MY NORTHERN SKIES

Hello, welcome to the My Northern Skies website, home of my two weekly radio shows, which alternate here each week, The Jazz File every Tuesday (8pm) and Flick the Dust Off every Friday (10am).

Featured Album | 406

Paul Desmond | Take Ten | RCA LPM 2563 | 1963

So vital was the playing of Paul Desmond to the sound of the Dave Brubeck Quartet, that one or two would be under the impression that Brubeck himself was the sax player, and some may have even thought that Brubeck’s classic number “Take Five” was from his own pen. On the contrary, the genius behind the alto sax playing and that particular composition, was in fact Paul Desmond, whose gentle tonality provided what some refer to as ‘Cool Jazz’ with one of its most recognisable sounds. The Californian musician released ‘Take Ten’ in 1963, four years after Brubeck’ landmark ‘Time Out’ album, which features the aforementioned “Take Five”. On ‘Take Ten’, the title track is loosely based around the same time signature and feel of the earlier composition, which has become something of a signature sound for the musician. Desmond is joined by the ever reliable Jim Hall on guitar and Connie Kay on drums, with three bass players contributing their parts accordingly, those being Gene Cherico, Eugene Wright and George Duvivier. Strangely, this album has something in common with both the Rolling Stones and the Velvet Underground, which could be a good pub quiz question; they each have album covers designed by the pop artist Andy Warhol, ‘Take Ten’ being Desmond’s.

Playlist:

Juicy Fruit – Coleman Hawkins (The Hawk Flies High)

Take Ten – Paul Desmond (Take Ten)

The Girl from Ipanema – Stan Getz & Joan Gilberto (Getz/Gilberto)

Blue Minor – Sonny Clark (Cool Struttin’)

Come Gone – Sonny Rollins (Way Out West)

Come Rain Come Shine – Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers (Moanin’)

Samba De Orpheu – Paul Desmond (Take Ten)

Milestones – Bill Evans (Waltz for Debby)