Paul Desmond

INCLUDES 1 BONUS TRACK

4 STARS DOWN BEAT MAGAZINE
4 1/2 STARS ALL MUSIC GUIDE

In 1957 Paul Desmond and Gerry Mulligan recorded the Verve LP Blues in Time, which marked the first of only two studio albums featuring the two musicians in a quartet format. The dates made use of the same basic instrumentation employed by Mulligan in his classic piano-less quartet with Chet Baker, but with Desmond’s alto instead of Baker’s trumpet. A highly lyrical player, Desmond’s sound fits perfectly with the deep tone of Mulligan’s baritone sax, and their interplay is very satisfying. Although Mulligan and Desmond had never previously collaborated in a studio, they had shared the same stage, performing together on the final jam session (on “Tea for Two”) at the 1955 Newport Jazz Festival. Fortunately, the long tune was taped for posterity and marks their earliest existing recording together (Clifford Brown and Chet Baker were the other horns present on that jam).

PERSONNEL:

PAUL DESMOND, alto sax
GERRY MULLIGAN, baritone sax
On all tracks, plus:

(A1-A2): Wendell Marshall (b), Connie Kay (d).
New York, July 3, 1962.

(A3, B3): Joe Benjamin (b), Mel Lewis (d).
New York, August 13, 1962.

(B1, B2): John Beal (b), Mel Lewis (d).
New York, June 26, 1962.

Original RCA Victor.

* (B4) Bonus Track
Gerry Mulligan (bar), Chet Baker (tp), Lee Konitz (as),
Carson Smith (b), Larry Bunker (d).
Live at The Haig, Los Angeles, late January 1953.

SIDE A:

1 ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE 5:51
2 STARDUST 8:22
3 TWO OF A MIND 5:59

SIDE B:
1 BLIGHT OF THE FUMBLE BEE [aka WHISTLING BLUES] 7:02
2 THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT 7:21
3 OUT OF NOWHERE 6:35
4 ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE [1953 version] 3:56*

* Bonus track