Paul Desmond: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 23:38, 14 April 2007

Latest revision as of 02:27, 21 August 2025

(754 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)

Line 1:

{{short description|American jazz saxophonist and composer (1924–1977)}}

[[Image:Desmond brubeck 5a51762u.jpg|thumb|200px|Paul Desmond and Dave Brubeck, October 8, 1954.]]

{{use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}

'''Paul Desmond''' (San Francisco, November 25 , 1924 - New York City, May 30 , 1977) was a [[jazz]] saxophonist and [[composer]]. He came to prominence with [[the Dave Brubeck Quartet]], which lasted from [[1951]] until [[1967]]. Desmond penned the quartet's biggest hit, "[[Take Five]]", while playing on slot machines in Las Vegas. He later claimed that something about the rhythm of the coins dropping gave birth to "Take Five" which was first written mainly to showcase the drums, but later, Desmond's signature line was added. Desmond's sound was so important to pianist Brubeck that Desmond, when recording as a leader, was contractually prohibited from employing a piano{{Fact|date=February 2007}}.

{{use American English|date=March 2024}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Paul Desmond

| image = Paul Desmond 1962.jpg

| caption = Desmond {{Circa}} 1962

| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist

| birth_name = Paul Emil Breitenfeld

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1924|11|25}}

| death_date = {{death date and age|1977|5|30|1924|12|25}}

| birth_place = {{nowrap|[[San Francisco]], California, U.S.}}

| death_place = New York City, U.S.

| genre = {{hlist|[[Cool jazz]]|[[West Coast jazz]]|[[mainstream jazz]]}}

| occupation = {{hlist|Musician|composer|arranger}}

| instrument = {{hlist|[[Alto saxophone]]|[[clarinet]]}}

| years_active = 1940s–1977

| label = {{hlist|[[Columbia Records|Columbia]]|[[RCA Victor]]|[[Horizon Records|Horizon]]|[[CTI Records|CTI]]|[[A&M Records|A&M]]}}

| past_member_of = [[Dave Brubeck|The Dave Brubeck Quartet]]

}}

'''Paul Desmond''' (born '''Paul Emil Breitenfeld'''; November 25, 1924 – May 30, 1977)<ref>"Final Bar" (obituary). Down Beat, 11 August 1977, 11.</ref> was an American jazz [[alto saxophone|alto saxophonist]] and composer and proponent of [[cool jazz]]. He was a member of the [[Dave Brubeck Quartet]]<ref name="b889">{{cite web | last=Blake | first=John | title=What the tributes to Dave Brubeck missed | website=CNN | date=2012-12-21 | url=https://www.cnn.com/2012/12/21/us/dave-brubeck-appreciation/index.html | access-date=2024-10-20}}</ref> and composed the group's biggest hit, "[[Take Five]]". The song remains the best-selling jazz song of all time.

Desmond was born '''Paul Emil Breitenfeld''' but changed his name because he felt it wasn't suited to a musician, it sounded too English, and reportedly picked his new name out of a telephone book{{Fact|date=February 2007}}.

In addition to his work with Brubeck, he led several groups and collaborated with [[Gerry Mulligan]], [[Chet Baker]], [[Jim Hall (musician)|Jim Hall]], and [[Ed Bickert]]. After years of chain smoking and poor health, Desmond succumbed to [[lung cancer]] in 1977 after a tour with Brubeck.

Like many woodwind players of his time, Desmond started on the clarinet as a young man, later he switched to the alto saxophone, and while he mostly played alto, he did make a few recordings playing the tenor sax. Desmond first played on Selmer Balanced Action Alto Saxophone, later he switched to [[MARK VI]]. He owned a few horns, and in his will he left his favourite saxophone to one of Brubeck's son.Desmond used a #3 [[RICO]] reed and a [[MCGREGORY]] [[mouthpiece]] 4A 18M. He was quoted saying he wants his sound to resemble a dry martini. Desmond's sound was a clear, light, and floating sound, and his style was melodic. He loved gentle ballads and would often float off into horizontal until awakened by his bandmates. Much of the success of the classic quartet was due to the superposition of his airy style over Brubeck's sometimes relatively heavy, [[polytonality|polytonal]] piano work. Desmond-Brubeck are famous for their lovely counterpoints.

==Early life==

Desmond was part of the cool jazz era and also collaborated with [[Gerry Mulligan]], [[Jim Hall (musician)|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 [[improvisation|improvised]] [[counterpoint]] is perhaps most notable on the two albums he recorded with Mulligan ("Mulligan-Desmond Quartet", [[Verve]], and "Two of a Mind", [[RCA Victor]]). His collaboration with guitarist Jim Hall are also extensive and can be found on a [[Warner Bros]] record and his boxed set of [[RCA Victor]] recordings, often with the support of [[Modern Jazz Quartet]] drummer [[ Connie Kay]. [[Desmond Blue]], also on [[RCA Victor]], is a session with strings, arranged by Bob Prince.

