Paul Desmond Biography
One of the premier reed men of the West Coast cool jazz school, alto saxophonist Paul Desmond (1924-1977) was renowned for his warm, buoyant tone (which he once described as an attempt to create the aural equivalent of a dry martini) and his brilliance as a melodic improviser. He first gained widespread notice during his prolific 1951-1967 run with the Dave Brubeck Quartet, during which Desmond’s composition “Take Five” became one of the most famous jazz pieces of the era.
Desmond also recorded numerous albums as a leader, during and after his tenure with Brubeck. His work under his own name—as well as collaborations with the likes of Gerry Mulligan, Jim Hall, Chet Baker and the Modern Jazz Quartet—is widely celebrated in its own right.
The San Francisco-born Desmond played violin and clarinet during his childhood, and didn’t pick up the sax until he attended San Francisco State College. Soon after, he was drafted and spent three years in the military. He began playing with Brubeck in the late 1940s, and the two musicians quickly developed a unique rapport, based in the intricate interplay between Brubeck’s rhythmically inventive piano work and Desmond’s intricate solos, which often included witty quotes from familiar pop songs and show tunes. After the Dave Brubeck Quartet disbanded in 1967, Desmond continued to record prolifically, and rejoined Brubeck in the ’70s for a series of successful reunion tours.
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