Known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, Getz's prime influence was the wispy, mellow tone of his idol, Lester Young. "[2][3][4] However, Fred Barton, songwriter/arranger and Desmond's cousin, found extensive genealogical proof that both the Breitenfeld and Löwy families were Bohemian Jews. Photograph: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images . Start With a Simple Melodic Idea. One of the great livers of our time. After this long and expensive process, Desmond willed the piano to Cunningham, a characteristic and final prank. If you like the sound of Paul Desmond, this review is for you. This work is quite a plus for any listener and especially those who consider themselves avid fans of Paul Desmond". 1" // "How Long, Baby How Long, Pt. Some people called him the stork—'Cause he would stand on one leg and leaned on the piano. Desmond began to study clarinet at the age of twelve, which he continued while at San Francisco Polytechnic High School. [6], Dave Brubeck(PBS interview with Hedrick Smith)[7]. [1] His grandfather Sigmund Breitenfeld was, according to an obituary, born in Austria in 1857. Desmond's playing was also notable for his ability to produce extremely high notes, the altissimo register, on his saxophone. [11] 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. Knowing that a couple of the tracks were the last thing Paul Desmond ever recorded gives the whole disc an added poignancy. Paul Desmond was an artist who stood alone on the alto saxophone. Interviewed by Desmond biographer Doug Ramsey, Desmond's first cousin Rick Breitenfeld said that no one in the Breitenfeld family could find evidence of Jewish ancestry or Jewish religious observance, but Paul Desmond and members of his father's family "frequently speculated as to whether or not Sigmund or Hermine Breitenfeld had Jewish backgrounds". [6], In 1946, following his military discharge, Desmond legally changed his last named from Breitenfeld to Desmond. Much of the success of the classic Brubeck quartet was due to the juxtaposition of his airy style over Brubeck's sometimes relatively heavy, polytonal piano work. Desmond had met Dave Brubeck in 1944 while still in the military. In an era that worshipped the frenetic, bebop style of Charlie Parker, Paul Desmond found his own sound, a tone that he claimed imitated a “dry martini.” It was a sound that made him a favourite with critics and fans alike, and won him jazz poll after jazz poll. Your contribution helps keep jazz strong on air and in the community. 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's cool school of jazz. Desmond produced a light, melodic tone on the alto saxophone, trying to sound, he said, "like a dry martini." 1; 2; First 2 of 2 Go to page . His warm, elegant tone was one that he admittedly tried to make sound like a dry 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's cool school of jazz. He worked occasionally for Dave Brubeck at the Geary Cellar in San Francisco. Lewy, the maiden surname of Paul's paternal grandmother Hermine, is more likely to be of Jewish origin, but no evidence of her genealogy has surfaced. Prev. Hall played on several albums recorded by Desmond between 1959 and 1963 for the Warner Bros. and RCA record labels. In contrast, Brubeck was deeply religious and a stalwart family man. [4] From 1950 to 1967, Paul Desmond played with the wildly successful Dave Brubeck Quartet; their midpoint triumph Time Out from 1959 is a staple on lists of the most important jazz LPs. Top down cruising; just allowing a barely discernible tap of the fingers or nod of the head to the beat. Desmond produced a light, melodic tone on the alto saxophone, trying to sound, he said, "like a dry martini." He and Art Pepper were virtually the only alto players of their generation not directly influenced by Charlie Parker. The tone of the album: lush, reflective, thought-provoking, and soul-stirring. But that ... that was when he was playing great. Never without his humor, after he was diagnosed with cancer he expressed pleasure at the health of his liver. Following his divorce, he remained single for the rest of his life.[2]. His father was Jewish and his mother Irish-Catholic. He and Art Pepper were virtually the only alto players of their generation not directly influenced by Charlie Parker. Today, I am reviewing a hard rubber alto saxophone mouthpiece from Gottsu mouthpieces in Japan. His improvisations were complex but always lyrical and direct. Paul Desmond (born Paul Emil Breitenfeld, November 25, 1924 – May 30, 1977) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and composer, best known for his work with the Dave Brubeck Quartet and for composing that group's biggest hit, "Take Five". He exemplified a sound and cool that was said to come from the west coast. A B-side that was just so smooth. As freshman at San Francisco State College, Desmond began playing alto saxophone. Awash in Dewar's and full of health. Desmond was cremated and his ashes were scattered. 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. Paul Desmond could make the alto sing like a bird. It's so smooth and yet it's uncommon....If I ever decide I need another name, it's going to be Desmond. Paul Desmond produced a melodic tone on his alto saxophone, trying to sound like a “Dry Martini”. I play guitar, but Desmond had the sax down. His pa… read more The two made two studio albums together (Gerry Mulligan - Paul Desmond Quartet (1957), and Two of a Mind (1962)). Desmond featured Bickert on his 1975 studio album Pure Desmond, and the two played together at the 1976 Edmonton Jazz Festival. Paul Desmond was a great saxophonist. During World War I, while Breitenfeld was training with the 17th New York Regiment in Plattsburgh, New York, he composed The Last Long Mile, one of the best-known soldiers' songs of that war.[5]. 