A 1987 RCA Re-Issue, Remixed to Digital Tape and then put on this vinyl L.P.
The albums basically previously released tracks with strings from 1961 with a unreleased track with strings from 1962 called Imagination. The first side is the sleepier of the two with a Movie Soundtrack feel to it and kind of like a Jackie Gleason record. with a Sax instead of trumpet. The second side is great, being compiled from a Oct.2 1961 session plus Imagination from Mar.15 1962.
Side 1 opens off with My Funny Valentine which has a nice combination of Harp, and Strings backing up Desmond's Improvisions on this Rogers & Hart song. The title cut Late Lament follows with Jim Hall's guitar complementing Desmond. Next Like Someone In Love sounds fresh with a nice Jim Hall guitar solo and some Movie Like orchestration. I Should Care has dreamy Harp complementing Desmond in Movie mode also. Side 1 ends with Then I'll Be Tired Of You picking up things a little.
Side 2 starts off with orchestra and guitar then sax nicely blown on a song Ill Wind. Next up is the best song on this album named Desmond Blue which comes from a album called Desmond Blue which is one of Desmond's best. Following that is Body And Soul which is a nice upbeat song also. I mean upbeat for this album, flowing nicely. Continuing in this upbeat side is I've Got You Under Skin, which on second thought might be the best song here and definitely the most swinging song with guitar and sax really moving with minimal strings and woodwinds. The Orchestra is back but not dream like for the previously unreleased Imagination which closes out the album on a nice kind of upbeat vibe.
All In All, without getting into the fact that it's a vinyl album taken from a remixed to digital tape, this is a nice vinyl album, with good notes of personnel and dates on the back along with quotes by guitarist Jim Hall and original conducer/producer Bob Prince. You see this album around for under $5 and even tho it's not an "Original" Desmond album it's almost 30 years old and can usually be found in great shape. All This from a Sax player with a "Great Tone" admired by none other than John Coltrane Himself.
