The title of this set by alto saxophonist Paul Desmond refers to his having
placed first once again in the alto chair in the Downbeat poll. Released in
1959, First Place Again is the result of an unexpected gathering of the rhythm
section of the Modern Jazz Quartet: Percy Heath and Connie Kay, and Jimmy
Giuffre 3 guitarist Jim Hall. The four musicians were all unexpectedly at home
in New York and took full advantage of cheap, after-hours recording studio time
to play out this set of standards and a pair of newer tunes, John Lewis' great
blues, "Two Degrees East, Three Degrees West," and "East of the Sun (and West Of
The Moon)," from a Princeton University theater work. The rest, including a fine
reading of "Greensleeves," which is short and tight here, Cole Porter's "I Get a
Kick out of You," J. Fred Coots' "For All We Known," "You Got to My Head" --
another Coots' tune -- and Sammy Cahn's "Time After Time," are done with an
airy, amiable vibe, especially the work between Hall and the rhythm section,
which is full of counterpoint and sharp accents. Desmond, of course, being at
that time the king of melodic improvisation on the alto -- with the possible
exception of Art Pepper's ascendancy -- is in fine form. His whimsical, breathy,
dry tone is sharp, on the spot, and full of ideas as he quotes from a vast
number of tunes. This is a thoroughly enjoyable and relaxed set if ultimately
unmemorable. [Though the album was first released under the title First Place
Again, it was reissued by the Discovery label in 1986 under the title East of
the Sun. The track listing was the same, though the running oder was shuffled.]
- by Thom Yurek, AMG
Artist: Paul Desmond
Album: First Place Again
Year: 1959 (Warner Bros.)
Label: Warner Japan (24bit remastered, 2014)
Runtime: 45:43
Tracks:
1. I Get A Kick Out Of You (Cole Porter) 8:36
2. For All We Know (Fred Coots) 5:30
3. Two Degrees East, Three Degrees West (John Lewis) 7:25
4. Greensleeves (Traditional) 2:03
5. You Go To My Head (Fred Coots / Haven Gillespie) 6:25
6. East of the Sun (Euday L. Bowman) 5:42
7. Time After Time (Sammy Cahn / Jule Styne) 6:09
8. Susie (Paul Desmond) 3:50 *Bonus track
Personnel:
Paul Desmond (Alto Saxophone)
Jim Hall (Guitar)
Percy Heath (Double Bass)
Connie Kay (Drums)