unannounced. He literally just showed up out of the blue and jumped on stage to join the jam session.

Thanks to the ex-drummer and producer Bob Andrews, who happened to be capturing everything on tape, this unexpected encounter was saved for posterity. In fact, these tapes are the only surviving records of Getz and Arno Marsh sharing the spotlight together at The Lighthouse, making this release a truly unique, legendary piece of jazz history.

Toshinari Myonaka, a renowned Japanese jazz producer and critic widely known for his archival historical releases, concluded the album's original liner notes—dated February 13, 2013—with the following detailed analysis of the musicians and the repertoire from that unrepeatable evening:

About the Musicians:

Writing a lengthy biography for Stan Getz (1927–1991) is hardly necessary. He was a true superstar who played with top-tier big bands such as Stan Kenton, Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, and Woody Herman, eventually transcending the boundaries of jazz with his massive 1963 Bossa Nova hits.

On the other hand, since the co-featured tenor saxophonist, Arno Marsh, is less widely known, I would like to share a few details about him. I have verified directly from those close to him that he is not related to Warne Marsh, despite sharing a similar last name. Arno was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1928.

He began his musical journey with private alto saxophone lessons and played with local bands before switching to tenor sax during the dance band era. From 1951 to 1953, he was a member of Woody Herman's big band (The Third Herd), where his bandmates included Bill Perkins. After temporarily returning to his hometown of Grand Rapids, he played in Red Norvo's band from 1955 to 1958. Following the band's dissolution in Las Vegas in 1958, he relocated there permanently. While making a living as a house painter, he continued to perform with local Las Vegas bands.

In a magazine interview, Arno cited Chu Berry, Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, and Lester Young as his earliest and most significant influences on the saxophone. He also named Sonny Rollins, Wardell Gray, and Stan Getz as his personal favorites.

As he entered the 1990s, he began releasing albums as a leader. He recorded a substantial number of sessions for the local label WOOFY, including co-led albums with trombonist Carl Fontana. As a side note, his son, Randy Marsh, is also active as a jazz drummer.

Since Getz played in Herman's band from 1947 to 1949, and Arno was there in the early '50s, their timelines didn't directly overlap, though they certainly knew of each other. Because this session was recorded while Arno was still actively touring with the Herman band, it is highly likely he visited The Lighthouse during a Los Angeles tour stop and was asked to fill in for Giuffre.

As for the other musicians, they are the familiar faces of the regular All-Stars. Shorty Rogers (1924–1994), Milt Bernhart (1926–2004), Hampton Hawes (1928–1977), and Shelly Manne (1920–1984) have all passed away. Bassist Howard Rumsey is the sole survivor, but since he turns 96 in November of this year, he is no longer performing and is currently resting in the town of Hemet, California.

About this Album:

Although this album features only three tracks, each one is an extended, sprawling performance lasting over ten minutes.

The opening track is Charlie Parker's "Scrapple From The Apple". The first tenor solo is delivered by Getz, followed by Rogers on trumpet, and then Arno Marsh takes his turn. In Arno's playing, you can hear that while he was a self-proclaimed fan of Rollins, he was also heavily influenced by Getz and Lester Young.

The second track, the standard "Love Me or Leave Me", also kicks off with a solo by Getz. After Milt Bernhart's trombone solo, it's Arno Marsh's turn—but for some reason, he switches to the clarinet for his solo. It was quite rare for Getz, who was highly particular about fellow tenor players, to step aside so graciously for another saxophonist on stage, but there is absolutely no sense of rivalry here. The performance seamlessly transitions into solos by Rogers, Hawes, and Manne. Arno's clarinet style leans beautifully close to that of Lester Young.

The third track is "Tiny's Blues", composed by drummer Tiny Kahn. Since Kahn also spent time in Woody Herman's band, this track was likely selected by Arno Marsh, who was both a contemporary and a fellow alumnus of that orchestra. The solo sequence here begins with Milt Bernhart's trombone, followed by another appearance by Arno Marsh on clarinet. After Shorty Rogers' trumpet solo, Getz takes the spotlight, and Hampton Hawes delivers a stellar performance. This recording captures Hawes in peak musical form, right before he was drafted into the military and stationed in Japan shortly after this date.

As you listen through the tracks, you can hear how the regular Lighthouse All-Stars grow increasingly inspired, pushing the intensity of their performance to a higher level under the stimulation of their guest for the night.

*Toshinari Myonaka (from the japanese liner notes)*

Scrapple from the Apple: Live at the Lighthouse 1952 features saxophonist Stan Getz performing live in a jam session recorded at the legendary Hermosa Beach nightclub the Lighthouse in 1952. Among the West Coast jazz luminaries joining Getz here are trumpeter Shorty Rogers, pianist Hampton Hawes, drummer Shelly Manne, saxophonist Arno Marsh, trombonist Milt Bernhart, and Lighthouse owner bassist Howard Ramsey. This is a lo-fi recording with all the requisite background crowd noise and generally fuzzy audio. Nonetheless, independent recordings like this often capture the raw, unrehearsed energy and vibe of a certain time and place; Scrapple from the Apple is no exception. This is a high-energy, heavy-swinging bop-oriented date that is well worth checking out. *Matt Collar (allmusic.com)*

1 - Scrapple From The Apple

(Charlie Parker)

2 - Love Me Or Leave Me

(Walter Donaldson)

3 - Tiny's Blues

(Tiny Kahn)

Shorty Rogers (trumpet), Milt Bernhart (trombone), 

Stan Getz (tenor sax), Arno Marsh (tenor sax [#1], clarinet [#2, #3],

Hampton Hawes (piano), Howard Rumsey (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded live at The Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, California, September 14, 1952