Paul Desmond (1924-1977) - Take Five

Paul Desmond (1924-1977)


Take Five



Paul Desmond (November 25, 1924 - May 30, 1977), born Paul Emil Breitenfeld, was a jazz alto saxophonist and composer born in San Francisco, best known for the work he did in the Dave Brubeck Quartet and for penning that group's greatest hit, "Take Five." Known to have possessed an idiosyncratic wit, he was one of the most popular musicians to come out of the West Coast's "cool jazz" scene.

In addition to his work with Brubeck he led several of his own groups and did significant collaborations with artists such as Gerry Mulligan, Jim Hall and Chet Baker. After years of chain smoking and general poor health, Desmond succumbed to lung cancer in 1977 following one last tour with Brubeck.

[8925 Boulez / 8924 Desmond / 8924 Jarre]

Dave Brubeck (b. 1920) - Unsquare Dance

Dave Brubeck (b. 1920)

Take Five (1960): Blue Rondo a la Turk

Unsquare Dance (1961)



David Warren Brubeck (born December 6, 1920 in Concord, California), better known as Dave Brubeck, is an American jazz pianist. His style ranges from refined to bombastic, reflecting his mother's attempts at classical training and his improvisational skills. Much of his music employs non-standard time signatures.

His long-time musical partner, alto saxophonist Paul Desmond, wrote the Dave Brubeck Quartet's most famous piece, "Take Five," which is in 5/4 time and has endured as a jazz classic.

Brubeck experimented with time signatures through much of his career, recording "Pick Up Sticks" in 6/4, "Unsquare Dance" in 7/4, and "Blue Rondo à la Turk" in 9/8.

[8921 Piazzolla / 8920 Brubeck / 8920 Parker]