Take Five – Paul Desmond and Dave Brubeck – piano solo (with sheet music)

Table of Contents

    Take Five – Paul Desmond and Dave Brubeck – piano solo (with sheet music)

    paul desmond sheet music download partitura partition

    Jazz sheet music download here.

    Paul Desmond biography

    Born Paul Emil Breitenfeld; November 25, 1924, in San Francisco, CA; died May 30, 1977, New York City; father was an organist in movie theaters and an arranger and accompanist for vaudeville acts.

    In the minds and hearts of music listeners, Paul Desmond and the Dave Brubeck Quartet are virtually inseparable. These innovators experienced an almost immediate mutual attraction. The underlying concept that melded them into this smooth, sometimes surprising, swinging unit began when they played together casually after being discharged from World War II service.

    Browse in the Library:

    Total Records Found in the Library: 12472, showing 120 per page
    Artist or Composer / Score nameCoverList of Contents
    (500) Days Of Summer Piano Theme ( Mychael Danna, Rob Simonsen) (500) Days Of Summer Piano Theme ( Mychael Danna, Rob Simonsen)
    10,000 Maniacs Because The Night Piano Solo sheet music free sheet music partitura partition noten
    100 Golden Standards The World’s Best Piano Arrangements by the greatest pianists of the Century sheet music The World’s Best Piano Arrangements
    100 Great Keyboard Intros Songbook free sheet music 100 Great Keyboard Intros Songbook
    100 Greatest Film Scores (Book) by Matt Lawson & Laurence E. MacDonald sheet music download
    100 greatest POP songs free sheet music & pdf scores download 100 greats pop songs
    100 Greatest Songs of Rock & Roll, Selections From Piano Vocal Guitar Sheet Music free scores 100 Greatest Songs of Rock & Roll, Selections From Piano Vocal Guitar Sheet Music
    100 Hits Simply The Best – Guitar (Die besten Songs aus Pop Rock) German free download sheet music & scores pdf 100 Hits Simply The Best (Die besten Songs aus Pop
    100 Jazz & Blues Greats Book sheet music pdf 100 Jazz & Blues Greats
    100 Jazz Solos & Etudes by Jacob Wise sheet music pdf 100 Jazz solos
    100 Light Classics For Piano Solo free sheet music & scores pdf download 100 Light Classics For Piano Solo
    100 Most Beautiful Christmas Songs Easy Piano Vocal free scores 100 Most Beautiful Christmas Songs Easy Piano Vocal
    100 Most Beautiful Christmas Songs Piano Vocal Guitar free scores 100 Most Beautiful Christmas Songs Piano Vocal Guitar
    100 Must-Know Jazz Tunes with MP3 audio tracks to Play Along sheet music 100 Must-Know Jazz Tune – C version
    100 of the Best Movie Songs Ever! Piano Vocal Guitar free scores 100 best movie songs 1&100 best movie songs 2
    100 Of The Best Songs Ever For The Keyboard by Daniel Scott 100 Of The Best Songs Ever For The Keyboard
    100 Piano Solos (100 popular standards of today arr. by Frank Booth) with guitar chords free scores 100 piano solos 1
    100 Pop Hits Of The 90’s by Dan Coates free download sheet music & scores pdf 100 Pop Hits Of The 90’s by Dan Coates
    100 Rock N Roll Standards Piano Vocal Guitar chords sheet music partitura partition noten spartiti 100 Rock N Roll Standards Piano Vocal Guitar chords contents
    100 Songs For Kids – Easy Guitar Lyrics with Tablature sheet music pdf 100 Songs For Kids – Easy Guitar Lyrics
    100 Tunes Every Musician Should Know Professional Chord Changes And Substitutions By Dick Hyman sheet music partitura partition noten spartiti 100 Tunes Every Musician Should Know Professional Chord Changes And Substitutions By Dick Hyman
    100 Ultimate Blues Riffs For Piano Keyboards free sheet music & pdf scores download 100 ultimate riffs jazz piano
    100 Women Of Pop And Rock 100 songs by 100 artists sheet music partitura partition noten spartiti 100 Women Of Pop And Rock 100 songs by 100 artists Piano Vocal Guitaral Leonard
    100 Years Of Popular Music 1980s Part Two Piano Vocal Guitar Chords noten 100 Years Of Popular Music 1980s Part Two Piano Vocal Guitar Chords
    1000 Examples of Musical Dictation (Ladukhin, Nikolay) 1000 Examples of Musical Dictation
    1000 Words – Final Fantasy X-2.mscz
    1001 Blues Licks by Toby Wine – Piano free sheet music pdf 1001 Blues Licks by Toby Wine – Piano
    1001 Jazz Licks A Complete Jazz Vocabulary For The Improvising Musician (Jack Shneidman) sheet music download 1001 Jazz Licks A Complete Jazz Vocabulary For The Improvising Musician (Jack Shneidman)
    101 Cançoes Que Tocaram O Brasil Nelson Motta (Book) (Brazilian Portuguese) sheet music
    101 Frank Sinatra Hits For Buskers free scores download 101 Frank Sinatra Hits For Buskers
    101 Mississippi Delta Blues Fingerpicking Licks Guitar and TAB by Larry McCabe free sheet music Larry McCabe – 101 Mississippi Delta Blues Fingerpicking Licks
    101 Must-Know Blues Licks (Guitar Educational) (Wolf Marshall) PDF + MP3 audio tracks Play Along with Tablature free sheet music download 101 Must-Know Blues Licks (Guitar Educational) (Wolf Marshall)
    1015 Songs – The Original Musicians’s (Musicals) free sheet music & scores pdf 1015 Songs – The Original, Musicians’s (Musicals)