Desmond was born Paul Emil Breitenfeld in [[San Francisco]], [[California]], in 1924, the son of Shirley (née King) and Emil Aron Breitenfeld.<ref name="Ramsey no page">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eCwIAQAAMAAJ&q=father+Emil+Breitenfeld|title=Take Five: The Public and Private Lives of Paul Desmond|isbn=9780961726676|last1=Ramsey|first1=Doug|year=2005|publisher=Parkside Publications }}</ref> His grandfather Sigmund Breitenfeld, a medical doctor, was born on 17 November 1857,<ref>"United States Aufzeichnungen," Aufnahmen, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9M8-KW4J?view=index : 4. Nov. 2024), Aufnahme 399 von 875; New York. County Court (New York County).</ref> in [[Česká Kamenice]] in [[Bohemia]]; he emigrated to the US in 1885<ref>"United States Census, 1900", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSKX-RJQ : Thu Apr 11 19:59:07 UTC 2024), Entry for Sigmund Breitenfeld and Hermina Breitenfeld, 1900.</ref> and on 2 May 1886, in New York, married Hermina Lewy.<ref>"New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1938", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:243M-MV8 : Tue Feb 20 18:48:39 UTC 2024), Entry for Sigmund Breitenfeld and Hermina Levy, 2 May 1886.</ref> They had four children (including Emil, father of Paul Emil). Paul Desmond and members of his father's family "frequently speculated as to whether Sigmund or Hermine Breitenfeld had Jewish backgrounds", but they did not identify as Jewish, or observe Jewish traditions.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ramsey|first=Doug|date=2004|title=Take Five: The Public and Private Lives of Paul Desmond|___location=Seattle, Wa.|publisher=Parkside Publications|isbn=978-0961726676}}</ref> However, [[Fred Barton (composer)|Fred Barton]], songwriter/arranger and Desmond's cousin, found extensive genealogical proof that both the Breitenfeld and Löwy families were [[History of the Jews in the Czech lands|Bohemian Jews]]. The Breitenfeld family in [[Bohemia]] and [[Vienna]] featured musicians in every generation throughout the 1800s, 1900s, and to the present day. Desmond's mother, born Shirley King, was of an [[Irish Catholics|Irish Catholic]] family.<ref name="Ramsey no page"/>

Desmond's father Emil Breitenfeld was a pianist, organist, arranger, and composer who accompanied silent films in movie theaters and produced musical arrangements for printed publication and for live theatrical productions. During [[World War I]], while training with the 17th New York Regiment in [[Plattsburgh (town), New York|Plattsburgh, New York]], he composed ''[[The Last Long Mile]]'', one of the best-known soldiers' songs of that war.<ref>The Singing Program of World War I: The Crusade for a Singing Army Author(s): E. Christina Chang Source: Journal of Historical Research in Music Education, Vol. 23, No. 1 (Oct., 2001), pp. 19-45 Published by: Sage Publications, Inc.</ref>

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. He was rumored for several years to be writing an autobiography, but one never surfaced. He died in [[1977]], not of his heavy alcohol habit but of [[lung cancer]]. Desmond had been a heavy smoker. Always witty, after he was diagnosed with cancer, he expressed pleasure at the health of his liver. "Pristine, one of the great livers of our time. Awash in [[Scotch whisky|Dewar's]] and full of health." His last concert was with Brubeck in February 1977, in [[New York City]]. His fans didn't know that he was already dying. Desmond specified in his will that all proceeds from "Take Five" would go to the Red Cross following his death.

Desmond's mother Shirley was emotionally unstable throughout his upbringing, and appears to have suffered from [[obsessive–compulsive disorder]] and other mental illnesses.<ref name="Ramsey no page"/> Starting in 1933, Desmond spent nearly five years living with relatives in [[New Rochelle, New York]] due to his mother's mental health problems.

Desmond began playing the

Desmond was like [[Chopin]], a romantic musician master of his instrument. He was also a true businessman. His personal life was not so blessed. Though there were many women who admired him, Desmond never really found happiness with a woman. He was an introverted player on stage. Although, many a time if his solo was caught short by the bassist or the drummer, there would be musical bickering on stage and it was Brubeck's responsibility then to calm the situation, by usually taking the solo himself. It should also be noted that after the great bebop player, [[Charlie Parker]],jazz musicians in general believe that the saxophonists thereafter descended from Parker, then came Desmond, who did his own thing, he created a new style of playing, often behind the beat, lay back, cool, dry, introspective.

[[clarinet]] at age twelve, and continued throughout his time at [[San Francisco Polytechnic High School]]. While in high school, Desmond wanted to study the [[violin]], but his father dissuaded him, saying that violin players were "a dime a dozen....with the violin, you'll starve."<ref name="Ramsey no page"/> Desmond developed a talent for writing during high school as well, becoming co-editor of his high school newspaper. In that capacity, he interviewed comedian [[Bob Hope]] for his school newspaper during one of Hope's visits to San Francisco. After high school, Desmond enrolled at [[San Francisco State University|San Francisco State College]] where he majored in [[English studies|English]]. While in college, Desmond began playing the [[alto saxophone]], after being influenced by the likes of [[Lester Young]] and [[Charlie Parker]]. In his first year of college, Desmond was drafted into the [[United States Army]] and joined the Army band while stationed in San Francisco. He spent three years in the military, but his unit was not called to combat.<ref name="doyle">{{cite book|last=Doyle|first=Brian|title=Spirited Men: Story, Soul, and Substance|publisher=[[Cowley Publications]]|year=2004|pages=73–74|isbn=1-56101-258-0}}</ref>

Following his military discharge, Paul Emil Breitenfeld legally changed his last name from Breitenfeld to Desmond in 1946. He told many stories over the years regarding how he chose the name Desmond, but his biographer Doug Ramsey offers an account from Desmond's friend Hal Strack that the two were listening to the [[Glenn Miller]] band singer [[Johnny Desmond]] in 1942, and Desmond told Strack "that's such a great name. It's so smooth and yet it's uncommon....If I ever decide I need another name, it's going to be Desmond."<ref name="Ramsey no page"/>

