Paul Desmond
Paul Desmond ( born November 25, 1924 in San Francisco, California, † May 30, 1977 in New York City; actually Paul Emil Breitenfeld ) was an American cool jazz saxophonist.
Life and work
He became famous by the Dave Brubeck Quartet ( he wrote his biggest hit, Take Five ), in which he played since its founding in 1951 until 1967. He had a clear, light, flowing sound that many tried to imitate in vain. He loved gentle ballads and sometimes slipped into dreamy solos, but always had a clear line. The combination of its light, airy style with Brubeck's heavy, polytonality piano contributed much to the success of the classic Dave Brubeck Quartet.
Desmond worked with, among others, with Gerry Mulligan and Jim Hall. In 1967, following his retirement from Brubeck Quartet, he paused for a while and later appeared temporarily lived in reunions with Brubeck, Mulligan, Hall, Ed Bickert and others; In 1971, he played a Christmas concert with the Modern Jazz Quartet. His ability to improvised counterpart is perhaps best heard on the two albums he has recorded with Gerry Mulligan ( Mulligan - Desmond Quartet and Two of a Mind ). In 1977, he was inducted into the Jazz Hall of Fame.
In addition to his game, he was known for his witty way, as evidenced by the liner notes of his solo albums and the memories of others. For a few years there was a rumor that he would write in his autobiography, but it never appeared. He remarked ironically pleased with the condition of his liver: " Pristine, one of the great livers of our time. Awash in Dewar's and full of health. " He held his last concert with Brubeck in February 1977 in New York City. His fans did not know that he was terminally ill. Desmond died the same year and bequeathed his entire inheritance including the immense royalties for Take Five the Red Cross.
"It was the rhythm of the machine, which has suggested to me, and I 've really only written to reinzuholen the money back that I 've lost since "
Others
Apparently Desmond was for many years unhappily in love with the actress Audrey Hepburn. In the biography Take Five: the Public and Private Lives of Paul Desmond by Doug Ramsey, there is a section on Desmond's unrequited love for that actress. It says that he is at appearances in New York secretly by the club where he played wegschlich to catch just a glimpse of Audrey Hepburn when they left the theater, where she worked at the time. According to statements from his friends he was on such occasions on the opposite side of the road, smoking a cigarette, without ever they dare to speak. So he wrote one day an instrumental piece called Audrey. Desmond and Hepburn never met in his lifetime. Ironically, Hepburn should have their friends over said at the funeral Desmond, Audrey was her favorite piece of Desmond - without knowing that this was only because of them composed.
Discography
Collection
- The Complete Recordings of the Paul Desmond Quartet with Jim Hall (1959-1965) - ( Mosaic - 1987 ) - 6 LPs with Connie Kay dm and bassist Percy Heath, George Duvivier, Gene Cherico and Eugene Wright