Album Reviews

The title track is not twice as good as Desmond's surprise jazz “hit” “Take Five,” immortalized on the Time Out album recorded with his regular band mates in the Brubeck quartet, but it has its own serpentine charm, and having Jim Hall comping on guitar instead of Brubeck on piano gives the track a far different, more delicate texture.

The cosmopolitan Connie Kay on drums is the perfect foil for Desmond's erudite sound-especially when he's this well recorded and given a huge space to fill between the speakers.

Desmond jokes in the 1963 liner notes that “bossa nova” should be called “boss antigua” because of its quick success and rapid exposure. Nonetheless there are a number of nifty “bossa novas” on this set, including the lilting “El Prince.” Those of you used to hearing Kay swing stiffly in the MJQ will be surprised and gratified to hear him do the bossa nova and lighten up a bit, though his snare shots are as polite and refined as Desmond's sax. Speaking of polite, perhaps in order to achieve a proper balance with Hall's hollow-bodied light touch, Desmond's sax was captured more muted and recessed than on Columbia Brubeck albums.

The combo of Hall left, Desmond right, with the rhythm section of Kay and Gene Cherico (Gene Wright is on the title tune) dead center played out against the great Webster Hall acoustic makes this a most pleasant sounding set, more notable for its relaxed, high quality music making than for its adventurousness.

There was a time when finding original “black dog” Dynavgrooves was easy, but lately I haven't seen too many. It wasn't expensive a few years ago but a gemm.com search turned up a mono copy for $84! In this case I'll take the stereo.

So how does Speakers Corner's reissue stack up to the original? It's a bit thicker and heavier than the original, with some of the reverberant field behind the drums dried up, but that's compensated for by greater instrumental clarity and a far stronger bass line. Mostly it's very good, the weakest point being the lack of clarity in Hall's guitar, which occasionally sounds less like a hollow-bodied electric guitar and more like an electric piano. I know that sounds damning, but it's not that bad. I'm exaggerating to make a point.

In this case, as with some other “dog/Dynagrooves” the “Dynagroove” on the label and jacket were more marketing than anything else, and that's a good thing.

If you can't find an original for a reasonable price get it. Otherwise this reissue brings a popular jazz title from the sophisticated, swinging early '60's back to life quite nicely. Cognac sipping music for sure.