Canzone di Cole Porter, Con L’accompagnamento Del Dave Brubeck Quartet. Un Assolo al Sassofono di Paul Desmond

This set is a near-classic, one of many from this period, by the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Drummer Joe Dodge had just joined the group, and he works with bassist Ron Crotty in laying down a solid and subtle foundation. The real action, however, takes place up front with pianist Dave Brubeck and altoist Paul Desmond. Their individual solos are full of creative ideas on six standards - most memorable are "All the Things You Are," "Laura," and "I'll Never Smile Again" - and their interaction and tradeoffs are timeless.

One of the Dave Brubeck Quartet's lesser-known albums, this LP features the group performing six instrumental versions of songs from The Real Ambassadors plus "Dizzy Ditty" and a 12-minute rendition of "Brandenburg Gate." Brubeck, altoist Paul Desmond, bassist Eugene Wright and drummer Joe Morello seem inspired during this concert by the fresh material, making this hard-to-find album a bit of a collector's item.

This live compilation contains tracks from at least three separate concerts, all taped without authorization as Brubeck was exclusively a Columbia artist during this time frame. "Some Day My Prince Will Come," a Disney-associated tune that Brubeck introduced to the jazz world, fares well here, with the pianist only lightly comping behind Paul Desmond's alto sax solo; while Brubeck's dramatic "Forty Days" is as formidable as any of its commercial recordings. "Summer Song" is actually the beautiful Brubeck ballad "Softly, William, Softly." Several tracks from the Take Five Live CD are repeated here, complete with their incorrect titles and poor sound. The one track featuring Gerry Mulligan likely comes from a 1968 appearance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival; though it is marred by feedback from the on-stage monitors, it is worth hearing…

Drummer Joe Dodge left the Dave Brubeck quartet in 1956 to spend more time with his wife and children. He was replaced by Joe Morello. Bassist Norman Bates also left the group the following year for the comforts of home and family. Brubeck chose Eugene Wright to take his place on bass. With Morello and Wright in the fold, the "Classic Quartet" was born. Although Brubeck and Desmond played with several musicians over the years, this group of Brubeck, Desmond, Wright and Morello would become the most famous of Brubeck's bands. The US State Department hired them for this "goodwill" tour of Europe including dates in England, Scotland, Germany, Denmark,Belgium, Holland, Turkey, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq. This long unavailable concert appears here in its entirety for the first time ever - including two previously unissued tracks 'The Duke' and 'One Moment Worth Years'.

The Dave Brubeck Quartet (with altoist Paul Desmond, bassist Eugene Wright and drummer Joe Morello) is in excellent form for this typical program from the mid-'60s. In addition to standards such as "St. Louis Blues," "Tangerine," and "These Foolish Things," they perform Brubeck's originals "Cultural Exchange" and "Koto Song" along with a brief version of "Take Five."

One of the more obscure Dave Brubeck albums is really a showcase for the young singer Carmen McRae who performs nine numbers: six composed by the pianist/leader, one song apiece by altoist Paul Desmond and bassist Eugene Wright and the lesser-known standard "Paradiddle Joe." McRae is in fine voice but strangely enough all of the songs (except for "Strange Meadowlark") have been long forgotten.