Desmond was married from 1947 to 1949 to Duane Reeves Lamon.<ref>Born 30 August 1927 in Los Angeles. Later married Willis Dean Kaye (died 1986); they had one child, Christopher (1956-2014). She died in 2013. [https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/duane-reeves-lamon-24-2mvqlx "Duane Reeves LaMon"]</ref> He never remarried.<ref name="Ramsey no page"/>

:American military personnel of World War II|Desmond, Paul]]

==Career==

[[da:Paul Desmond]]

After [[World War II]], Desmond started working in the [[San Francisco Bay Area]], working as a backing musician. He worked occasionally for [[Dave Brubeck]] at the Geary Cellar in San Francisco. For several weeks, he led a small jazz combo at the Band Box in [[Redwood City, California|Redwood City]] that included Dave Brubeck. Desmond had a falling out with Brubeck when he resigned from the Band Box and prevented Brubeck from taking over the residency.<ref name="Ramsey no page"/> In 1950, Desmond joined the band of [[Jack Fina]] and toured with Fina for several months, but he returned to California after hearing Brubeck's trio on the radio and deciding that he should repair his relationship with Brubeck and attempt to join Brubeck's increasingly successful band.

[[de:Paul Desmond]]

[[eo:Paul Desmond]]

At the time, Brubeck and his wife Iola had three small children, and Brubeck had instructed Iola not to let Desmond set foot in the family home. Desmond appeared at Brubeck's San Francisco apartment one day while Dave was in the back yard hanging diapers on a laundry line, and Iola, defying Brubeck's wishes, let Desmond in and took him to Dave. Desmond offered to perform arranging and administrative work for Brubeck's band, and to babysit Brubeck's children, and Brubeck finally relented and agreed to try working with Desmond again.<ref name="doyle"/>

[[fr:Paul Desmond]]

[[it:Paul Desmond]]

===Dave Brubeck Quartet===

[[he:פול דסמונד]]

{{main|The Dave Brubeck Quartet}}

[[nl:Paul Desmond]]

{{Quote box|width=300px|quote=Some people called him the stork—'Cause he would stand on one leg and leaned on the piano. But that ... that was when he was playing great. What used to scare me is I'd look at him and it would just be whites in his eyes, wouldn't be any eyeballs.|source=Dave Brubeck<br/>([[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] interview with [[Hedrick Smith]])<ref>{{cite web|last=Smith|first=Hedrick|title=Dave on Paul Desmond and the Quartet|website=PBS|url=https://www.pbs.org/brubeck/talking/daveOnPaul.htm|date=June 4, 2007}}</ref>}}

[[pt:Paul Desmond]]

[[ru:Дезмонд, Пол]]

Desmond met [[Dave Brubeck]] in 1944 in the military. Brubeck was trying out for the 253rd Army band, to which Desmond belonged. After making the cut he—unlike Desmond—was sent overseas in 1944, to Europe. Desmond once told [[Marian McPartland]] of [[National Public Radio]]'s ''Piano Jazz'' that he was taken aback by the chord changes which Brubeck introduced during that 1944 audition. After Desmond persuaded Brubeck to hire him following his stint with [[Jack Fina]], the two had a contract drafted (of which Brubeck was the sole signatory); the wording forbade Brubeck from firing him, ensured Brubeck's status as group leader, and gave Desmond twenty percent of all profits generated from the quartet.<ref name="doyle"/><ref name="lees">{{cite book|last=Lees|first=Gene|title=Cats of Any Color: Jazz Black and White|publisher=Da Capo Press|year=2001|pages=[https://archive.org/details/catsofanycolor00gene/page/55 55–57]|isbn=0-306-80950-8|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/catsofanycolor00gene/page/55}}</ref> This established the Dave Brubeck Quartet, which lasted from 1951 to December 1967.

[[sr:Пол Дезмонд]]

[[fi:Paul Desmond]]

The quartet became especially popular with college-age audiences, often performing in college settings, including their ground-breaking 1953 album ''[[Jazz at Oberlin]]'' at [[Oberlin College]] and at the campuses of [[Ohio University]] and the [[University of Michigan]]. The success of the quartet led to a ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine piece on them in 1954, with the famous cover featuring Brubeck's face.<ref>{{cite book|last=Martin|first=Henry|title=Essential Jazz: The First 100 Years|publisher=[[Thomson Wadsworth]]|year=2004|page=314|isbn=0-534-63810-4}}</ref>

After drummer [[Joe Dodge]] decided to leave the group, [[Joe Morello]] joined in late 1956, on Desmond's recommendation. Despite this, differences in musical aspirations and taste made their relationship a tense one for many years. Desmond hoped for a "tinky-boom" background-type drummer while Morello wanted to be recognized and featured. During Morello's first performance with the group, he was featured by Brubeck and received an ovation from the audience for his solo. Desmond resented this, and threatened to leave the group. Brubeck managed to keep both Desmond and Morello in the group but with frictions between them for years. Desmond's grudge against Morello could also be heard during their performance. In their '[[Take the "A" Train|Take The ‘A’ Train]]' performance in [[Hanover]], Germany in 1958, for example, Desmond's playing sounded lackluster and uninterested. After a passage of rhythmically complex playing from Morello, Desmond would sometimes play very quietly and or even drop out for a few bars. In their later years they reconciled and became close friends.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Tarik|date=2017-10-06|title=Desmond Vs. Drums, or Adventures in Tinky-Boom|url=https://raggywaltz.com/2017/10/06/desmond-vs-drums-or-adventures-in-tinky-boom/|access-date=2022-08-03|website=It's A Raggy Waltz}}</ref>

