| Pure Desmond | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1975 | |||
| Recorded | September 24, 25 & 26, 1974 | |||
| Studio | Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 58:32 Reissue with bonus tracks | |||
| Label | CTI CTI 6059S1 | |||
| Producer | Creed Taylor | |||
| Paul Desmond chronology | ||||
| ||||
Pure Desmond is an album by American jazz saxophonist Paul Desmond recorded in 1974 and released on the CTI label. [1]
In September, 1974, Desmond brought Canadian guitarist Ed Bickert to the United States to record the studio album, in a quartet setting with Ron Carter and Connie Kay. This was Bickert's first major appearance playing jazz on a U.S. record label in over a decade, and it served as a showcase for Bickert's guitar playing. [2] “I consider it Ed’s album, really,” Desmond told writer Gene Lees for the album's liner notes.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [3] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [4] |
The Allmusic reviewer Richard S. Ginell stated "With the Skylark "experiment" behind him, Paul Desmond reverted to the relaxed quartet format that suited him well in the past... In fact, it sparked a Desmond renaissance where he regained a good deal of the witty spark and erudite cool". [3]
The album was released on compact disc for the first time in 1987, with minor differences from the original LP release. Specifically, an alternate take of "Nuages" was used, an Ed Bickert guitar intro was restored to "Everything I Love", a half-chorus featuring bassist Ron Carter was restored to "Mean to Me", and a different Desmond saxophone solo on "Everything I Love" was featured. In addition, two outtakes ("Wave" and "Theme from M*A*S*H") were included in the first compact disc release.
The album was reissued again in 2011 with additional session outtakes, and a new mix that narrowed the stereo image and new mastering that reduced the dynamic range of the album through the use of signal compression. New to the 2011 edition were alternate takes of "Just Squeeze Me" and "'Till the Clouds Roll By". The alternate take of "Nuages" featured on the 1987 compact disc was not included, though an edited version of the Nuages master take was included and designated as an alternate take. Both edits of "Nuages" on the 2011 compact disc reissues were released with missing measures from the opening section of the song. Both "Everything I Love" and "Mean to Me" on the 2011 CD edition used the shorter edits of the original LP release.
Edward Isaac Bickert, was a Canadian guitarist who played mainstream jazz and swing music. Bickert worked professionally from the mid-1950s to 2000, mainly in the Toronto area. His international reputation grew steadily from the mid-1970s onward as he recorded albums both as a bandleader and as a backing musician for Paul Desmond, Rosemary Clooney, and other artists, with whom he toured in North America, Europe and Japan.
The Steamer is an album by saxophonist Stan Getz, recorded in 1956 and first released on the Verve label.
Wheelin' & Dealin' is an album by Frank Wess, John Coltrane, Paul Quinichette, Mal Waldron, Doug Watkins and Art Taylor released in April 1958 by Prestige Records. It was later reissued on New Jazz Records in 1964. On a small number of reissues, it is credited to "The Prestige All Stars", a name used by Prestige for various combinations of musicians who were under contract to the label. The compact disc reissue adds two alternate takes that did not appear on the initial vinyl releases.
Concierto is an album by the Jim Hall sextet, featuring Paul Desmond, Chet Baker, Ron Carter, Steve Gadd and Roland Hanna. It was produced by Creed Taylor for his CTI Records label and recorded at Van Gelder Studio in New Jersey on April 16 and 23, 1975. Concierto is named after the featured 19-minute jazz version of the classical piece for guitar, Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquín Rodrigo.
"Nuages" is one of the best-known compositions by Django Reinhardt. He recorded at least thirteen versions of the tune, which is a jazz standard and a mainstay of the gypsy swing repertoire. English and French lyrics have been added to the piece which was originally an instrumental work. The title translated into English is "Clouds", but the adaptation with English lyrics is titled "It's the Bluest Kind of Blues".
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Beyond the Blue Horizon is a 1971 studio album by American jazz guitarist George Benson. It was his first album released by CTI and included organist Clarence Palmer, drummer Jack DeJohnette, bassist Ron Carter, and percussionists Michael Cameron and Albert Nicholson.
Hi-Fly is a studio album by American jazz pianist Horace Parlan, featuring performances recorded in 1978 and released on the Danish-based SteepleChase label. The album was produced using direct to disc recording and the CD reissue included alternate takes of all six tracks.
Bad Benson is a 1974 studio album by American guitarist George Benson, released on CTI Records.
From the Hot Afternoon is an album by American jazz saxophonist Paul Desmond featuring performances recorded in 1969 and released on the CTI label.
Skylark is an album by American jazz saxophonist Paul Desmond featuring Gábor Szabó recorded in 1973 and released on the CTI label.
"Nobody Else But Me", sometimes called "Nobody Else But You", is a 1946 song composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II for the 1946 Broadway revival of the musical Showboat when it was introduced by Jan Clayton as the character 'Magnolia'. This was the last song written by Kern; he died shortly before the 1946 production opened.
In Concert-Carnegie Hall is a live album by American guitarist George Benson featuring a performance recorded at Carnegie Hall in 1975 and released on the CTI label in 1976. The CD reissue added one bonus track and reordered the selections as presented in concert.
Chet Baker Quartet featuring Russ Freeman is an album by jazz trumpeter Chet Baker originally recorded in 1953 and released as a 10-inch LP on the Pacific Jazz label. The album was reissued on CD in 1998 with 17 bonus tracks originally released on the 10-inch LP Chet Baker Quartet featuring Russ Freeman and 12-inch LPs Pretty/Groovy and The Trumpet Artistry of Chet Baker.
Reunion with Chet Baker is an album recorded in 1957 by saxophonist Gerry Mulligan's Quartet with trumpeter Chet Baker which was released by World Pacific. It was Baker's first recording after moving to New York City.
Bossa Antigua is an album recorded by American jazz saxophonist Paul Desmond featuring performances recorded in 1964 which were released on the RCA Victor label. The album title is a word play on bossa nova, the genre of Brazilian music that inspired the album. "Bossa Antigua" loosely translates in English to "old thing", though "antigua" is a Spanish word rather than Portuguese. Antigua is also the name an island in the West Indies popular with North American tourists.
Two of a Mind is an album recorded by American jazz saxophonists Paul Desmond and Gerry Mulligan featuring performances recorded in 1962 which were released on the RCA Victor label.
Easy Living is an album recorded by American jazz saxophonist Paul Desmond featuring performances recorded between 1963 and 1965 which were released on the RCA Victor label.
Like Someone in Love is a live album by saxophonist Paul Desmond recorded in 1975 at the Bourbon Street jazz club in Toronto, Canada but not released by the Telarc label until 1992. The album's tracks were remixed and re-released in 2020 as part of the Mosaic Records boxed set The Complete 1975 Toronto Recordings.