    106 Songs Everybody Plays free sheet music & pdf scores download 106 Songs Everybody Plays
    11 Short Classical Piano Pieces sheet music score download partitura partition spartiti noten  11 Short Classical Piano Pieces
    116 Arrangements Of Baroque, Classical & Ballet Pieces For Piano Solo 116 Arrangements Of Baroque, Classical & Ballet Pieces For Piano Solo
    129 Easy Pieces For Piano Solo, also for beginners free sheet music & pdf scores download 129 easy pieces for piano solo
    12th Street RAG – Liberace Collection Book of 5 compositions free sheet music & pdf scores download sheet music score download partitura partition spartiti
    12th Street Rag by Euday Bowman (Piano Solo sheet music, Noten, partition, partitura, spartito).mscz
    150 Best Songs For Acoustic Guitar free sheet music pdf
    150 More Of The Most Beautiful Songs Ever (Songbook) Piano Vocal Guitar free scores 150 More Of The Most Beautiful Songs Ever (Songbook) Piano Vocal Guitar
    150 Of The Best Jazz Standards Ever free sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti 150 Of The Best Jazz Standards Ever
    150 Of The Most Beautiful Songs Ever 3rd Edition sheet music 150 Of The Most Beautiful Songs Ever 3rd Edit1 and 150 Of The Most Beautiful Songs Ever 3rd Edit2
    16 Pop and Movies Hits Keyboard Piano Book (Mike Emerson) sheet music download partitions gratuites Noten spartiti partituras 16 Pop and Movies Hits Keyboard Piano Book (Mike Emerson)
    1600 Pennsylvania Avenue The Musical By Leonard Bernstein And Alan Jay Lerner Vocal Selections sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti partituras
    17 Moments of Spring – Mgnovenia (Mikael Tariverdiev)
    1812 Overture Op. 49 Thaikovsky (arr. piano solo) sheet music pdf
    1950s Jazz (Fake Book lead sheet music) sheet music partitura partition noten spartiti 1950s Jazz (Fake Book lead sheet music)
    20 Century Fox Theme Transcription By Deusde Coppen sheet music download partitions gratuites Noten spartiti partituras
    20 Modern BEBOP Licks – by Noah Kellman All Keys with left hands chords free sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti partituras 20 Modern BEBOP Licks – by Noah Kellman All Keys with left hands chords
    200 Jazz Standards Tunes (chords progressions for C Instruments) Bob Taylor free sheet music pdf 200 Jazz Standards Tunes (chords progressions for C Instruments) Bob Taylor
    200 Of The Best Songs From Jazz Of The ’50s jazz of the 50s
    2014 Top Hits Of 2014 Songbook Piano Vocal Guitar free scores 2014 Top Hits Of 2014 Songbook Piano Vocal Guitar
    2016 Top Hits Of 2016 Songbook Piano Vocal Guitar free sheet music 2016 Top Hits Of 2016 Songbook Piano Vocal Guitar
    2018 Greatest Pop Movie Hits Songbook For Piano free scores download 2018 Greatest Pop Movie Hits Songbook For Piano
    2019 GREATEST POP MOVIE HITS SONGBOOK FOR PIANO PART 2 Piano sheet music (Jim Presley) free sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti 2019 GREATEST POP MOVIE HITS SONGBOOK FOR PIANO PART 2 Piano sheet music (Jim Presley)
    2020 Greatest Pop Piano Sheet Music Book Songbooks For Piano free scores download 2020 Greatest Pop Piano Sheet Music Book Songbooks For Piano
    20th Century Classics Volume 1 free sheet music & scores pdf 20th Century Classics Volume 1
    20th Century Jazz Guitar by Richie Zellon (with Tablature) free download sheet music & scores pdf 20th Century Jazz Guitar by Richie Zellon
    20th Century Masters Of Fingerstyle Guitar by John Stropes free sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti 20th Century Masters Of Fingerstyle Guitar by John Stropes
    20th Century Piano Music – Book (1990) David Burge free download sheet music & scores pdf 20th Century Piano Music Book (1990) David Burge
    24 Etudes Op.35 – Fernando Sor (1778 – 1839) (Musescore File).mscz
    24_Preludes_Op.34 Shostakovich.mscz
    25 Short Classical Guitar Pieces (with Tablature) sheet music score download partitura partition spartiti noten 25 Short Classical Guitar Pieces
    262 Classic Piano Rags Various Composers free sheet music & scores pdf 262 Classic Piano Rags Various Composers
    273 Easy And Intermediate Piano Pieces free sheet music partitura partition noten 273 Easy And Intermediate Piano Pieces contents
    28 Modern Jazz Trumpet Solos Book 2 sheet music download 28 Modern Jazz Trumpet Solos Book 2
    3.10 to Yuma (Marco Beltrami)
    30 Best Rock Guitar Songs Ever (Guitar TABs) sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti partituras
30 Best Rock Guitar Songs Ever (Guitar TABs)
    300 Sacred Songs Melody Lyrics Chords Fake Book Melody Lyrics Chords sheet music download partitions gratuites Noten spartiti partituras 300 Sacred Songs Melody Lyrics Chords Fake Book Melody Lyrics Chords_compressed
    36 Christmas Carols Songs sheet music score download partitura partition spartiti 36 christmas carols songs
    38 Special Guitar Anthology Guitar Recorded Vers. with Tablature free sheet music & scores pdf download 38 special guitar anthology
    39 Progressive Solos For Classical Guitar (with Tablature) sheet music score download partitura partition 39 Progressive Solos For Classical Guitar
