Paul Chambers delivers an elegant reading of Cole Porter's "Easy to Love" on Chambers' Music, the 32-bar AA' form providing a graceful framework for his melodic bass improvisation. Chambers takes two choruses that demonstrate his remarkable facility on the instrument, his pizzicato lines singing with the clarity and musicality that made him the most influential bassist of the late 1950s. His intonation is impeccable, and his rhythmic feel swings with an ease that belies the technical difficulty of executing complex melodic ideas on the acoustic bass at this tempo. Kenny Drew follows with a single piano chorus of understated elegance, his playing complementing the song's sophisticated harmonic language with taste and invention. Philly Joe Jones provides sensitive rhythmic support throughout, his brushwork creating a cushion of sound that allows Chambers's bass to be heard with maximum clarity. The choice of a Cole Porter standard reflects the album's emphasis on showcasing Chambers's melodic sensibility alongside his formidable technique, and the intimate trio setting gives the bassist the spotlight he rarely received on the many sessions where he served as an accompanist. This track captures one of jazz's greatest instrumentalists in a moment of pure melodic expression.
