34 Facts About Paul Desmond

Paul Desmond was a member of the Dave Brubeck Quartet and composed the group's biggest hit, "Take Five".

Paul Desmond's grandfather Sigmund Breitenfeld, a medical doctor, was born on 17 November 1857, in Ceska Kamenice in Bohemia in 1857; he emigrated to the US in 1885 and on 2 May 1886, in New York, married Hermina Lewy.

Paul Desmond's mother, born Shirley King, was of an Irish Catholic family.

Paul Desmond's father Emil Breitenfeld was a pianist, organist, arranger, and composer who accompanied silent films in movie theaters and produced musical arrangements for printed publication and for live theatrical productions.

Paul Desmond began playing the clarinet at age twelve, and continued throughout his time at San Francisco Polytechnic High School.

Paul Desmond spent three years in the military, but his unit was not called to combat.

Paul Desmond was married from 1947 to 1949 to Duane Reeves Lamon.

Paul Desmond worked occasionally for Dave Brubeck at the Geary Cellar in San Francisco.

Paul Desmond had a falling out with Brubeck when he resigned from the Band Box and prevented Brubeck from taking over the residency.

In 1950, Paul Desmond joined the band of Jack Fina and toured with Fina for several months, but he returned to California after hearing Brubeck's trio on the radio and deciding that he should repair his relationship with Brubeck and attempt to join Brubeck's increasingly successful band.

At the time, Brubeck and his wife Iola had three small children, and Brubeck had instructed Iola not to let Paul Desmond set foot in the family home.

Paul 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 Paul Desmond in and took him to Dave.

Paul 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 Paul Desmond again.

Paul Desmond once told Marian McPartland of National Public Radio's Piano Jazz that he was taken aback by the chord changes which Brubeck introduced during that 1944 audition.

Paul Desmond hoped for a "tinky-boom" background-type drummer while Morello wanted to be recognized and featured.

In 1976 Paul Desmond played 25 shows in 25 nights with Brubeck, touring the United States by bus.

Paul Desmond worked several times during his career with baritone saxophonist and band leader Gerry Mulligan.

In June 1969 Paul Desmond appeared at the New Orleans Jazz Festival with Gerry Mulligan, with favorable reactions from critics and audience members.

Unlike Brubeck, Mulligan had much in common with Paul Desmond; they were similar in their interests and humor, and both were prone to addiction.

Paul Desmond had a celebrated studio partnership with guitarist Jim Hall.

Paul Desmond joined the Modern Jazz Quartet for a Christmas concert in 1971 at the New York Town Hall.

Paul Desmond was a guest artist on five tracks by Chet Baker recorded between 1975 and 1977.

Baker and Paul Desmond appeared together on two tracks included on Jim Hall's 1975 Concierto album.

Paul Desmond featured Bickert on his 1975 studio album Pure Paul Desmond, and the two played together at the 1976 Edmonton Jazz Festival.

Darius Brubeck recalls thinking that Paul Desmond was his uncle almost into adolescence.

Paul Desmond grew especially close to Dave's son Michael, to whom he left his saxophone upon his death.

Paul Desmond was described as a womanizer who was unable to form steady relationships with women, though he had no shortage of female companions throughout his life.

Paul Desmond enjoyed reading works by thinkers of his generation like Timothy Leary and Jack Kerouac who advocated or relied upon the use of recreational drugs, and sometimes used LSD.

Paul Desmond had several addictions, including Dewar's Scotch whisky and Pall Mall cigarettes.

Paul Desmond died on May 30,1977, not of his heavy alcohol habit but of lung cancer, the result of his longtime heavy smoking.

Paul Desmond's fans were unaware of his rapidly declining health.

Paul Desmond specified in his will that all proceeds from "Take Five" would go to the Red Cross following his death.

The Paul Desmond Papers are held at the Holt-Atherton Special Collections and Archives in the University of the Pacific Library.

Paul Desmond's improvisation is praised for its logical structure and lyricism.