Paul Desmond - Desmond Blue (1962)

Japanese import

"This album is a listening experience unlike any you have ever enjoyed. And enjoy it you will - it is rich, subtle, varied, exquisitely tasteful, and masterfully performed"

-from the album's original liner notes

Two out of five ain't bad? The album is indeed subtle plus Desmond and guitarist Jim Hall deliver solid performances. However, bland arrangements are a dime a dozen.

Desmond is best known for his work in the Dave Brubeck Quartet and composer of their signature tune, Take Five. He also put out over a dozen albums under his own name, including this 1962 RCA release. I enjoy the music and performances, but the Bob Prince string arrangements aren't working for me. The contemporary review in DownBeat magazine put it this way: "The strange suicidal urge that drives jazz musicians relentlessly toward sessions with strings will probably never be satisfactorily explained." It's not terrible or unpleasant by any means; it would simply have been a more interesting album with a combo setting.

Reviews/ratings:

• Stereo Review: "Desmond is excellent in his Victor debut, but the backgrounds too often caress when they should challenge."
• High Fidelity: "seems relatively uninspired"
• Billboard: "shows Desmond off at his lyric best against a sweeping string background."
• CashBox: "LP is composed of mostly sturdies and Desmond offers proof of genius of lyric improvisation."
• DownBeat: ★★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★★
• The Penguin Guide to Jazz (5th ed., 2000): ★★★

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: The best track is the take on the 1936 Cole Porter standard, I've Got You Under My Skin. My least favorite track is My Funny Valentine, in which Desmond duets with an unnamed oboe player.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I purchased this CD - along with Matchbook - after absentmindedly looking online for random lists of top/best/favorite jazz albums. I was searching for something beyond the usual answers (Kind Of Blue, Somethin' Else, Idle Moments, Blue Train, etc.). Side note: there sure are a lot of jazz albums with the word "blue" in the title, aren't there?