AOTW: The Paul Desmond Quartet - Live (SP-850)

[Captain Bacardi]

The Paul Desmond Quartet
LIVE
A&M/Horizon SP850

Released 1976

Format: Vinyl, CD (Reissued on Verve in 2000, pictured above, right)

Produced by John Snyder

Musicians:
Paul Desmond - Alto Saxophone
Ed Bickert - Electric Guitar
Jerry Fuller - Drums
Don Thompson - Acoustic Bass

Songs:

• 1. Wendy (Paul Desmond) 7:28
  2. Wave (Antonio Carlos Jobim) 11:26
  3. Things Ain't What They Used To Be (Duke Ellington - Ted Persons) 9:00
  4. Nancy (Phil Silver - Jimmy Van Heusen) 9:44
  5. Manha De Carnival (Luis Bonfa) 9:31
  6. Here's That Rainy Day (Johnny Burke - Jimmy Van Heusen) 7:21
  7. My Funny Valentine (Richard Rodgers - Lorenz Hart) 10:35
  8. Take Five (Paul Desmond) 7:15
  9. Line For Lyons (Gerry Mulligan) 7:29*
  
  * CD track only

Recorded October 25, 27, 30, 31 and November 1, 1975 at Bourbon Street, Toronto, Canada by Don Thompson.
Mixed November 29, 30 and December 1, 1975 at Manta Sound, Toronto.
Engineer: Gary Gray

Art Direction: Roland Young
Design: Vigon Nahas Vigon and Phil Shima
Front Cover Photo: Ian Patrick
Photographed at The Cafe of Hopper's, N.Y.C.
Back Cover Photo: Tony Ynocencio
Illustration: Drew Struzan

Liner Notes by Doug Ramsey and Paul Desmond
Reissue liner notes by Carl Woideck

NOTE: Since this was a 2-LP set it was given an SP number of 850, but was the 10th release on A&M/Horizon.


Capt. Bacardi

 

[Dave]

Isn't this LP, Paul's LAST on A&M? My dislike of Live albums overrides my fondness for Desmond, especially putting TWO songs, per side on FOUR sides.

Compared to other artists of this time, doing this, it is a good work. Some variations and solos make this worth my while, but just sad as Desmond's "final say".

Dave

 

[Captain Bacardi]

Isn't this LP, Paul's LAST on A&M?

This was one of his last albums, period. Soon after this release he was diagnosed with lung cancer and died on May 30, 1977.


Capt. Bacardi

 

[Dave]

I'll have to pick this up on CD for that last (unreleased) track, "Line For Lyons". Or at least see what album Gerry Mulligan recorded it on.

Dave

 

[jimac51]

Mulligan and Desmond paired up for a version of "Line For Lyons"on the Verve Mulligan/Desmond from 1957. When the CD version of PDQ-LIVE was discussed a while back,I had mentioned that the Desmond estate had issued a similar live date-same quartet,same place,recorded six months prior-through Telarc's Telarchive series(non-digital recordings in their catalog)and I suspect that it is still available. About an hour in length,six tunes-another nice,dreamy date(Ed Bickert is acceptable but knowing the work that Paul did with Jim Hall just leaves an ache of what could have been... Mac

 

[Captain Bacardi]

I can't believe how much tape hiss there is on the CD of this album. It's really annoying. The performances are solid, though. A nice laid-back, smoky jazz club feel. I really like the opening track "Wendy". Now I need to find that Mulligan/Desmond album. Two of my all-time favorite sax players there!


Capt. Bacardi

 

[jimac51]

Remember that Mulligan returned the favor by recording with Paul on RCA-TWO OF A MIND. This has recently been upgraded by BMG(09026-64019-2)and includes 25 min. of bonus material. Also,BMG,in their infinite wisdom, did not include this album in their "Complete" box. Mac

 

[LPJim]

Desmond's very last recording sessions were on Chet Baker's YOU CAN'T GO HOME AGAIN and THE BEST THING FOR YOU, both A&M-Horizon projects.
JB

 

[Rudy]

I can't believe how much tape hiss there is on the CD of this album. It's really annoying. The performances are solid, though.

It could have been recorded at 7½ IPS, being a remote recording. Fortunately they left the hiss in there...really. Any digital noise reduction would have killed the sound of it.

 

[Mr Bill]

Any digital noise reduction would have killed the sound of it.

Indeed! I'd rather have some hiss and hear the cymbals than lose the hiss and the cymbals!

--Mr Bill
who's thinking of picking up the CD at the Navy Exchange tomorrow...

 

[Captain Bacardi]

It could have been recorded at 7½ IPS, being a remote recording. Fortunately they left the hiss in there...really. Any digital noise reduction would have killed the sound of it.

I understand what you're saying. But it seems to me that the CD has much more hiss than the vinyl version. Of course, the great music eliminates that!


Capt. Bacardi

 

[Rudy]

I understand what you're saying. But it seems to me that the CD has much more hiss than the vinyl version. Of course, the great music eliminates that!

True! I'm thinking, though, that the vinyl could have the same amount, but it's being masked by some of the vinyl noise. Plus, the tapes were in better condition when the LP was cut, so the tape could have been a little "hotter", so to speak. Some slight deterioration might roll off the highs, or the overall signal level, being stored for that long. Although there are recordings out there from the 50s and 60s that still sound fantastic today.

The other theory is that they did not locate the same master tape, using one a generation removed from the original 2-track mixdown. Backup copy, perhaps...

 

[Dave]

I kind of sometimes forget, I do have one Desmond album, Skylark, recorded with Gabor Szabo. There were a couple CD reissues, one with a previous unreleased track, "Indian Summer", while the other reissue just has "Alternate Takes" on a few of the other tracks--which doesn't do much for me.

I just have the original Non-A&M CTi Vinyl...

Dave

...celebrating the Music Of Paul Desmond, with an album he recorded with my favorite guitarist, Gabor Szabo, recorded over Thirty Years Ago...