    39 Progressive Solos For Classical Guitar Book 2 (with Tablature) sheet music score download partitura partition spartiti 39 Progressive Solos For Classical Guitar Book 2 sheet music pdf
    40 Easy Guitar Pieces (Painted with the Sound) sheet music download partitions gratuites Noten spartiti partituras
    49 Most Popular Jazz Songs sheet music pdf 49 Most Popular Jazz Songs
    5 Christmas Songs Sheet Music Trumpet in B & Piano accompaniment (Viktor Dick) 5 Christmas Songs Sheet Music Trumpet in B & Piano accompaniement (Viktor Dick)
    50 Broadway Shows 50 Broadway Songs free sheet music & scores pdf 50 Broadway Shows 50 Broadway Songs
    50 Classical Guitar Solos In Tablature (Howard Wallach) with Tablature free scores download 50 Classical Guitar Solos In Tablature (Howard Wallach)
    50 Essential Bebop Heads Arranged For Guitar Tablature (best lines Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk and more) sheet music download 50 Essential Bebop Heads Arranged For Guitar Tablature (best lines Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk and more)
    50 Jazz Standards Every Jazz Musician Needs To Know with MP3 audio tracks to Play Along sheet music 50 Jazz Standards Every Jazz Musician Needs To Know – C version
    50 Most Popular Classical Melodies (Easy Piano) sheet music partitura partition noten spartiti 50 Most Popular Classical Melodies
    50 Of The Most Beautiful Piano Love Songs Solos Ever. noten 50 OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PIANO LOVE SONGS SOLOS EVER
    50 Piano Arrangements Of Hymns And Gospel Songs (Fred Bock’s Best) free sheet music 50 Piano Arrangements Of Hymns sheet music
    50 Piano Classics – Easy free sheet music pdf 50 piano classics
    50 Riffs For Blues Guitar – Martin Shellard with MP3 audio to Play Along with Tablature 50 Riffs For Blues Guitar - Martin Shellard 50 riffs for blues guitar
    500 Piano Intros For The Great Standards – Steinway free sheet music & scores pdf 500 piano intros
    55 Country Classics (Voice, piano, Guitar) sheet music download 55 Country Classics (Voice, piano, Guitar)
    557 Jazz Standards (Sheet Music – in C for all instruments) swing to bop (lead sheet) free sheet music Noten partitura Standards (Sheet Music – Piano)
    60 Progressive Solos For Classical Guitar By Mark Phillips (with Tablature) sheet music score download partitura partition spartiti
    67 Fun Songs arranged by Jon Schmidt (Piano) sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti partituras
    70’s Hits (Easy Piano Solos) – Hans-Gunter Heumann [Piano, Vocal, Chords] sheet music pdf sheet music pdf
    750.000 anni fa.l’Amore (Banco del Mutuo Soccorso)
    75th Anniversary A Tribute In Music From The 20s Through The 90s Various Artists Warner Bros sheet music download 75th Anniversary A Tribute In Music From The 20s Through The 90s Various Artists Warner Bros
    78 Quarterly No 1 and 2 (1967) Book magazine free sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti
    8 ½ Theme (Nino Rota)
    8 Femmes (Krishna Levy)
    8 Jazz scales you need to know.mscz
    80 Most Requested LDS Songs (Mormon music) sheet music download partitura partition spartito 80 Most Requested LDS Songs (Mormon music)
    88 Piano Classics For Beginners – David Dutkanicz sheet music score download partitura partition spartiti 88 Piano Classics For Beginners – David Dutkanicz
    88 The Giants Of Jazz Piano by Robert L. Foerschuk (Book) foreword by Keith Jarrett sheet music
    9 easy guitar pieces – Sveinn Eythorsson sheet music pdf
    97 Oeuvres pour Guitare de Jean Francois DELCAMP sheet music score download partitura partition spartiti 97 Oeuvres pour Guitare de Jean Francois DELCAMP
    99 Easy Piano Pieces free sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti 99 Easy Piano Pieces
    A Beautiful Mind – A Kalidoscope of Mathematics sheet music pdf
    A Beautiful Mind – All Love Can Be A Beautiful Mind – All Love Can Be
    A Beautiful Mind – Kalidoscope
    A Child Is Born – Oscar Peterson (Musescore File).mscz
    A Chordal Concept For Jazz Guitar by Peter O’Mara sheet music score download partitura partition spartiti  A Chordal Concept For Jazz Guitar by Peter O’Mara
    A Ciascuno il Suo (Luis Bacalov)
    A Clare Benediction – John Rutter – Piano Solo Arr. (Musescore File).mscz
    A Clockwork Orange (Beethoviana) A Clockwork Orange (Beethoviana)
    A Clockwork Orange (Beethoviana) (Musescore File).mscz
    A Comparative Study Of The 24 Preludes Of A. Scriabin And Sergei Rachmaninoff (book) free sheet music & pdf scores download
    A Complete Course of Instruction For The Piano-Forte (Dr Karl Merz) (1885) sheet music download Instruction…
    A Cool Yule. Ten Jazzy Christmas Songs sheet music score download partitura partition spartiti A Cool Yule. Ten Jazzy Christmas Songs
    A Creative Approach To Jazz Piano Harmony Bill Dobbins free sheet music A Creative Approach To Jazz Piano Harmony Bill Dobbins
    A Creative Approach To Practicing JAZZ – by David Baker free sheet music pdf A Creative Approach To pravtising Jazz
    A Dance of Dragons – Blood of the Dragon (Game of Thrones) Piano solo arr. a dance of dragons sheet music
    A Dictionary of Music and Musicians Vol. 4 (A.D. 1450-1880) Edited in 1889 free sheet music & scores pdf

