1970 · Album
The Ballad of Paul Desmond
Recorded 1970 · A&M Records · Produced by Don Sebesky
Desmond Takes Simon and Garfunkel to Work
Desmond's alto floats through these folk-pop songs like he owned them all along.
Paul Desmond was one of the driest, coolest alto saxophone voices in jazz — famously said he wanted to sound like a dry martini, and he mostly succeeded. So when he turned up in 1970 with Bridge over Troubled Water (1970), a whole album of Simon & Garfunkel songs arranged by Don Sebesky, it raised some eyebrows. Pop crossover albums from jazz musicians have a mixed track record, to put it charitably. This one actually works, though not for the reasons you might expect.
The key is that Desmond doesn't try to jazz up these songs aggressively or prove anything. He just plays them, and his alto is so naturally lyrical that melodies like 'The Sound of Silence' and the title track settle into his style without much friction. Sebesky's arrangements lean on lush strings — which was fashionable in 1970 and your tolerance for that will depend on your relationship with orchestrated jazz records generally. They're tasteful rather than syrupy, which is about the best you can ask. Desmond's tone does the heavy lifting; he had a way of sustaining a phrase that made even familiar tunes feel unhurried and considered.
This isn't essential Desmond — if you want that, go find his work with the Dave Brubeck Quartet. But it's a genuinely pleasant album that holds up better than its concept suggests it should. It works because Desmond was a melodist first and a jazzer second, and Simon & Garfunkel were writing strong melodies. The match was less strange than it looked on paper. Worth your time if you like either artist, and surprisingly easy to revisit.
