Paul Desmond – Easy Living (Speakers Corner)

It's also not everyone's cup of tea to buy all the Victor recordings of Paul Desmond and Jim Hall with tens of alternate-takes in a thick CD box, listen to them and find the perfect way to clog the record cabinet with them. The eight titles of "Easy Living" are the highlight of Desmond's career anyway, after he finally made the leap out of Dave Brubeck's formation. And the change from pure chord playing to Jim Hall's single notes is airier, more inspiring than the fat piano clusters of the former boss. Not to forget that half of the Modern Jazz Quartet, bassist Percy Heath and drummer Connie Kay, provide a fine backbone for improvisation.

LP's are and remain unsurpassed: sound and haptic. Fortunately, they are also a valuable investment - not all of them, but "Easy Living" with Paul Desmond and Jim Hall for sure.

This Speakers Corner production was made using analog master tape and 100% pure analog mastering All licenses and GEMA contributions were paid.

Recording: June 1963, July and September 1964, June 1965 at RCA Studio, New York City

Production: George Avakian

Reviews

"The climax of the high-class Desmond discography." (LP, issue 3-2019)