Take Eighty-Five

The whole week before the 85th birth date of Paul Desmond my pen-friends from the US and me were exchanging (one piece per day through e-mail)our most loved solos by him . It was a very touching experience. Koto song was also there as one of the most beautiful pieces performed by the DBQ.

Not long ago at a jazz event I listened to a very good young alto saxophonist(27) from St.Petersbourg(Russia)and in the way he elicited sounds from his sax I heard something reminding of PD though the repertoire was quite different. When asked, the young man said that at the very start of his career he really had taken PD as a pattern.I was happy to hear this 32 years since he passed from a modern young musician.

I didn't know that...LP's wearing out faster, closer to the label. I have long thought that at least sometimes, the inner cuts of an LP didn't sound as clean as the outer cuts. I've collected records for years, and now my suspicions have been proven!

Since this is a thread about Mr. Desmond, I'd just like to say that everything I've heard him play on record is just absolutely perfect. I must have 30 Dave Brubeck albums by now, and Desmond is/was just so great, so absolutely great. What a talent.

Thank you for posting this version of Koto Song. It not only has a long and lovely Desmond solo, but Brubeck played one of the most otherworldly and gorgeous improvisations he ever recorded. When this was first released as the last track on side two of the LP Summit Sessions, I wore it out. The inner tracks of LPs have the worst fidelity (less track per turntable revolution)and it sounded like it was recorded underwater! I was overjoyed to find it on a few CDs and especially to learn that it was filmed.
In my mind's ear I have difficulty imagining Desmond playing with Monk, but he might have been right at home with Bill Evans.