    Through seventeen ground-breaking years Desmond and Brubeck were the driving force behind the most commercially successful jazz group of its day, perhaps of any era. The quartet’s bassists and drummers changed, but the vital, unique interplay between the altoist Desmond and the leader-pianist Brubeck were the constant key elements that drove the success of the group.

    Desmond always claimed that he changed his name from Breitenfeld “because it sounds too Irish,” and that he picked Desmond out of the phone book. His German father was an accomplished organist, playing in movie theaters and as a vaudeville accompanist. Into the 1960s, he was still doing arrangements for bands. When Paul’s Irish mother became ill in about 1929 he moved to New Rochelle, New York, to live with relatives.

    He liked to tell of his grammar school experience there in which he played his first improvised solo (on vibes or chimes): “I was supposed to play one of those grisly semiclassical things…. I figured if I just went out and made up something as I went along, it couldn’t be any worse. So that’s what I did and it was a gas. It was the first thing I’d enjoyed doing. I didn’t realize until about fifteen years later that you could make a living doing this.”

    After returning to San Francisco in 1936, Desmond later began playing the clarinet at Polytechnic High School, where he edited the school newspaper as well as playing in the band. After some casual gigging on clarinet, Desmond took up the alto in 1943, the same year he entered the Army and was assigned to the 253rd AGF band. As he told pianist/radio host/writer Marion McPartland, “It was a great way to spend the war. We expected to get shipped out every month, but it never happened. Somewhere in Washington our file must be on the floor under a desk somewhere.”

    Stationed in San Francisco, he met tenorman/arranger Dave Van Kreidt, who in turn introduced Desmond to Brubeck for just a short session in their band room. Desmond’s reaction to this first meeting has been reported using various “Desmondisms,” the altoist’s clever, off-beat observations.

    At the very least, Desmond was impressed by the pianist’s far-out approach. The two did not meet again until after they were discharge from service when Brubeck was playing in saxophonist Darryl Cutler’s trio at San Francisco’s Geary Cellar. As Desmond recalled: “I went down and sat in, and the musical rapport was very evident and kind of scary. A lot of the things we’ve done since, we did then immediately-a lot of the counterpoint things, and it really impressed me. If you think Dave plays far out now, you should have heard him then. He made Cecil Taylor sound like Lester Lanin.”

    Quartet is Launched

    Soon Desmond hired leader Cutler’s pianist and bassist Norman Bates away from him, becoming the leader of his own group, playing near Stanford. “A lot of the things we did later with the quartet began there…. I have a memory of several nights that seemed fantastic, and I don’t feel that way too often.”

    Nevertheless, Desmond became disabused of the idea of being the leader. He entered San Francisco State College, aspiring to be a writer. He also joined the experimental Dave Brubeck Octet, mostly a rehearsal group. By June, 1950, related Paul, he had decided that writing could be learned but not taught. “My only jobs had been two concerts with the octet and a Mexican wedding,” so he joined the band of Jack Fina, ending a tour in New York.

    At about this time Brubeck, with assistance from disc jockey/promoter Jimmy Lyons, started his trio and established his own record company. Desmond returned to San Francisco and, in 1951, the Dave Brubeck Quartet was born. The earlier-evidenced rapport between them blossomed and the group began to draw the interest of a cadre of fans and critics.

    First Dave’s trio recorded with Fantasy, followed by the full quartet, with Ron Crotty on bass and Cal Tjader on drums and vibraphone. In October of 1952 the quartet recorded a memorable set at George Wein’s Storyville club in Boston, with Lloyd Davis now on drums. The group was making inroads with college audiences and in 1953 they recorded two concerts, Jazz at Oberlin and the equally sensational Jazz at the College of the Pacific, with Joe Dodge now the drummer. This signaled the beginning of a series of college concerts that culminated in a contract with Columbia Records.

    Hail, Columbia!

    Not surprisingly, Columbia’s first Brubeck Quartet release was 1954’s Jazz Goes to College. This blockbuster LP combined offerings from concerts at the University of Cincinnati, the University of Michigan and a return visit to Oberlin. Of Desmond’s work on this album, George Avakian wrote: “… Desmond indulges in a favorite practice of his: to play what seem to be duets with himself.

    You will frequently hear Paul play passages in which he has two rapidly alternating melody lines in motion, which not only are independently valid, but which fit into one continuous line as well…. Desmond is nothing short of colossal in ‘The Song is You”… A breathtaking flow of ideas carries the listener along from peak to peak, with a couple of exceptional examples of Paul’s duet technique along the way.”

    In the early Columbia years Norman Bates and Bob Bates served as bassists; Joe Dodge continued on drums. The most memorable personnel lineup for the quartet began in 1956 when percussionist Joe Morello signed on for an eleven-year stint, with bassist Eugene Wright coming aboard in early 1958. Morello was an exceptionally gifted drummer, Wright a wonderful timekeeper and anchor for the rhythm section.

    Though Desmond and Morello initially clashed, in time they became close, and it was the drummer’s versatility that allowed the quartet to experiment so successfully with several unusual time signatures. Desmond’s 1960 composition, “Take Five,’ in 5/4 time, became the most popular of all the Brubeck Quartet recordings and the first jazz recording to “go gold” when it appeared on their 1960 Time Out album. This meter may be the most difficult of all in which to make music swing, but this group managed it and this song, with a lyric added by Iola Brubeck, crossed over to pop and other categories.

