The Easy Way (Jimmy Giuffre album)

The Easy Way is an album by American jazz composer and arranger Jimmy Giuffre which was released on the Verve label in 1959.^[1][2]

The Easy Way
Studio album by The Jimmy Giuffre 3
Released	1959
Recorded	August 6 & 7, 1959
Studio	Universal Recording, Chicago, IL
Genre	Jazz
Length	40:14
Label	Verve MGV 8337
Producer	Ken Drunker
Jimmy Giuffre chronology
Lee Konitz Meets Jimmy Giuffre (1959) The Easy Way (1959) Piece for Clarinet and String Orchestra/Mobiles (1960)

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[3]
DownBeat	[4]

Ken Dryden of Allmusic states: "Jimmy Giuffre's small-group recordings of the late '50s and early '60s are renowned for his lyrical tone and intimate chamber jazz settings".^[3] On All About Jazz Joshua Weiner wrote "The almost psychic interplay here between Giuffre and Hall is typical of the 3, but Brown is a real surprise. He sounds glad to be liberated from the relative stricture of Oscar Peterson's trio, fitting seamlessly into Giuffre's conception while still providing a strong, swinging pulse".^[5]

Track listing

All compositions by Jimmy Giuffre unless noted.

1. "The Easy Way" – 5:56
2. "Mack the Knife" (Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht) – 4:54
3. "Come Rain or Come Shine" (Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer) – 4:32
4. "Careful" (Jim Hall) – 6:30
5. "Ray's Time" – 7:00
6. "A Dream" – 2:09
7. "Off Center" – 4:41
8. "Montage" – 1:51
9. "Time Enough" – 2:41

Personnel

• Jimmy Giuffre – clarinet, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone
• Jim Hall – guitar
• Ray Brown – bass