Jazz alto saxophonist, born in San Francisco, California, USA. As soon as he joined Dave Brubeck's quartet in 1951, that band became one of the greatest international successes in jazz history. Two styles have seldom been so diametrically opposed and yet so complementary. Brubeck, the sober, dedicated organizer, played rollicking, noisy piano, and Desmond, the carefree, free-living bachelor, superimposed spindly, delicate melodies. Renowned for his wit, he published one humorous piece, How Many of You Are There in the Quartet? (Punch, 1973), and no more. His tune Take Five (recorded with Brubeck in 1959) is one of the great popular and critical successes of modern jazz. He left Brubeck in 1967, with occasional reunions, and kept as busy as he wished as a freelancer.
Desmond penned the quartet's biggest hit, "Take Five", and his sound was so important to pianist Brubeck that Desmond, when recording as a leader, was contractually prohibited from employing a piano.Desmond was born Paul Emil Breitenfeld but changed his name because he felt it wasn't suited to a musician, and reportedly picked his new name out of a telephone book.
Desmond's sound was a clear, light, and floating sound, and his style was melodic. Much of the success of the classic quartet was due to the superposition of his airy style over Brubeck's sometimes relatively heavy, polytonal piano work.
Desmond also collaborated with Gerry Mulligan, Jim Hall, Chet Baker, Ed Bickert and others over the years. After the break-up of the Quartet in 1967, he retired for a while, then began to resurface in occasional reunions with Brubeck, Mulligan, and Hall, in a Christmas concert with the Modern Jazz Quartet in 1971, and in other collaborations. His gift for improvised counterpoint is perhaps most notable on the two albums he recorded with Mulligan ("Mulligan-Desmond Quartet" and "Two of a Mind").
In addition to his playing, he was known for his wit, as reflected in the liner notes for his solo albums, and as recollected by others.
User Comments Add a comment…