Cole Porter's "Anything Goes" is taken at a brisk 258 beats per minute on the 1957 Verve album Getz Meets Mulligan in Hi-Fi, with Gerry Mulligan on tenor saxophone and Stan Getz on baritone continuing the album's instrument-swap concept. Mulligan's two-chorus tenor solo swings with infectious energy, his melodic ideas adapting naturally to the higher register while his rhythmic personality remains unmistakable. Getz follows with three expansive choruses on baritone, his playing lighter and more fleet-footed than one might expect from the larger horn, demonstrating the effortless quality that characterized his playing on any instrument. Drummer Stan Levey contributes a brief quarter-chorus solo that adds rhythmic excitement. The 32-bar AABA form in F major provides a familiar harmonic framework that allows both saxophonists to focus on the creative challenge of playing their non-primary instruments at speed. The rhythm section of Lou Levy on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Levey on drums drives the performance with relentless swing. The album, recorded in Hollywood and produced by Norman Granz, captures a rare moment of playful musical experimentation between two of the most celebrated saxophonists of the cool jazz era, their willingness to step outside their comfort zones producing performances of genuine creative interest.