    Styled for Success

    In some ways Desmond and Brubeck were an odd match. Brubeck tended toward massive, heavy chords, whereas Desmond utilized a light, airy, “dry martini” sound. Both approached a melody obliquely, however, seeking to stake out new interpretations whenever possible. Perhaps the most important element of their playing together was their uncanny improvised fugues.

    Usually in the last chorus or more, one player would begin an invented phrase, only to have the other chime in with a perfectly matching counter phrase, in the manner of a perfectly conceived Bach fugue-swinging relentlessly. Desmond usually played in the upper range of his horn, beautiful of tone, always reaching. He was capable of playing extremely long phrases on one breath, allowing him to construct solos and fugues with majestic, flowing lines.

    Once established, the Quartet traveled the world many times over, often composing new songs based on their travels, as found in the album “Jazz Impressions of Eurasia.” Some of their concerts, such as those in Amsterdam and Copenhagen, were recorded. All the while they maintained a steady diet of performances in the United States-college concerts, concerts in halls such as Carnegie, club dates, studio recording, and jazz festivals such as Newport.

    Having established that he was no leader, Desmond was content to let Brubeck handle the business end. A financial agreement that they reached early in the partnership assured the altoist adequate compensation for his sizeable contributions to the group’s success.

    Brubeck and Desmond each credited the other with this success; they were both probably right. Jazz critics were not generally kindly disposed to Brubeck’s playing and, perhaps by default, they sometimes found reason to carp about Desmond’s. The New Yorker‘s Whitney Balliett points out that Desmond won the Down Beat Critics’ Poll only once, while winning the Readers’ Poll many times-“a rare instance of the public’s having better ears than the professionals.”

    Desmond had listened to three wonderful altoists when forming his taste, Pete Brown, Willie Smith and the incomparable Johnny Hodges, so long associated with Duke Ellington. Balliett wrote of Desmond’s 1969 appearance at the White House, honoring Duke’s seventieth birthday, in which Desmond “reproduced Johnny Hodges so perfectly during one of his solos that he startled the usually unflappable Ellington.”

    Stretched His Listeners

    In their solos Desmond and Brubeck each made generous use of “quotes”-phrases from other songs that fit into the chord pattern of the song being played. Often the borrowed phrase was the title line of the tune and Paul and Dave would often communicate with one another through these exchanges. It is said that Brubeck could discern Desmond’s mood or his immediate concerns by deciphering the altoists quotes. To amuse themselves, attuned to one another as they were, sometimes the musicians would engage in whole conversations in this esoteric manner.

    Balliett wrote of Desmond’s sound thus: “Desmond’s tone was off-white, gentle-almost transparent and almost weightless. It had a brand-new, untouched sound, he used very little vibrato…. Desmond’s solos thought; they had logic and clarity…. The quietness of Desmond’s attack was deceptive….

    But he always moved along the outer edges of the chords he was improvising on, atonality in sight. His rhythmic attack was equally deceptive…. He played behind the beat, on the eat, and ahead of the beat…. Like his friend Jim Hall, Desmond was one of he handful of jazz improvisers who demand total concentration. If the listener falters, he is lost; if he remains rapt, he is blessed.”

    From Notes to Quotes

    After seventeen years of intensive travel the Dave Brubeck Quartet disbanded in 1967. Brubeck took some time to compose sacred words, but returned the following year with baritone saxist Gerry Mulligan as part of the Quartet. Desmond did some free-lancing and declared that he intended to return to his original goal by writing a book.

    This has been the subject of much mystery and speculation as, in his typical teasing mode, Desmond has variously declared this to be a serious project or a convenient excuse for not playing. The non-book bears the working title How Many of You Are There in the Quartet?, allegedly inspired by the frequent question asked of him in his travels. One hilarious chapter actually exists, having appeared in Punch. It was re- printed in the recent Reading Jazz, edited by Robert Gottlieb.

    Desmond’s friends were fond of collecting his often self-effacing witticisms. He called himself the world’s slowest saxophonist and declared that when he played with unsupportive players he would “shrivel up like a lemoned clam.” Of his own fame, Desmond claimed, “I was unfashionable before anyone knew who I was.” He explained his failure to become a writer by stating, “I could only write at the beach, and I kept getting sand in my typewriter.”

    He also purported to be discouraged by the fact that several of he fine writers whom he befriended and hung out with in the post-Brubeck days claimed that they were frustrated musicians.

    Phasing Out

    After 1967 Desmond concertized and recorded extensively with guitarists Jim Hall and Ed Bickert, both of whom were kindred musical souls. These pairings produced some notable recordings. He performed a Christmas Day concert with The Modern Jazz Quartet in 1971 at New York’s Town Hall which fortunately was recorded. He also took part in a few reunion concerts with Brubeck and in a silver anniversary tour of the Quartet, re-uniting with Morello and Wright and resulting in the final recording of the famous group in March 1976.

    Much of Desmond’s semi-retirement was centered around his New York penthouse apartment, surrounded by books, and in the good company of musicians, writers, stylish women and friends. He ate and drank in congenial restaurants, notably Elaine’s and Bradley’s, where the talk and the Scotch were good.

    He developed lung cancer and underwent extensive therapy, taking great pains to avoid being a burden to his friends. From the early agreement with Brubeck, and with his royalties, especially from “Take Five,’ Desmond was financially comfortable. He donated these royalties from his compositions and recordings to the American Red Cross. His attorney, Noel Silverman, estimated that this organization has received more than a million dollars from Desmond’s estate since 1977.

