Paul Desmond - Take Ten

Despite the times in which he lived, Paul Desmond was never one to succumb to either exoticism or the purely funky, so rarefied was his butterfly tone and his delicate phrasing. Still, here, with Connie Kay's drums prodding him, and a recent trip to Brazil heightening his bossa nova senses, Desmond goes as musically far afield as he would ever travel with "Take Ten," "El Prince," "Embarcadero," and bossas such as "Samba de Orpheu" and "The Theme from Black Orpheus." He negotiates the Brazilian material as gracefully as a Stan Getz, but as always with Desmond it's the ballads that stay in the memory, and here "Nancy," "Out of Nowhere," and "Alone Together" are as sweetly played as is imaginable within the jazz tradition. Jim Hall's guitar is as fine as it has ever been, his chorded melody lines always surprising, his single-string work pure Charlie Christian revisionism, all of it in service of creating a swing setting for Desmond. The occasional fade and the unreleased longer takes of "El Prince" and "Embarcadero" suggest that RCA was thinking of Desmond in pop terms, and probably correctly so, for his solos--gemlike miniatures as they are--do not need development to make their point. --John F. Szwed Amazon.com

Take Two; This and Bossa Antigua

Other reviewers here have done a better job than I could by submitting informed and eloquent reviews of this fine album. So this isn't a review--it's a suggestion. Amazon offers this album together with Bossa Antigua for $22.97. Even less if you go for the used CD option. Both albums will satisfy those who love the marriage of Cool Jazz with Bossa Nova. Perfect book-ends. February 23, 2008

Dry Martini Music

I first owned this music on LP and then paid an exorbitant amount of money to buy it on CD as a Japanese import. I just couldn't gamble that it would ever appear in the States at a more reasonable price. That's how much I love this music! I am pleased to see that it is now available at that more reasonable price! Buy it! I hope that this reissue includes Desmond's original liner notes. Lucky for me his liner notes in my import are included in English as well as Japanese! Like the music contained on the disc Desmond's written words are wry, witty, urbane, and cool. He was a very funny man and, of course, a great saxophone player. His soft light tone is always instantly recognizable and he seems to swing effortlessly. I believe I read somewhere that he had a deal with Dave Brubeck that if he recorded under his own name it wouldn't be with a piano in a quartet setting. If this is true music lovers can be grateful because Desmond and the sublime guitarist Jim Hall are totally simpatico. They recorded together a number of times; all of their collaborations are worth having. I also seem to remember that Desmond once compared his own playing to a dry martini. As a lover of dry martinis I couldn't agree more.....and if Paul didn't say that it is the kind of thing he would have said! August 22, 2004

Fan of Desmond and Getz

This is a response to the Sept., 2003 review by wsmorrell from Boise,
Idaho. While I agree that this is a great record and that Desmond is one
among the pantheon of jazz immortals, I strongly disagree with Morrell's
opinion of Stan Getz. Getz's creativity, harmonic sense and smooth tone
made him the ideal American ambassador for Brazilian Bossa Nova.
Getz was a versatile genius and Bossa Nova was only one among many
jazz styles that he mastered. Desmond, Cal Tjader, Clare Fischer
and other jazz giants also did a wonderful job interpreting Bossa Nova.
In conclusion, how could any real jazz fan say that Getz's playing is clunky
and heavy handed? I have never seen those words used to describe his playing
anywhere else. That ought to tell you something. May 9, 2004

A Sophisticated Album

Though Stan Getz always is credited for being Americas great interpreter of Brazilian bossa, there was always a clunky, heavy handedness to his playing that was at odds with the quiet, understated cool of the original Brazilian material and artists. After a listen to this great recording, there is no question that Paul Desmonds' style, techique and taste are much more appropriate to the genre and leaves one to wonder how much better things would have been, had Paul been teamed up with Jao & Astrud Gilberto instead of Mr. Getz on those early "American" bossa albums. This CD covers some great material and showcases the incredible, subtle finesse and talent of arguably one of the greatest sax players of American jazz. This CD is a steal at this price and is highly recommended. September 30, 2003

Pure Listening Enjoyment

Being a musician and buying jazz records for study purposes often, very rarely has a record moved me so to just put down my saxaphone and listen for the pure thrill of listening to great music. Each song here has that loose, casual, joyful feel that can only be attained by musicians of this caliber. They are not playing for other listeners on this album, they are playing for themselves,and that is what captivates you and draws you in to this album on such a personal level. Paul Desmond and Jim Hall are two of the most unique and original to ever play their particular instrument, but you can infer that from listening to any record with Jim Hall or Paul Desmond. This album is not about that but about how those two combine their ingenious melodic ideas to form something so incredibly unique and brilliant it can't be can't be put into words in this short review. The idea of solos that are both textbook in fundamentals and beautiful to listen to is something signature of both these musicians, but it is especially present on this album. The softness of these tunes is so intense that you must close your eyes and tune out everything around you when you put on this record. The best tracks are 'Theme for Black Orpheus', 'Embarcedaro', and all the rest. 'Nuff said. Buy the record! June 8, 2003

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