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. Desmond had a falling out with Brubeck when he resigned from the Band Box and prevented Brubeck from taking over the residency. This week we’ll survey recordings from 1953 to 1963 led by alto sax player Paul Desmond, whose cool, precise tone was the ideal foil for the boisterous piano of Dave Brubeck in the Dave Brubeck Quartet. This probably would help! Gottsu Sepia Tone VI Marble Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review. [2] Biographer Ramsey notes that "the name Breitenfeld could be Jewish or non-Jewish. But the name could have been applied just as aptly to Paul Desmond… He began on the clarinet when in high school. Paul Desmond is widely recognized for his genius as a melodic improviser and as the benchmark of cool jazz sax players. These were released on the albums She Was Too Good to Me, You Can't Go Home Again, and The Best Thing For You. His tone was like honey, and he did not suffer from the need to see how many notes he could cram into a bar, find the highest note he could squeeze out, or make painful experiments in tonality. As we come to the end of a challenging year, we’re here for you — and we hope you can be here for us, too. Brubeck was trying out for the 253rd Army band, which Desmond belonged to. A gesture. 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. The success of the quartet led to a Time magazine piece on them in 1954, with the famous cover featuring Brubeck's face. Thanks for posting this comment. [8], Desmond enjoyed reading works by the thinkers of his generation like Timothy Leary and Jack Kerouac, also dabbling in some LSD usage. After Desmond convinced Brubeck to hire him following his stint with Jack Fina, the two had a contract drafted (of which Brubeck was the sole signatory); the language forbade Brubeck from firing him, ensured Brubeck's status as group leader, and gave Desmond twenty percent of all profits generated from the quartet. It was a sound that made him a favourite with critics and fans alike, and won him jazz poll after jazz poll. [2] Starting in 1933, Desmond spent nearly five years living with relatives in New Rochelle, New York due to his mother's mental health problems. What if each cool version had its own tone or sound and there was a wonderful instrument that when played, just right, brought that cool to life? Paul Desmond is widely recognized for his genius as a melodic improviser and as the benchmark of cool jazz sax players. 19-45 Published by: Sage Publications, Inc. Jazz at the College of the Pacific, Volume 2, Anything Goes! [13] 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. The Paul Desmond Papers are held at the Holt-Atherton Special Collections in the University of the Pacific Library. Phil has told me that he has created the Phil-Tone Orion to be a great playing alto saxophone mouthpiece at a great price. In addition to his work with Brubeck, he led several groups and collaborated with Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Jim Hall, and Ed Bickert. An evenness. Breitenfeld accompanied silent films in movie theaters and produced musical arrangements for printed publication and for live theatrical productions. December 8, 2020 by Steve Leave a Comment. What if every emotion had a cool version? In the 1940s and 1950s, Desmond frequently took amphetamines, and in the 1970s, he was known to use cocaine. [6][8] That is how the Dave Brubeck Quartet had its start, a group that began in 1951 and ended in December 1967. The Paul Desmond Papers are held at the Holt-Atherton Special Collections in the University of the Pacific Library. In his first year of college, Desmond was drafted into the United States Army and joined the Army band while stationed in San Francisco. Richard Williams. Pristine, perfect. What if each cool version had its own tone or sound and there was a wonderful instrument that when played, just right, brought that cool to life? Fresh, like a wave or a gentle breeze. There are plenty of Breitenfelds in Germany and Austria to support both sides of the argument. Although Desmond contributed the biggest hit to the band book, “Take Five,” that immortal theme is an outlier, for Desmond mainly functioned in the Brubeck group as star soloist. "[2] Desmond was married from 1947 to 1949 to Duane Reeves Lamon. Jan 5, 2018 - Explore John Harling's board "Paul Desmond" on Pinterest. After some time spent inactive, Desmond was asked to play the Half Note in New York City in 1971 by Hall. He was known to have several addictions, including Dewar's Scotch whisky and Pall Mall cigarettes. Paul Desmond’s artistry was bringing cool to life. The quartet became especially popular with college-age audiences, often performing in college settings like on their ground-breaking 1953 album Jazz at Oberlin at Oberlin College, or on their recordings on the campuses of Ohio University and the University of Michigan, among others. Later on, when he changed his name to Desmond, he joked he did it because "Breitenfeld sounded too Irish". Paul Desmond is widely recognized for his genius as a melodic improviser and as the benchmark of cool jazz sax players. Live recordings of that concert and club dates with Bickert performed during 1974-1975 were released during and after Desmond's lifetime. He wrote “Take Five” for the Dave Brubeck quartet. To read our privacy and cookies policy, please click here. The Dave Brubeck Quartet Plays Cole Porter, We're All Together Again for the First Time, Paul Desmond Quartet Featuring Don Elliott, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_Desmond&oldid=992802661, Wikipedia articles with BIBSYS identifiers, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SELIBR identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with Trove identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Joker (Italy) SM-3804; Blue Vox (Switzerland) B/90174, Dave Brubeck/Paul Desmond/Dave Van Kriedt, Europa Jazz (Italy) EJ-1032; Denon (Japan) 33C38-7681, Columbia C2L-26/C2S-826 [as double LP]; CL-2036/CS-8836 and CL-2037/CS-8837 [as single LPs], "How Long, Baby How Long, Pt. Kind of setting unstable throughout his upbringing, and composer admittedly tried to make like! 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