On the cusp of his classic Time Out album, Dave Brubeck and his Mt. Rushmore team of Paul Desmond/as, Joe Morello/dr and Eugene Write/b took a trip to The Multnomah Hotel and Clark College in April of 1959 for pair of concerts that was a portend of what would make them one of the most important quartets in jazz history.
Brubeck’s arranging skills, always underrated, is in glorious form here, as he kicks off the evening with a rapid and mercurial read of “When The Saints Go Marching In” with Desmond spitting out notes like watermelon seeds. The band gives an “Oleo”ish read of Brubeck’s own ‘Two Part Contention” and swings nicely on “Multnomah Blues”, with Morello in snappy form. Brubeck is delicate and subtle on “The Lonesome Road” and rich for a luxurious “These Foolish Tings” and is cheery over Morello’s brushes on “Gone With The Wind”. Desmond has a gas of a time on “Basin Street Blues” and glows on “Things”. Tie this one up in a knot for a great present!