The Dave Brubeck Quartet played until 1967, when Brubeck switched his musical focus from performance to composition{{citation needed|date=June 2023}} and dissolved the group{{Disputed inline|Talk page section|for=Desmond wanted to leave|date=June 2023}}. During the 1970s Desmond joined Brubeck for several reunion tours, including "Two Generations of Brubeck". Accompanying them were Brubeck's sons [[Chris Brubeck]], Dan Brubeck and [[Darius Brubeck]]. In 1976 Desmond played 25 shows in 25 nights with Brubeck, touring the United States by bus.

===Other collaborations===

{{Quote box|align=left|width=250px|quote=Playing with Desmond and Mulligan was really mind-blowing because they were such heroes for me.|source=Perry Robinson<ref name="robinson"/>}}

Desmond worked several times during his career with baritone saxophonist and band leader [[Gerry Mulligan]]. They made two studio albums together (''Gerry Mulligan - Paul Desmond Quartet'' (1957), and ''Two of a Mind'' (1962)). In June 1969 Desmond appeared at the [[New Orleans Jazz Festival]] with Gerry Mulligan, with favorable reactions from critics and audience members.<ref name="doyle"/> During Brubeck's ''Two Generations'' tours, Desmond and Mulligan shared the stage in 1974. Unlike Brubeck, Mulligan had much in common with Desmond; they were similar in their interests and humor, and both were prone to addiction.<ref name="robinson"/>

Desmond had a celebrated studio partnership with guitarist [[Jim Hall (musician)|Jim Hall]]. Hall played on several albums recorded by Desmond between 1959 and 1963 for Warner Bros. and RCA Victor. After a period of inactivity, Desmond was asked to play the Half Note in New York City in 1971 by Hall. With his customary wryness, Desmond said that he took the job only because he was nearby and could tumble out of bed to work. The two continued to play at the club to packed audiences. Desmond also joined the [[Modern Jazz Quartet]] for a Christmas concert in 1971 at the [[The Town Hall (New York City)|New York Town Hall]].<ref name="doyle"/>

Desmond was a guest artist on five tracks by [[Chet Baker]] recorded between 1975 and 1977. These were released on the albums ''[[She Was Too Good to Me]]'' ([[CTI Records|CTI]], 1974), ''[[You Can't Go Home Again (album)|You Can't Go Home Again]]'', and ''[[The Best Thing for You (album)|The Best Thing for You]]''. Baker and Desmond also appeared together on two tracks included on Jim Hall's 1975 ''Concierto'' album.

Desmond met Canadian guitarist [[Ed Bickert]] through a recommendation by Jim Hall, and Desmond performed with Bickert at several clubs in the Toronto area during 1974–1975. Desmond featured Bickert on his 1975 studio album ''Pure Desmond'', and the two played together at the 1976 [[Edmonton]] Jazz Festival. Live recordings of that concert and club dates with Bickert performed during 1974-1975 were released during and after Desmond's lifetime.

==Personal life==

In their private lives Dave Brubeck and his family were very close to Paul Desmond, though the two men possessed very different personalities. Darius Brubeck recalls thinking that Desmond was his uncle almost into adolescence. Desmond grew especially close to Dave's son Michael, to whom he left his saxophone upon his death. Desmond was also described as a [[Promiscuity#Male promiscuity|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.<ref>Gioia, Ted (1998). ''West Coast Jazz'', Ch 4: "Dave Brubeck and Modern Jazz in San Francisco"; University of California Press, 1998 {{ISBN|0520217292}}</ref> Desmond is reported to have quipped, upon seeing a former girlfriend on the street, "There she goes, not with a whim but a banker" (a semi-[[Spoonerism]] reference to T.S. Eliot's "This is the way the world ends / Not with a bang but a whimper"). In contrast, Brubeck was deeply religious and a stalwart family man.<ref name="lees"/>{{Quote box|width=250px|quote=I have won several prizes as the world's slowest alto player, as well as a special award in 1961 for quietness.|source=Paul Desmond<ref name="isms">{{cite web|title=Paul Desmond-isms|date=September 19, 2005|url=http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=19154#.Uj7KMmTwLyd|access-date=2013-09-22}}</ref>}}

Desmond enjoyed reading works by thinkers of his generation like [[Timothy Leary]] and [[Jack Kerouac]] who advocated or relied upon the use of recreational drugs, and sometimes used [[Lysergic acid diethylamide|LSD]]. He had several addictions, including [[Dewar's]] [[Scotch whisky]] and [[Pall Mall (cigarette)|Pall Mall]] cigarettes. In the 1940s and 1950s, Desmond frequently took [[amphetamine]]s, and in the 1970s he was known to use [[cocaine]].<ref name="Ramsey no page"/> His chemical dependency problems would sometimes drain him of energy on the road. Clarinetist [[Perry Robinson]] recalls in his autobiography that Desmond would sometimes need a [[vitamin B12]] shot just to go on playing during his later career.<ref name="robinson">{{cite book|last=Robinson|first=Perry|author-link=Perry Robinson|title=Perry Robinson: The Traveler|publisher=iUniverse|year=2002|pages=190–191|isbn=0-595-21538-6}}</ref>{{Quote box|align=left|width=225px|quote=Pristine, perfect. One of the great livers of our time. Awash in Dewar's and full of health.|source=Paul Desmond<ref name="isms"/>}}

