Possibly the best of Scott's "experimental" albums. . .
06/02/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Having listened to DESIRE, I think anyone who thought Tom Scott's Domination of the Jazz/Fusion scene ended with the 70's was far off the mark. The '80's marked a definite change in Scott's music, but it was nothing that would make his fans turn away. Rather, his base of musical style was broadened, first with the live album APPLE JUICE, followed by the ensemble sessions of DESIRE. Later came the orchestrations of ONE NIGHT, ONE DAY and the adventurously synthsized album STREAMLINES. Needles to say, DESIRE is a moving and highly enjoyable collection of songs, which should tell Jazz players everywhere that ensemble sessions should be done more often. The title song is quite the mood-setter, preparing the listener for "Sure Enough" & "The Only One" to follow. "Stride" picks up the pace in mid-album, which is a refreshing change, setting up "Johnny B. Badd" and "Meet Somebody". The last two songs almost ask the listener which style was more enjoyed, first with the instrumental cover of Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed" representing the mood pieces, and then "Chunk O'Funk" for the more to-dance-to tunes. All in all, DESIRE is likely to appeal to fans of both styles, and is definitely worth the listening. Scott's ensemble work ranks among his best."