Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories and includes a local jazz events calendar. (1924 - 1977) Paul Desmond had a sound on alto saxophone that remains highly recognizable. Bookmark this page and come back often for updates. Within several months they attained a measure of national fame, largely by word of mouth among West Coast critics who championed the group's innovations. Take Five - Wikipedia The initials "G.I." Paul Desmond Follow Artist + The quintessential cool jazz saxophonist, an alto with a shimmering sound and light, airy playing exemplified by his self-written "Take Five." Read Full Biography Overview Biography Discography Songs Credits Related Share on facebook twitter tumblr Credits (1-1,530 of 1,530) He did however, play one last concert with Brubeck in February 1977. Baker and Desmond also appeared together on two tracks included on Jim Hall's 1975 Concierto album. { 1924 Paul Desmond was born on November 25, 1924 in San Francisco, California, USA as Paul Emil Breitenfeld. Pauls education details are not available at this time. Copyright 2005-2022 - JazzStandards.com At the time, Brubeck and wife Iola had three small children, and Brubeck had instructed Iola not to let Desmond set foot in the family home. The Paul Desmond Papers are held at the Holt-Atherton Special Collections in the University of the Pacific Library. Paul Desmond (born Paul Emil Breitenfeld; November 25, 1924 - May 30, 1977) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and composer, best known for the work he did in the Dave Brubeck Quartet and for composing that group's greatest hit, "Take Five". The harmony was always right, the melodies were always right. He served a three-year term in the United States Army. Observers noted that he seemed out of shape, needing 2 or 3 breaths to complete a phrase that he usually did with one great gasp. [10], Desmond had a celebrated studio partnership with guitarist Jim Hall. Desmond was a heavy smoker, several packs a day, as well as a drinker who could play well while "in his cups." Lung cancer accounted for his decline and death at age 52. Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond, October 8, 1954. About, Paul Desmond had a sound on alto saxophone that remains highly recognizable. Paul Desmond was revered for the pure, gentle tone of his alto saxophone, and the elegant lyricism of his improvisations. Paul Desmonds mothers name is unknown at this time and his fathers name is under review. Desmond was also described as a womanizer who was unable to form (and was uninterested in maintaining) steady relationships with women, though he had no shortage of female companions throughout his life. Paul Desmond and members of his father's family "frequently speculated as to whether or not Sigmund or Hermine Breitenfeld had Jewish backgrounds", but they did not identify as Jewish, or observe Jewish traditions. Drums, or Adventures in Tinky-Boom", "Paul Desmond was revered for the pure, gentle tone of his alto saxophone, and the elegant lyricism of his improvisations", "Paul Desmond - 1959-65 Quartet Recordings - Mosaic Records", Paul Desmond Quartet Featuring Don Elliott, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_Desmond&oldid=1143875769, United States Army personnel of World War II, Deaths from lung cancer in New York (state), Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox musical artist with associated acts, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Joker (Italy) SM-3804; Blue Vox (Switzerland) B/90174, Dave Brubeck/Paul Desmond/Dave Van Kriedt, Europa Jazz (Italy) EJ-1032; Denon (Japan) 33C38-7681, Columbia C2L-26/C2S-826 [as double LP]; CL-2036/CS-8836 and CL-2037/CS-8837 [as single LPs], "How Long, Baby How Long, Pt. It was a sound that made him a favourite with critics and fans alike, and won him jazz poll after jazz poll. Desmond worked several times during his career with baritone saxophonist and band leader Gerry Mulligan. He spent three years in the military, but his unit was not called to combat. Jazz musician and songwriter who played alto saxophone for the Dave Brubeck Quartet and penned the groups 1959 hit song Take Five. He was a prominent member of the post-World War II cool jazz movement. Died : May 30, 1977 in New York City, New York. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The Public and Private Lives of Paul Desmond - Parkside Publications He is primarily known for his paintings, drawings and sketches of horses and equestrian sports. They were greeted with enthusiasm wherever they played until the deteriorating eyesight of drummer Joe Morello cut short the tour. The Breitenfeld family in Bohemia and Vienna featured musicians in every generation throughout the 1800s, 1900s, and to the present day. Eventually he was coaxed out of retirement to play occasional gigs with his friends. When pushed musically he rose to the occasion, turning out chorus after brilliant chorus. In 1959, Desmond penned the first million-seller, jazz single, "Take Five". I've never seen a biography like it. - Gene Lees, Editor of "The Jazz Letter"This is the finest biography we've had of an important jazz figure. - Dan Morgenstern (Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies), LEARNTimelineBrubeck BooksAbout Dave BrubeckBrubeck Living Legacy, LISTENLullabiesJazz WorksCompositionsTime OutTakes, CONNECTContact Find EventsDave Brubeck 100. It's so smooth and yet it's uncommon.If I ever decide I need another name, it's going to be Desmond. Desmond played his loping, slow, ordered, and intricate solos in direct contrast to the pianist's obsession with large chords, creating a myriad of textures for melodic and rhythmic counterpoint unlike any heard in jazz. