Meets Paul Desmond

Description

"Gerry Mulligan Meets Paul Desmond", also known as "Blues in Time," marked the first of two studio albums featuring the two horn players in a quartet. They use the same basic instrumentation as Gerry Mulligan's classic piano-less quartet with Chet Baker, but with Paul Desmond's alto saxophone instead of Chet Baker's trumpet. A very lyrical musician, Paul Desmond's sound perfectly complements Mulligan's deep saxophone tone, forming an unparalleled interplay. Although they never collaborated in the studio, Gerry Mulligan and Paul Desmond shared the same stage, performing together in a jam session on "Tea for Two" at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1955. The resounding success of this album (musically if not commercially) led to their second album, "Two of a Mind," recorded in 1962. Their last recorded encounter dates back to November 4, 1972, during a performance in Berlin.