    Desmond’s last appearance was with Brubeck at New York’s Lincoln Center on February 4, 1977. In an interview on National Public Radio the day after Desmond’s death, the pianist told of his partner propped in his familiar place at the crook of the piano, crafting his last duets before a full house. The altoist’s beautiful playing brought great ovations. The audience begged for an encore. Too weak to continue, Desmond begged off and bowed out.

    Paul Desmond’s Career

    Began studying clarinet in high school; switched to alto saxophone, 1943; after service entered San Francisco State College, majoring in writing; free-lanced as a musician, landing with Jack Fina’s touring band, ending in New York; returned to San Francisco, played with Dave Brubeck’s Octet and other groups; played with Dave Brubeck Quartet, 1951-67; played and recorded occasionally with own groups, often featuring saxophonist Gerry Mulligan, guitarists Jim Hall and Ed Bickert, 1967-77; final public appearance in February, 1977.

    Paul Desmond’s Awards

    Winner of Down Beat Readers’ Poll, 1955-60 and 1962; Winner of Metronome poll, 1955-60; Winner of Playboy poll, 1957-60.

    Famous Works

    • Selected Discography
    • The Complete Recordings of the Paul Desmond Quartet with Jim Hall (1959-65) , Mosaic, 1988.
    • The Dave Brubeck Quartet 25th Anniversary Reunion , A&M, 1976.
    • In Concert at Town Hall (with the Modern Jazz Quartet), DRG, 1971.
    • Jazz at Oberlin , Fantasy, 1953.
    • Jazz Goes to College , Columbia, 1954.
    • The Paul Desmond Quartet Live (with Ed Bickert), A&M, 1975.
    • Time Out , Columbia, 1959.

    Further Reading

    SourcesBooks

    • Carr, Ian, Fairweather, Digby and Priestley, Brian, Jazz: the Rough Guide , The Rough Guides, 1995.
    • Feather, Leonard, The New Edition of the Encyclopedia of Jazz , Bonanza Books, 1965.
    • Gottlieb, Robert, Reading Jazz , Pantheon Books, 1996.
    • Lyons, Len and Perlo, Don, Jazz Portraits , Quill/William Morrow, 1989.
    • McPartland, Marion, All in Good Time , Oxford University Press, 1987.

    Periodicals

    • Down Beat , August, 1977; March, 1988.
    • Esquire , October, 1988.
    • The New Yorker , September 16, 1991.
    • The New York Times , June 1, 1977.

    Other

    • (Liner notes) Jazz at Oberlin , notes by James Newman.
    • (Liner notes) Jazz Goes to College , notes by George Avakian.

    Browse in the Library:

