Quartet

Gerry Mulligan, Paul Desmond

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 16, 1993)
• Original Release Date: 1994
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Polygram Records
• ASIN: B0000046RP
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #15,255 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Cool, December 6, 2001

By A Customer

This CD is a classic example of what the West Coast Cool sound is all about-- beautifully lyrical and deeply cerebral at the same time. Gerry Mulligan does his best work since his sessions with Chet Baker; Paul Desmond proves that he had as much to do with the success of the Dave Brubeck Quartet as did Brubeck himself. Mulligan and Desmond play off one another brilliantly-- Mulligan's adventures in the lower register and his sense of timing seem to be a tailor made counterpart to lyrical players like Desmond (and the aforementioned Baker), giving them free reign to soar in the upper reaches of the melody. With solid work from the rhythm section of bassist Joe Benjamin and long-time Mulligan collaborator, drummer Dave Bailey, this CD really swings in places. (Not that unusual for Mulligan, but Desmond really seems to be letting go here.) Also worth noting: while they are both excellent musicians (Mulligan's range on baritone sax is tremendous; Desmond's melodic creativity on alto is ethereal), neither really goes out of the way to show off his chops the way some more contemporary saxophonists like James Carter and Joshua Redman often seem compelled to do. Mulligan and Desmond are cool enough to pull off the Cool without stretching, and they know it.

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unlikely Duo Makes Great Album!, November 6, 1999

By	B. J Robbins (La Quinta, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is one of my favorite albums of all time. Paul Desmond, surely one of the most lyrical of sax men, is superb. Gerry, too, is at his best. But in this album the total is more than the sum of its parts. The presence of Mullligan brought out some pretty ballsy playing by Paul, something that was lacking in his playing with Brubeck (and others). My personal favorite is Body and Soul, played at a really slow tempo, but due to the two geniuses playing it, neveer for a minute boring. Whether soloing or backing each other up, these two are sublime. Every track is great. Buy it and enjoy!

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Musical telepathy - vol. 1, February 22, 2001

By	William Gowers (Louisville, KY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is one of my all-time favorite CDs...and that's saying something given the size of my jazz CD collection. Jazz musicians talk about the "language" and "vocabulary" of their music. This album proves that conversations can exist in jazz. Listening to Desmond and Mulligan "converse" is like overhearing a discussion between two very good friends. Their conversation covers the spectrum of emotion...at times lively, humourous, pensive, thoughtful. Sometimes they anticipate each others "remarks" playing identical sentences in perfect harmony. I'm thankful that this session was followed by one of equal significance..."Two of a Mind".