First Place Again is the second album led by American jazz saxophonist Paul Desmond. The album was recorded in September of 1959 and released on the Warner Bros. label.[1][2][3] It was the first of five studio albums Desmond recorded with quartets that included guitarist Jim Hall and drummer Connie Kay. Percy Heath, who was Kay's bandmate from the Modern Jazz Quartet, completed the quartet for this album. For most of August of 1959, Hall, Heath, and Kay had been faculty members at the Lenox School of Jazz music workshop. During that same month, Desmond finished recording Time Out with the Dave Brubeck Quartet.

First Place Again
Studio album by Paul Desmond
Released	1959
Recorded	September 5–7, 1959 New York City
Genre	Jazz
Length	45:58
Label	Warner Bros. W 1356
Producer	Bob Prince
Paul Desmond chronology
First Place Again (1959) Desmond Blue (1962)

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[4]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	[5]

Allmusic awarded the album 3½ stars stating "Desmond, of course, being at that time the king of melodic improvisation on the alto – with the possible exception of Art Pepper's ascendancy – is in fine form. His whimsical, breathy, dry tone is sharp, on the spot, and full of ideas as he quotes from a vast number of tunes. This is a thoroughly enjoyable and relaxed set if ultimately unmemorable".[4]

Track listing

1. "I Get a Kick Out of You" (Cole Porter) – 8:38
2. "For All We Know" (J. Fred Coots, Sam M. Lewis) – 5:33
3. "Two Degrees East, Three Degrees West" (John Lewis) – 7:28
4. "Greensleeves" (Traditional) – 2:05
5. "You Go to My Head" (Coots, Haven Gillespie) – 6:27
6. "East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)" (Brooks Bowman) – 5:45
7. "Time After Time" (Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn) – 6:13
8. "Susie" (Paul Desmond) – 3:49 Bonus track on CD reissue

Personnel

• Paul Desmond – alto saxophone
• Jim Hall – guitar
• Percy Heath – bass
• Connie Kay – drums

References