Desmond died on May 30, 1977, not of his heavy alcohol habit but of lung cancer, the result of his longtime heavy smoking. He was 52. Never without his humor, after he was diagnosed with cancer he expressed pleasure at the health of his liver. His last concert was with Brubeck in February 1977, in New York City. His fans were unaware of his rapidly declining health. Desmond specified in his will that all proceeds from "Take Five" would go to the [[Red Cross]] following his death.<ref>{{cite book|author-link=Ted Gioia|first=Ted|last=Gioia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KFhpAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA419|title=The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire|date=2012-09-27|page=419|publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780199937400|quote=When Paul Desmond passed away in 1977, his will stipulated that royalties from this song and his other compositions go to the American Red Cross. Since then, the Red Cross has received more than $6 million from Desmond's bequest.}}</ref> 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. After this long and expensive process, Desmond willed the piano to Cunningham, a characteristic and final prank. The Paul Desmond Papers (and other [https://oac.cdlib.org/search?style=oac4&ff=0&institution=University+of+the+Pacific&query=Brubeck&x=0&y=0 Brubeck adjacent archival collections]) are held at the Holt-Atherton Special Collections and Archives in the [[University of the Pacific (United States)|University of the Pacific]] Library.

Desmond was cremated and his ashes were scattered.

==Style==

Desmond produced a light, melodic tone on the alto saxophone, trying to sound, he said, "like a dry [[martini (cocktail)|martini]]." With a style that was similar to that of [[Lee Konitz]], one of his influences, he quickly became one of the best-known saxophonists from the [[West Coast jazz|West Coast]]'s [[cool jazz|cool school of jazz]]. Much of the success of the classic Brubeck quartet was due to the juxtaposition of his airy style over Brubeck's sometimes relatively heavy, [[polytonality|polytonal]] piano work.<ref>{{cite book|last=Owens|first=Thomas|title=Bebop: The Music and Its Players|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|year=1995|page=68|isbn=0-19-510651-2}}</ref>

Desmond's improvisation is praised for its logical structure and [[lyricism]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=|date=2017-11-24|title=Paul Desmond was revered for the pure, gentle tone of his alto saxophone, and the elegant lyricism of his improvisations|url=https://jazzbluesnews.com/2017/11/25/paul-desmond/|access-date=2022-08-13}}</ref> His gift for [[improvisation|improvised]] [[counterpoint]] is perhaps most evident on his two albums with baritone saxophonist [[Gerry Mulligan]] (''Mulligan-Desmond Quartet'' and ''[[Two of a Mind]]''). In his playing Desmond was also notable for his ability to produce extremely high notes, the [[altissimo]] register, on his saxophone.

Desmond played a [[Selmer Paris|Selmer]] ''Super Balanced Action'' model alto saxophone with an M. C. Gregory model 4A-18M hard rubber mouthpiece, both dating from circa 1951, with a moderately stiff Rico 3 ½ reed.<ref name="ramsey-setup">{{cite book|last=Ramsey|first=Doug|title=Take Five: The Public and Private Lives of Paul Desmond|year=2005|publisher=Parkside Publications|___location=Seattle|isbn=0-9617266-7-9|pages=102, 118, 216, 292|ref=ramsey}}</ref>

==Discography==

===With Dave Brubeck===

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|-

! style="vertical-align:bottom; text-align:center; width:20px;"|Year

! valign="bottom" style="text-align:center; width:300px;"|Album

! style="vertical-align:bottom; text-align:center; width:200px;"|Leader

! style="vertical-align:bottom; text-align:center; width:100px;"|Label

|-

|1950

|''[[Dave Brubeck Octet]]''

|[[Dave Brubeck]]

|[[Fantasy Records|Fantasy]] 3239

|-

|1951

|''[[Brubeck/Desmond]]''

|Dave Brubeck Quartet

|Fantasy 3229

|-

|1952

|''Modern Complex Dialogues'' [live]

|Dave Brubeck

|Alto AL-711

|-

|1952

|''[[Jazz at Storyville]]''

|Dave Brubeck

|Fantasy 3240

|-

|1952

|''[[Dave Brubeck Quartet (album)|The Dave Brubeck Quartet]]''

|Dave Brubeck

|Fantasy 3230

|-

|1952

|''[[Jazz at the Blackhawk]]''

|Dave Brubeck

|Fantasy 3210

|-

|1953

|''[[Jazz at Oberlin]]''

|Dave Brubeck

|Fantasy 3245

|-

|1953

|''The Jackson-Harris Herd/The Dave Brubeck Quartet: Live at the Blue Note, Chicago, March 1953''

|Dave Brubeck Quartet, [[Chubby Jackson]]–[[Bill Harris (trombonist)|Bill Harris]] Herd

|Jazz Band (UK) EB-2140

|-

|1953

|''[[Brubeck & Desmond at Wilshire-Ebell]]''

|Dave Brubeck

|Fantasy 3249

|-

|1953

|''[[Jazz at the College of the Pacific]]''

|Dave Brubeck

|Fantasy 3223

|-

|1953

|''[[Jazz at the College of the Pacific, Volume 2]]''

|Dave Brubeck

|OJC 1076

|-

|1954

|''Dave Brubeck at Storyville 1954''