    Total Records Found in the Library: 12472, showing 120 per page
    Artist or Composer / Score nameCoverList of Contents
    Astor Piazzola Oblivion Guitar Arr. By Nadja Kossinskaja sheet music score download partitura partition spartiti Piazzola Oblivion Guitar arr. by Nadja Kossinskaja page 1-1
    Astor Piazzolla 12 Tangos Piano sheet music download
    Astor Piazzolla 6 Tangos sheet music score download partitura partition spartiti Astor Piazzolla 6 Tangos
    Astor Piazzolla Angel (Complete) For Piano (Different Version) sheet music download Astor Piazzolla Angel (Complete) For Piano (Different Version)
    Astor Piazzolla Ave Maria (Piano) sheet music download
    Astor Piazzolla Balada Para Un Loco (Cacho Tirao) Guitar sheet music download
    Astor Piazzolla Maria De Buenos Aires, Opera Tango (Partitura completa) partitura
    Astor Piazzolla Milonga Del Angel (Piano Solo) Arranged By Prof. John Mortensen Slow Tango sheet music download
    Astor Piazzolla Milonga Del Angel (Piano Solo) Original sheet music download
    Astor Piazzolla sheet music Le Grand Tango Score For Viola And Piano partition
    Astor Piazzolla Vuelvo al sur (piano) free sheet music & scores pdf
    Astor Piazzolla – 5 piezas para guitarra (guitar sheet music) Astor Piazzolla – 5 piezas para guitarra (guitar sheet music)
    Astor Piazzolla – Picasso (Tango) Piano sheet music free download
    Astor Piazzolla 4 Estaciones Porteñas Guitar arr. sheet music score download partitura partition spartiti noten
    Astor Piazzolla Nightclub 1960 Duo Flute Guitar partitura
    Astor Piazzolla – Adios Nonino (Two Pianos) Astor Piazzolla – Adios Nonino (Two Pianos)
    Astor Piazzolla – Adiós Nonino (guitar sheet music) partitura
    Astor Piazzolla – Adios Nonino Piano Solo sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti partituras
    Astor Piazzolla – Album No. 1 sheet music Astor Piazzolla album no 1
    Astor Piazzolla – Album No. 2 Astor Piazzolla – Album No. 2
    Astor Piazzolla – Album No. 4 Astor Piazzolla – Album No. 4
    Astor Piazzolla – Buenos Aires Hora Cero Astor Piazzolla – Buenos Aires Hora Cero
    Astor Piazzolla – Chau Paris (piano) Astor Piazzolla – Chau Paris (piano)
    Astor Piazzolla – Complete Works – Obras Para Piano Y Varios Instrumentos (partituras, sheet music) Astor Piazzolla – Complete Works – Obras Para Piano Y Varios Instrumentos (partituras, sheet music)
    Astor Piazzolla – Contrastes (Piano) Astor Piazzolla – Contrastes (Piano)
    Astor Piazzolla – Coral (Piano) Astor Piazzolla – Coral (Piano)
    Astor Piazzolla – Estaciones Porteñas for piano – für Klavier Astor Piazzolla – Estaciones Portenas fur Klavier
    Astor Piazzolla – Fuga 9 (Piano) Astor Piazzolla – Fuga 9 (Piano)
    Astor Piazzolla – Invierno Porteno (guitar sheet music) partitura
    Astor Piazzolla – Invierno porteño [clarinet-piano] partitura
    Astor Piazzolla – La Muerte Del Angel (Guitar arr. sheet music) partitura
    Astor Piazzolla – Libertango (Part A – Guitar Arr.) (Musescore File).mscz
    Astor Piazzolla – Libertango for 2 pianos Astor Piazzolla – Libertango 2KL
    Astor Piazzolla – Los pajaros perdidos (canción) piano vocal free sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti
    Astor Piazzolla – Milonga Del Angel (guitar arr. sheet music) partitura
    Astor Piazzolla – Milonga del angel (Piano solo) Astor Piazzolla – Milonga del angel
    Astor Piazzolla – Oblivion (piano solo ver.) Astor Piazzolla – Oblivion (piano solo sheet music)
    Astor Piazzolla – Oblivion (piano solo) free sheet music pdf
    Astor Piazzolla – Oblivion arr. by Najda Kssinskaja (Guitar arr. sheet music with TABs) Astor Piazzolla – Oblivion arr. by Najda Kssinskaja (Guitar arr. sheet music with TABs)
    Astor Piazzolla – Oblivion Cello & piano Piazzolla Oblivion cello piano arr.
    Astor Piazzolla – Oblivion for Piano solo sheet music (partitura) sheet music free download
    Astor Piazzolla – Onda Nueve (Tango) Piano Astor Piazzolla – Onda Nueve (Tango) Piano
    Astor Piazzolla – Otoño Porteño (guitar sheet music) Astor Piazzolla – Otoño Porteño (guitar sheet music)
    Astor Piazzolla – Piano SongBook (Angel, Libertango, 6 Tangos, Estaciones Porteñas) partitura
    Astor Piazzolla – Preludio 9 (Piano) Astor Piazzolla – Preludio 9 (Piano)
    Astor Piazzolla – Río Sena (Tango) Piano Astor Piazzolla – Río Sena (Tango) Piano
    Astor Piazzolla – Romanza del Duende (Piano) Astor Piazzolla – Romanza del Duende (Piano)
    Astor Piazzolla – sheet music – Suite del Angel (Piano) partitura
    Astor Piazzolla – Soledad (Solitude) Full score sheet music Astor Piazzolla – Soledad (Solitude) Full score sheet music (first page)
    Astor Piazzolla – Suite Troileana 2 guitars (Bandoneon, Zita, Whisky, Escolaso) sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti partituras
    Astor Piazzolla – Suite Troileana 2 guitars arr. Sergio Assad (Bandoneon, Zita, Whisky, Escolaso) sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti partituras
    Astor Piazzolla – Suite Troileana arr for Piano (Bandoneon, Zita, Whisky, Escolaso) sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti partituras
    Astor Piazzolla – Tangos for 2 Pianos Astor Piazzolla – Tangos for 2 Pianos
    Astor Piazzolla – Tangus Dei (Piano) sheet music free download
    Astor Piazzolla – The Last Tango Music Of Guitar arr. sheet music score download partitura partition spartiti
    Astor Piazzolla – Tristango (Piano) Astor Piazzolla – Tristango (Piano)
    Astor Piazzolla – Vuelvo Al Sur (10 tangos and other pieces arr. piano) sheet music pdf Astor Piazzolla – Vuelvo Al Sur
    Astor Piazzolla -Four, For Tango – Score sheet music score download partitura partition spartiti noten
    Astor Piazzolla (Spanish Español Ed. 2018 El Ateneo 2020) (María Susana Azzi) Biography Book sheet music download partitions gratuites Noten spartiti partituras
    Astor Piazzolla (Tango) Balada Para Un Loco – Guitar (letra Horacio Ferrer) sheet music free download
