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Paul Desmond is known principally for playing alto sax
with Dave Brubeck's Quartet from 1951-67, but some of his best work was
done in a quartet he fronted with Jim Hall on guitar. They recorded 50 tunes
from 1959 to 1965 including classics like "I Get a Kick Out of You", "East
of the Sun", and "Take Ten". The latter explores the rhythm of Desmond's
gigantic 1959 hit "Take Five" which the DBQ recorded. Desmond also recorded
two albums with Gerry Mulligan, and three with Chet Baker. In his last years
he led his so-called "Canadian Quartet" with Ed Bickert on guitar, Don Thompson
on bass, and Jerry Fuller on drums.
Enjoy.
Doug Ramsey, a jazz critic and personal friend of Paul Desmond, has finally completed his much awaited biography of Desmond. The book, published by Parkside Publications, will most likely be available by late February or early March 2005. Doug interviewed over one hundred people from all periods and compartments of Desmond's life: fellow musicians, schoolmates, friends, girlfriends, etc. One of the highlights of the book has to be that Doug managed to track down and interview Duane, Desmond's former wife and a shadowy figure in the Desmond story. Doug says, "She was surprised, helpful, cooperative, witty and, in general, delightful. She added immeasurably to the story of Paul's younger days." Included in the book is a discography and transcriptions and analysis of some of Desmond's solos. I quote from the publisher's blurb ... "Take Five: The Public and Private Lives of Paul Desmond includes long, revealing passages from Paul's letters, hilarious accounts of life in the army and life on the road, his memos to himself about his artistic choices and his disagreements with jazz orthodoxy, his carefully crafted campaign to persuade Brubeck that he should be in Dave's band. Many of the book's nearly two hundred photographs have never before been published, nor have several amusing drawings by Desmond's close friend Arnold Roth. Ramsey includes the story of how Brubeck's friendship with Desmond blew up and Brubeck's wry account of how Desmond repaired it. Dave and Iola Brubeck wrote the book's foreword. It begins, "Paul Desmond was an enigma." This fascinating book makes him less of one." For more information, visit Parkside's website at: www.parksidepublications.com
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