|Dave Brubeck

|[[Columbia Records|Columbia]] CL-590

|-

|1954

|''[[Jazz Goes to College]]''

|Dave Brubeck

|Columbia CL-566

|-

|1954

|''[[Brubeck Time]]''

|Dave Brubeck

|Columbia CL-622

|-

|1954

|''[[Jazz: Red Hot and Cool]]'' [live]

|Dave Brubeck

|Columbia CL-699

|-

|1956, 1957

|''Dave Brubeck Quartet Live in 1956–57 Featuring Paul Desmond''

|Dave Brubeck

|Jazz Band (UK) EB-2102

|-

|1956

|''Live From Basin Street''

|Dave Brubeck

|Jazz Band (UK) EB-402

|-

|1956

|''[[Dave Brubeck and Jay & Kai at Newport]]''

|Dave Brubeck Quartet, [[J. J. Johnson]]–[[Kai Winding]] Quintet

|Columbia CL-932

|-

|1956

|''Dave Brubeck Featuring Paul Desmond: Live Together''

|Dave Brubeck

|Joker (Italy) SM-3804; Blue Vox (Switzerland) B/90174

|-

|1956

|''[[Jazz Impressions of the U.S.A.]]''

|Dave Brubeck

|Columbia CL-984

|-

|1957

|''Re-Union''

|Dave Brubeck/Paul Desmond/Dave Van Kriedt

|Fantasy 3268

|-

|1957

|''[[Jazz Goes to Junior College]]''

|Dave Brubeck

|Columbia CL-1034

|-

|1957

|''[[Dave Digs Disney]]''

|Dave Brubeck

|Columbia CL-1059

|-

|1958

|''The Dave Brubeck Quartet In Europe''

|Dave Brubeck

|Columbia CL-1168

|-

|1958

|''Newport 1958: Brubeck Plays Ellington''

|Dave Brubeck

|Columbia CL-1249

|-

|1958

|''Jazz Impressions of Eurasia''

|Dave Brubeck

|Columbia CL-1251

|-

|1958

|''The Quartet'' [live]

|Dave Brubeck

|Europa Jazz (Italy) EJ-1032; Denon (Japan) 33C38-7681

|-

|1959

|''[[Gone with the Wind (album)|Gone with the Wind]]''

|Dave Brubeck

|Columbia CL-1347/CS-8156

|-

|1959

|''[[Time Out (album)|Time Out]]'' [includes "[[Take Five]]"]

|Dave Brubeck Quartet

|Columbia CL-1397/CS-8192

|-

|1959, 1962

|''St. Louis Blues'' [live]

|Dave Brubeck

|Moon (Italy) MLP-028

|-

|1959

|''[[Southern Scene]]''

|Dave Brubeck

|Columbia CL-1439/CS-8235

|-

|1960

|''[[Brubeck and Rushing]]''

|Dave Brubeck w/ [[Jimmy Rushing]]

|Columbia CL-1553/CS-8353

|-

|1960

|''[[Bernstein Plays Brubeck Plays Bernstein]]''

|Dave Brubeck w/ [[Leonard Bernstein]], New York Philharmonic

|Columbia CL-1466/CS-8257

|-

|1960

|''[[Tonight Only!]]''

|Dave Brubeck w/ [[Carmen McRae]]

|Columbia CL-1609/CS-8409

|-

|1961

|''[[Time Further Out]]: Miro Reflections''

|Dave Brubeck

|Columbia CL-1690/CS-8490

|-

|1961, 1962

|''[[Countdown—Time in Outer Space]]''

|Dave Brubeck

|Columbia CL-1775/CS-8575

|-

|1961

|''[[Brandenburg Gate: Revisited]]''

|Dave Brubeck

|Columbia CL-1963/CS-8763

|-

|1961

|''[[Take Five Live]]''

|Dave Brubeck w/ Carmen McRae

|Columbia CL-2316/CS-9116

|-

|1962

|''[[Bossa Nova U.S.A.]]''

|Dave Brubeck

|Columbia CL-1998/CS-8798

|-

|1962

|''[[Brubeck in Amsterdam]]''

|Dave Brubeck

|Columbia CS-9897

|-

|1963

|''[[At Carnegie Hall (Dave Brubeck Quartet album)|At Carnegie Hall]]''

|Dave Brubeck Quartet

|Columbia C2L-26/C2S-826 [as double LP]; CL-2036/CS-8836 and CL-2037/CS-8837 [as single LPs]

|-

|1963

|''[[Time Changes]]''

|Dave Brubeck

|Columbia CL-2127/CS-8927

|-

|1964

|''[[Jazz Impressions of Japan]]''

|Dave Brubeck

|Columbia CL-2212/CS-9012

|-

|1964

|''[[Jazz Impressions of New York]]''

|Dave Brubeck

|Columbia CL-2275/CS-9075

|-

|1964

|''In Concert 1964''

|Dave Brubeck

|Jazz Connoisseur (Israel) JC-003

|-

|1964

|''[[Dave Brubeck in Berlin]]''

|Dave Brubeck

|CBS (Germany) 62578

|-

|1965

|''The Canadian Concert of Dave Brubeck''

|Dave Brubeck

|Can-Am (Canada) 1500

|-

|1965

|''[[Angel Eyes (Dave Brubeck album)|Angel Eyes]]''

|Dave Brubeck

|Columbia CL-2348/CS-9148

|-

|1965

|''[[My Favorite Things (Dave Brubeck album)|My Favorite Things]]''