    Astor Piazzolla 100 Años Edicion Aniversario Sus mejores obras para piano partituras Astor Piazzolla 100 Años Edicion Aniversario Sus mejore obras para piano
    Astor Piazzolla 25 Tangos for Clarinet and piano Clarinet Part in Bb free sheet music partitura partition noten Astor Piazzolla 25 Tangos for Clarinet and piano Clarinet Part in Bb
    Astor Piazzolla 28 tangos arranged For Piano partituras Astor Piazzolla 28 tangos arranged For Piano
    Astor Piazzolla Album 20 compositions arr. for Piano sheet music pdf Piazzolla album
    Astor Piazzolla Ave Maria (Piano and voice) sheet music partitura partition noten spartiti
    Astor Piazzolla Cinco Piezas For Guitar
    Astor Piazzolla Color de Buenos Aires Suite letra Horacio Ferrer sheet music partitura partition noten spartiti
    Astor Piazzolla Contrabajeando Double Bass And Piano Contrabajo Y Piano free sheet music partitura partition noten
    Astor Piazzolla Extasis Piano (Tango) sheet music
    Astor Piazzolla Flute or Violin Piano Collection free sheet music partitura partition noten
    Astor Piazzolla For Violin And Guitar (Astor Piazzolla) sheet music download partitions gratuites Noten spartiti partituras Astor Piazzolla For Violin And Guitar (Astor Piazzolla)_compressed
    Astor Piazzolla Guitar compositions Collection (Guitarra) sheet music, partituras Astor Piazzolla Guitar compositions (Guitarra) sheet music, partituras
    Astor Piazzolla Horacio Ferrer Chiquilin De Bachin Piano vocal free sheet music partitura partition noten
    Astor Piazzolla La Muerte Del Angel Trio Violin Cello Piano Score free sheet music partitura partition noten
    Astor Piazzolla Le Grand Tango – Two Pianos Astor Piazzolla Le Gran Tango – Two Pianos
    Astor Piazzolla Libertango (Guitar Solo Arr.) With Tab
    Astor Piazzolla Milonga Del Àngel (For Chamber Orchestra) Tangos sheet music partitura partition noten spartiti
    Astor Piazzolla Oblivion (piano solo) sheet music score download partitura partition spartiti
    Astor Piazzolla Oblivion arr. for 2 violins free sheet music partitura partition noten
    Astor Piazzolla Oblivion for Violin or Flute Cello Piano Astor Piazzolla Oblivion for Violin or Flute Cello Piano
    Astor Piazzolla Oblivion Trans Solo Piano Astor Piazzolla Oblivion Trans Solo Piano sheet music pdf
    Astor Piazzolla Oblivion Violin Guitar
    Astor Piazzolla Obras Completas Guitarra For Guitar Astor Piazzolla Obras Completas For Guitar
    Astor Piazzolla Piano Collection partituras Astor Piazzolla Piano Collection
    Astor Piazzolla Piano Meditango sheet music
    Astor Piazzolla Romance Del Diablo Flauta Violin and Piano sheet music
    Astor Piazzolla Sensuel Piano partitura
    Astor Piazzolla Tangazo for Orchestra Variaciones sobre Buenos Aires para orquestra sheet music partitura partition noten spartiti
    Astor Piazzolla Tango Etudes (for flute or Violin) Astor Piazzolla Tango Etudes (for flute or Violin)
    Astor Piazzolla Tango S V P For Violin Ensemble Solo Astor Piazzolla Tango S V P For Violin Ensemble Solo
    Astor Piazzolla Tangos Arr Phillip Keveren The Phillip Keveren Series Piano Solo partituras Astor Piazzolla Tangos Arr Phillip Keveren The Phillip Keveren Series Piano Solo
    Astor Piazzolla Tanti Anni Prima Ave Maria For Piano solo free sheet music partitura partition noten
    Astor Piazzolla Tanti Anni Prima Ave Maria Violin and Piano free sheet music partitura partition noten
    Astor Piazzolla Vuelvo Al Sur Flute or Violin and Piano Astor Piazzolla Vuelvo Al Sur Flute or Violin and Piano
    Astor Piazzolla y Anibal Troilo- Contrabajeando (Tango) Piano Astor Piazzolla y Anibal Troilo- Contrabajeando (Tango) Piano
    Atlantic Starr – Always
    Atomic Kitten – The Tide Is High
    Atomic The Musical By Philip Foxman And Danny Ginges Piano Vocal Score sheet music download
partitions gratuites Noten spartiti partituras
    Atonement – Dario Marianelli (For Piano) sheet music pdf Atonement – Dario Marianelli (For Piano)
    Au Clair De La Lune – Traditional (Musescore File).mscz
    Audioslave Out Of Exile Guitar TABs free sheet music partitura partition noten Audioslave Out Of Exile Guitar TABs
    Audition (The Fools who Dream) La La Land OST
    Audra Mcdonald Build A Bridge (Songbook) (Audra Mcdonald) Piano Vocal Guitar chords sheet music partitura partition noten spartiti Audra Mcdonald Build A Bridge (Songbook) (Audra Mcdonald) Piano Vocal Guitar chords
    Augustana – Boston
    Aura Lee (intermediate great jazz arrangement) G. Poulton Aura Lee Jazz
    Aura Lee By G. Poulton Jazz Arrangement.mxl
    Aura Lee G. Poulton (Easy version ) Aura Lee Easy version
    Aura Lee Jazz (Musescore File).mscz
    AURORA Conqueror Piano Solo arr. partitura
    AURORA Running With The Wolves partitura
    Aurora – Cure For Me free scores
    AURORA Forgotten Love Piano with lyrics partitura
    AURORA Half The World Away Sheet Music Piano Vocal Guitar chords partitura
    AURORA Into The Unknown from Disney’s Frozen partitura
    AURORA It Happened Quiet Piano Solo arr. partitura
    AURORA Runaway Piano Vocal guitar Chords partitura
    AURORA Songbook Sheet Music Anthology Collection AURORA Songbook Sheet Music Anthology Collection
    AURORA The River Aurora Piano Solo arr. partitura
    Automatic Harmonic Analysis of Jazz Chord Progressions Using a Musical Categorial Grammar (Mark Wilding) Automatic Harmonic
    Autour Du Jazz Guitar 4 pièces pour guitare (Thierry Tisserand) sheet music partitions Noten partitura Autour Du Jazz Guitar 4 pièces pour guitare (Thierry Tisserand) Autour Du Jazz Guitar 4 pièces pour guitare (Thierry Tisserand) Contentsautour du jazz

    Please, subscribe to our Library.

    If you are already a subscriber, please, check our NEW SCORES’ page every month for new sheet music. THANK YOU!

    sheet music library

    It’s nice to meet you.

    Sign up to receive our new posts in your inbox.

    This field is required.

    We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.