Focus, released in 1961 on Verve Records, stands as a singular entry in saxophonist Stan Getzs discography a chamber jazz suite composed and arranged by Eddie Sauter, with Getz as its sole improviser. Recorded in July 1961 at Webster Hall in New York City, Focus pairs Getz expressive tenor saxophone with a string orchestra conducted by Hershy Kay. Sauters seven-movement suite originally envisioned for violinist Jascha Heifetz unfolds in layered harmonic landscapes and orchestral textures. Getz parts were entirely improvised, captured live in single takes without written music, as he navigated pre-composed frameworks with melodic invention and emotional clarity.

The album represents a true collaboration between Sauter and Getz, and a radical departure from the conventions of jazz with strings albums of the time. Sauters charts emphasize contrapuntal writing, rhythmic complexity, and harmonic ambiguity, while Getz unedited and unrehearsed in the traditional sense weaves a lyrical, instinctive line throughout. The result remains one of the most original and artistically daring projects in Getzs recorded legacy; the artists favourite of all the records he made.

I’m Late, I’m Late
Her
Pan
I Remember When
Night Rider
Once Upon A Time
A Summer Afternoon