Search - Dave Brubeck, Paul Desmond :: 1975: The Duets (Spec Packaging)

Stunning

Howard Wexler | White Plains, NY United States | 05/18/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When I heard this had finally been released on CD, I cried tears of joy. Dave Brubeck (G-d bless him) is still alive, healthy and active and this CD is as wonderful as anything he has ever done.I remember the first time I heard anything from this, it was on the old NY jazz station WRVR. Although I was a Brubeck/Desmond fan, I did not recognize either of them as there was no bass or drums. When they announced it, I immediately bought the LP.As brilliant as Paul Desmond was, there is no sax player in my knowledge that sounds anything like him. Like a Bill Evans, a Watrous, a Basie, all he has to play is one note and you know it is him. Nowhere is that more evident than in this CD.Brubeck and Desmond shared a friendship for many years, going back to when Brubeck tried to join Desmond's band in the army. He has talked many times on how special it was and how fascinating it was to do duets with Paul. He talks about how hard he tried to "comp" behind Paul as it made Paul play that much better.So you can feel the fun these two great men had in doing this.The best cut, IMHO, is the final one, "You Go To My Head". That was the whole start of the project, they wound up doing a set of duets on a cruise. This cut is a recording from that cruise.Do NOT listen to this CD as background music or while doing something else. You will miss the subtleties of it. Do listen to it, preferably on good headphones with the rest of the world locked out."

The last of Desmond with Brubeck

04/09/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Paul Desmond died 2 years after this album came out, and it is a fitting goodbye. Take a listen to 'La Paloma Azul' and you will see what everyone is talking about when they describe his horn playing as like "a dry Martini". The albulm is a studio recording with Desmond on sax, and Brubeck on piano: that's it. But what a sound it is. (One of the tracks is a live recording taken from a Jazz Cruise around that time.) The music is as sweet and soulful and emotional as it gets. Enjoy!"