Paul Desmond
1960’s jazz // saxophone
You’ve undoubtably heard the classic song “Take Five” performed by the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Though Brubeck’s name gets the glory, it’s musical genius Paul Desmond that crafted the exquisite tune. Desmond wrote the delicious “Take Ten” in the same 5/4 (or 10/8) meter, hence the curious song titles. It features his refined and poignant alto saxophone again, along with the guitar stylings of Jim Hall and the lush bassline of Eugene Wright.Let Desmond’s delicate phrasing and butterfly tone enliven your desire for love.
Desmond is quite good. Too bad he couldn’t plant his butt in the chair long enough to write that autiobiography he kept talking about.
Two years ago I was fortunate to take a 2-day course with Jim Hall in Cordoba. I learned a great deal from that course. I really wasn’t so exposed to Hall until I hit on the Desmond recordings where he played. Desmond is simply delightful, he’s so lyrical and his lines are so imaginative. You can spend a good portion of your life just studying them.
tuwa, there’s a bio of Desmond which I’ve read is good but is a little expensive, TAKE FIVE, The Public and Private Lives of Paul Desmond, by Doug Ramsey. You can get it at amazon, etc. There are a few reviews around so google for the title.