PAUL DESMOND
Let Me Tell Ya 'Bout Desmond (Label M)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

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While his career as a leader dated back to 1954, Paul Desmond was principally known as the tenor in the Dave Brubeck Quartet until that group's demise in 1967. He worked in other settings, though, even during the Brubeck years, including a notable collaboration with guitarist Jim Hall in a quartet that included Connie Kay (drums) and Gene Wright (bass). He continued to record for a decade following the Brubeck years, as well, until his untimely death from lung cancer in 1977, shy of his 53rd birthday. This compilation includes work with Hall and in other groupings large and small for Columbia, RCA, and A&M.

Notable for his soft tone and lyrical solos, Desmond was in many ways the anti-Bird. While nothing he did seemed particularly difficult in terms of complexity, nothing he did was easily reproducible, combining virtuoso instrumental proficiency and exquisite musical taste in a way that Joel Dorn, co-producer of this set, compares to a painter with a full pallet.

Dorn's right. Desmond painted pictures for your ears, and some of the prettiest ones are here.

Track List:

I'm Old Fashioned * Skylark * Take Ten * Stardust * When Joanna Loved Me * Desmond Blue * A Taste Of Honey * Bossa Antigua * The Night Has A Thousand Eyes * Alianca * El Condor Pasa * Samba With Some Barbeque

© 2001 - Shaun Dale