Paul Desmond : Bridge Over Troubled Water (Jpn)

Length: 37:45

  Airto Moreira - Drums
  Bill Lavorgna - Drums
  Gene Bertoncini - Guitar
  Herbie Hancock - Piano (Electric)
  Jerry Jemmott - Bass
  Joao Palma - Drums
  Paul Desmond - Sax (Alto)
  Ron Carter - Bass
  Sam Brown - Guitar
  Sam T. Brown - Guitar

Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water was the hottest album in the land in 1970, and Paul Simon's tunes from that and their earlier albums unexpectedly find a congenial advocate in Paul Desmond. Against the odds as determined by bopsters, Desmond finds something beautiful, wistful, and/or sly to say in each of these ten tunes, backed by Herbie Hancock's Rhodes electric piano and a set of ravishing, occasionally overstated (as in 'America' ) orchestrations by Don Sebesky. 'The 59th Street Bridge Song' is given a jaunty, carefree rendition, adapting quite well to a jazz treatment (after all, Desmond's old teammate in the Brubeck quartet Joe Morello played drums on S&G's original record) and Desmond even does some cascading overdubs on his solo part. 'Cecilia' is a fast samba, Desmond cleverly works his old 'Sacre Blues' into the solo on 'El Condor Pasa,' and the title track has a breathtakingly pretty fadeout. Hancock's solos often reflect where he was personally at in 1970, with ideas transferred from his progressive electric Sextet. This is a Creed Taylor production in all but name; the sound, track editing, and production values are right in line with the A&M CTI line, but Sebesky is listed as producer, Taylor having recently severed his ties with A&M to form his own label. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide

Simon & Garfunkel's 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' was the hottest album in the land in 1970, & Paul Simon's tunes from that & their earlier albums unexpectedly find a congenial advocate in Paul Desmond. Against the odds as determined by bopsters, Desmond finds something beautiful, wistful, and/or sly to say in each of these ten tunes, backed by Herbie Hancock's Rhodes electric piano & a set of ravishing orchestrations by Don Sebesky. Hancock's solos often reflect where he was personally at in 1970, with ideas transferred from his progressive electric Sextet. This is a Creed Taylor production in all but name; the sound, track editing, & production values are right in line with the A&M CTI line, but Sebesky is listed as producer, Taylor having recently severed his ties with A&M to form his own label. Polydor/Japan.