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. All rights reserved. Paul Desmond | Discography | Discogs Accompanying them were Brubeck's sons Chris Brubeck, Dan Brubeck and Darius Brubeck. And that's what made "Take Five". The Quartet formed toward the end of 1950 and took final shape with Eugene Wright and Joe Morello a few years later. And when it came time for the encore, because the whole audience wanted Paul back onstage he said the old cliche "Leave em wanting more." Paul Desmond was born on November 25, 1924 in San Francisco, California, USA as Paul Emil Breitenfeld. Interested? There was a period of time when Desmond left Brubeck and performed with small groups. Desmond's improvisation is praised for its logical structure and lyricism. | He had spoken to Don Thompson earlier that month, making plans to play New York with his quartet, but he never made it. He was an eminent member of the highly renowned Dave Brubeck Quartet, and he earned a reputation as one of West Coasts best jazz saxophonists. He met Brubeck in the late '40s and played with his Octet. Paul Emil Breitenfeld was born on November 25, 1924 in San Francisco, California. Playing with him, you really couldn't go wrong. He blew on a couple of albums with his old friend Chet Baker. He was an eminent member of the highly renowned Dave Brubeck Quartet, and he earned a reputation as one of West Coast's best jazz saxophonists. At the time I really thought it was kind of a throw-away. He was one of the most popular musicians to come out of the West Coast's . The quintessential cool jazz saxophonist, an alto with a shimmering sound and light, airy playing exemplified by his self-written "Take Five. If you see something that doesnt look right, contact us. Take Five: The Public and Private Lives of Paul Desmond is the story of a jazz artist who transcended genres to establish one of the most immediately recognizable sounds in all of music. Desmond was also credited as the lead songwriter for the Quartets most famous composition, Take Five. DESMOND,PAUL - Complete Albums Collection: 1953-1963 - Amazon.com Music Paul Desmond Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More | AllMusic These were released on the albums She Was Too Good to Me, You Can't Go Home Again, and The Best Thing For You. Paul Emil Breitenfeld is part of G.I. The Dave Brubeck Quartet played until 1967, when Brubeck switched his musical focus from performance to composition and dissolved the group. Ramsey and Desmond were friends for a long period. Desmond's pure tone, the ingenuity of his melodic lines, his harmonic resourcefulness, the musical wit that reflected his literate and sophisticated personality, made him one of the most personal and appealing of all jazz stylists. Despite his many friends, Gene Lees wrote that Desmond was the "loneliest man" he ever knew. It was first recorded in 1959 and is the third track on Time Out by the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Discover what happened on this day. Corrections? The book has been out of print for several years and I obtained my copy through interlibrary loan. In their 'Take The A Train' performance in Hanover, Germany in 1958, for example, Desmond's playing sounded lack-luster and uninterested. Paul Desmond, alto sax; Dave Brubeck, piano; Wyatt Ruther, bass; Herb Barman, drums. Desmond was born Paul Emil Breitenfeld in San Francisco, California, in 1924, the son of Shirley (ne King) and Emil Aron Breitenfeld. [13] Desmond reportedly owned a Baldwin grand piano, which he lent to Bradley Cunningham, owner of Bradley's piano bar in Greenwich Village, provided that Cunningham move the large piano back to Desmond's Upper West Side apartment to become part of Desmond's estate. The Public and Private Lives of Paul Desmond, Rezensionen werden nicht berprft, Google sucht jedoch gezielt nach geflschten Inhalten und entfernt diese, Foreword by Dave Brubeck and Iola Brubeck, Take Five: The Public and Private Lives of Paul Desmond. Twenty years after his death from cancer, his music still sells, is still played, and still moves people. Extensive biography of jazz saxophonist Paul Desmond, one of the major jazz figures of all time, written by noted jazz critic Doug Ramsey. One thing I learned during the years of not playing I started hanging out in the bar in New York called Elaine's, where a lot of heavyweight writers spend a lot of time, and I discovered over a year or so that almost all of them have secret Walter Mitty dreams of becoming jazz players.