Stéphane Mercier "Calling Paul Desmond"

A few years ago, producer Jean Kluger pitched me the idea of an album

featuring compositions by Paul Desmond, the most widely listened-to saxophonist in cool jazz

in cool jazz, thanks to his Take Five, immortalized by the Dave Brubeck Quartet

(at the time of writing: 187 million listens on Spotify, not bad for

50s jazz!).

The idea stuck with me, since Desmond was my first love at first sight on the alto saxophone.

alto saxophone. As a teenager, I listened to his vinyl records on my grandfather's old tube amp.

my grandfather's old tube amp. But how did I go about it? I'd moved back to Brussels,

capital of Europe, and wondered who would be interested in playing this music, and

and what label would take the risk of releasing covers of an American violist, less

than his leader Brubeck?

Some research confirmed that Desmond had composed quite a few works

diverse and interesting works. He recorded a great deal,

among others, with Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker and Jim Hall.

I saw Jean Kluger again at a vernissage, and explained to him that I would never find

a Belgian production daring to produce such an album. He told me straight out that he wanted to produce it himself.

that he wanted to produce it himself. Immediate joy followed by panic seized me.

the responsibility of taking on Desmond's role in a quartet was enormous.

was enormous.

We met again a few days later to talk about it, and that day we decided on all the elements that would make up the album.

all the elements that would make up the album: I would take care of the arrangements

arrangements (for one quartet with piano and the other with guitar, representing

Dave Brubeck and Jim Hall), we'd add two compositions of our own, and, most importantly

above all, we'd record in England with local musicians, thanks to the help

the help of fabulous drummer and close friend Darren Beckett, who would advise me on which

musicians and the studio to book.

The rest is history, as they say. Those two days in the studio were magical, and

some of the very first takes are the ones that appear on the album.

Here, then, is a humble tribute to a man who was discreet and certainly humble

himself, but who changed the sound of the alto saxophone forever.

Stéphane Mercier