|Dave Brubeck

|Columbia CL-2437/CS-9237

|-

|1965

|''[[Time In (album)|Time In]]''

|Dave Brubeck

|Columbia CL-2512/CS-9312

|-

|1966

|''Dave Brubeck's Greatest Hits'' [compilation]

|Dave Brubeck

|Columbia CL-2484/CS-9284

|-

|1966

|''[[Anything Goes! The Dave Brubeck Quartet Plays Cole Porter]]''

|Dave Brubeck

|Columbia CL-2602/CS-9402

|-

|1966

|''[[Jackpot! (Dave Brubeck album)|Jackpot!]] Recorded Live in Las Vegas''

|Dave Brubeck

|Columbia CL-2712/CS-9512

|-

|1967

|''[[Bravo! Brubeck!]]'' [live]

|Dave Brubeck

|Columbia CL-2695/CS-9495

|-

|1967

|''[[Buried Treasures (Dave Brubeck album)|Buried Treasures]]: Recorded Live in Mexico City''

|Dave Brubeck

|Columbia/Legacy CK-65777

|-

|1967

|''Take Five Live''

|Dave Brubeck

|[[JMY Records|JMY]] (Italy) 1001

|-

|1967

|''[[The Last Time We Saw Paris]]'' [live]

|Dave Brubeck

|Columbia CL-2872/CS-9672

|-

|1967

|''Their Last Time Out: The Unreleased Live Concert, December 26, 1967''

|Dave Brubeck Quartet

|Columbia/Legacy 886978156228

|-

|1971

|''Summit Sessions''

|Dave Brubeck

|Columbia C-30522

|-

|1972

|''[[We're All Together Again for the First Time]]''

|Dave Brubeck/Gerry Mulligan/Paul Desmond

|[[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]] SD-1641

|-

|1975

|''[[1975: The Duets]]''

|Dave Brubeck/Paul Desmond

|[[Horizon Records|Horizon]]/A&M SP-703

|-

|1976

|''[[25th Anniversary Reunion]]''

|Dave Brubeck Quartet

|Horizon/A&M SP-714

|}

===As bandleader===

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|-

! style="vertical-align:bottom; text-align:center; width:20px;"|Year

! valign="bottom" style="text-align:center; width:300px;"|Album

! style="vertical-align:bottom; text-align:center; width:200px;"|Leader

! style="vertical-align:bottom; text-align:center; width:100px;"|Label

|-

|1954

|''Desmond'' (AKA ''Paul Desmond Quintet With The Bill Bates Singers'')

|Paul Desmond w/ Dick Collins, [[Dave Van Kriedt]]

|Fantasy 3-21

|-

|1956

|''[[Desmond: Here I AM]]'' (AKA ''The Paul Desmond Quartet Featuring Don Elliott'')

|Paul Desmond w/ [[Don Elliott]]

|Fantasy 3225

|-

|1959

|''[[First Place Again]]''

|Paul Desmond

|[[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]] WS-1356

|-

|1962

|''[[Desmond Blue]]''

|Paul Desmond w/ strings

|[[RCA Victor]] LSP-2438

|-

|1962

|''Late Lament'' [reissue of ''Desmond Blue'' with different cover art, different track running order, plus three previously unreleased tracks from the same sessions]

|Paul Desmond

|RCA/[[Bluebird Records|Bluebird]] 5778-2-RB

|-

|1963

|''[[Take Ten]]''

|Paul Desmond

|RCA Victor LSP-2569

|-

|1965

|''[[Glad to Be Unhappy (album)|Glad to Be Unhappy]]''

|Paul Desmond featuring Jim Hall

|RCA Victor LSP-3407

|-

|1965

|''[[Bossa Antigua]]''

|Paul Desmond featuring Jim Hall

|RCA Victor LSP-3320

|-

|1966

|''[[Easy Living (Paul Desmond album)|Easy Living]]''

|Paul Desmond featuring Jim Hall

|RCA Victor LSP-3480

|-

|1969

|''[[Summertime (Paul Desmond album)|Summertime]]''

|Paul Desmond

|[[A&M Records|A&M]]/[[CTI Records|CTI]] SP-3015

|-

|1969

|''[[From the Hot Afternoon]]''

|Paul Desmond

|A&M/CTI SP-3024

|-

|1970

|''[[Bridge over Troubled Water (Paul Desmond album)|Bridge over Troubled Water]]''

|Paul Desmond

|A&M/CTI SP-3032

|-

|1974

|''[[Skylark (Paul Desmond album)|Skylark]]''

|Paul Desmond

|CTI 6039

|-

|1974

|''[[Pure Desmond]]''

|Paul Desmond

|CTI 6059

|-

|1975

|''[[Live (Paul Desmond album)|Live]]''

|Paul Desmond Quartet

|Horizon/A&M SP-850

|-

|1976

|''[[Paul Desmond (album)|Paul Desmond]]''

|Paul Desmond w/ Ed Bickert

|[[Artists House]] AH-2

|-

|1989

|''The Complete Recordings of the Paul Desmond Quartet With Jim Hall'' [posthumous box set]<ref>{{Cite web|last=Records|first=Mosaic|date=2021-05-04|title=Paul Desmond - 1959-65 Quartet Recordings - Mosaic Records|url=https://www.mosaicrecords.com/paul-desmond-1959-65-quartet-with-jim-hall-mosaic-records/|access-date=2021-07-21|website=Mosaic Records - Home for Jazz fans!}}</ref>

