Search - Paul Desmond :: Glad to Be Unhappy

Paul Desmond: The tone that melts a thousand hearts

steve | Los Angeles | 01/21/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wrongfully overshadowed by Dave Brubeck's name, Paul Desmond sadly never achieved the notoriety he deserved. Although very well known among Jazz enthusiasts, Desmond's playing merits far greater exposure. Like the other great horn men, you could pick Desmond out of a thousand-horn line up, after hearing just a couple notes. Greats like Getz, Lester Young and Coleman Hawkins had a sound all their own. Desmond did as well, and every bit as much as these, but his name is rarely included in the books. This album shows the sad lilt, the melancholy loneliness, and the 'hopeful-but-know-better' melody lines of Paul, and better than any other recording of him that I know. "Glad to be unhappy" is without a doubt, my favorite song on the planet. Paul's trying to be happy, but never with any success. You can actually HEAR this crushingly beautiful occurance on the title track. When I hear Des, no matter where I am or how I'm feeling, it's raining outside, it's the hazy past all over again, Des standing next to a window pain with beads of rain running down it, and he blows notes calling out for the kind of help that is not possible. I couldn't recommend a more beautiful album."

Nice, but not indispensable

Gazzelloni | Cincinnati, OH USA | 05/31/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"There is nothing to complain about concerning this album. Desmond lives up to his self-imposed "slowest alto player"--playing slow tempos with long spaces between notes. Truth be told, the real standout on this recording is Jim Hall, who plucks away on guitar with superb technique. A nice outing by Desmond and Hall.



Paul Desmond (alto sax)

Jim Hall (guitar)

Gene Wright (bass)

Gene Cherico (bass) track 5

Connie Kay (drums)"