|Paul Desmond w/ Jim Hall

|[[Mosaic Records|Mosaic]] MR6-120

|-

|1992

|''[[Like Someone in Love (Paul Desmond album)|Like Someone in Love]]'' [recorded 1975]

|Paul Desmond Quartet

|[[Telarc International Corporation|Telarc]] 83319

|-

|2020

|''[https://www.mosaicrecords.com/prodinfo.asp?number=269-MD-CD The Complete 1975 Toronto Recordings- 7 CD box]'' [recorded 1975]

|Paul Desmond Quartet

|[[Mosaic Records|Mosaic]] MD7-269

|}

===With Gerry Mulligan===

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|-

! style="vertical-align:bottom; text-align:center; width:20px;"|Year

! valign="bottom" style="text-align:center; width:300px;"|Album

! style="vertical-align:bottom; text-align:center; width:200px;"|Leader

! style="vertical-align:bottom; text-align:center; width:100px;"|Label

|-

|1954

|''Gerry Mulligan/Paul Desmond'' [reissues]

|Paul Desmond Quintet/Quartet, [[Gerry Mulligan]] Quartet

|Fantasy 3220

|-

|1957

|''[[Blues in Time]]'' (AKA ''Gerry Mulligan–Paul Desmond Quartet'')

|Paul Desmond w/ Gerry Mulligan

|[[Verve Records|Verve]] MGV-8246

|-

|1962

|''[[Two of a Mind]]''

|Paul Desmond w/ Gerry Mulligan

|RCA Victor LPM-2624

|}

===With Chet Baker===

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|-

! style="vertical-align:bottom; text-align:center; width:20px;"|Year

! valign="bottom" style="text-align:center; width:300px;"|Album

! style="vertical-align:bottom; text-align:center; width:200px;"|Leader

! style="vertical-align:bottom; text-align:center; width:100px;"|Label

|-

|1955

|''Chet Baker Quartet Plus: The Newport Years, Vol. 1'' [live]

|[[Chet Baker]] / [[Clifford Brown]] / Gerry Mulligan / Dave Brubeck

|Philology (Italy) W-51

|-

|1974

|''[[She Was Too Good to Me]]''

|Chet Baker

|CTI 6050

|-

|1975

|''[[Concierto]]''

|[[Jim Hall (musician)|Jim Hall]] / Chet Baker

|CTI 6060

|-

|1977

|''[[You Can't Go Home Again (album)|You Can't Go Home Again]]''

|Chet Baker

|Horizon/A&M SP-726

|-

|1977

|''[[The Best Thing for You (album)|The Best Thing for You]]''

|Chet Baker

|A&M 0832

|-

|1992

|''Together: The Complete Studio Recordings''

|Chet Baker / Paul Desmond

|Epic 472984 2

|}

===Other===

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|-

! style="vertical-align:bottom; text-align:center; width:20px;"|Year

! valign="bottom" style="text-align:center; width:300px;"|Album

! style="vertical-align:bottom; text-align:center; width:200px;"|Leader

! style="vertical-align:bottom; text-align:center; width:100px;"|Label

|-

|1951

|"How Long, Baby How Long, Pt. 1" // "How Long, Baby How Long, Pt. 2" [78rpm 10" disc]

|Jack Sheedy Sextet

|[[Coronet Records|Coronet]] #109

|-

|1951

|"The Man I Love" // "Down In Honkytonk Town" [78rpm 10" disc]

|Jack Sheedy Sextet

|Coronet #110

|-

|1971

|''The Only Recorded Performance of Paul Desmond With [[Modern Jazz Quartet|The Modern Jazz Quartet]]'' [live]

|Paul Desmond w/ [[Modern Jazz Quartet|The Modern Jazz Quartet]]

|Finesse/Columbia FW 37487

|-

|1973

|''[[Giant Box]]''

|[[Don Sebesky]]

|CTI 6031/32

|-

|1975

|''[[Concierto]]''

|Jim Hall

|CTI 6060

|-

|1977

|''[[Watermark (Art Garfunkel album)|Watermark]]''

|[[Art Garfunkel]]

|Columbia JC 34975

|-

|1996

|''Feeling Blue''

|compilation

|Camden/BMG 74321-40055

|}

==References==

{{reflist}}

{{Wikiquote}}

{{commons category}}

{{Paul Desmond}}

{{Dave Brubeck Quartet}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Desmond, Paul}}

[[Category:1924 births]]

[[Category:1977 deaths]]

[[Category:A&M Records artists]]

[[Category:American people of Czech-Jewish descent]]

[[Category:American people of Irish descent]]

[[Category:American jazz alto saxophonists]]

[[Category:American male saxophonists]]

[[Category:United States Army personnel of World War II]]

[[Category:Cool jazz saxophonists]]

[[Category:Mainstream jazz saxophonists]]

[[Category:Composers from San Francisco]]

[[Category:West Coast jazz saxophonists]]

[[Category:RCA Victor artists]]

[[Category:United States Army soldiers]]

[[Category:Jazz musicians from San Francisco]]

[[Category:20th-century American saxophonists]]

[[Category:Deaths from lung cancer in New York (state)]]

[[Category:United States Army Band musicians]]

[[Category:Bebop saxophonists]]

[[Category:San Francisco State University alumni]]

[[Category:American male jazz composers]]

[[Category:20th-century American male musicians]]

[[Category:Dave Brubeck Quartet members]]

[[Category:20th-century American jazz composers]]

[[Category:CTI Records artists]]

[[Category:DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame members]]