Remembering Paul Desmond
The Coolest of Cool, for Fellow Jazz Lovers Out There
The lyrical meets the elegant. It is all about subtlety and abstraction.
Paul Desmond was a renowned jazz saxophonist known for his pure, gentle tone and elegant lyricism. He was one of the leading proponents of the West Coast “cool” style and was influenced by Lester Young and Pete Brown. Desmond played clarinet in the big bands of Jack Fina and Alvino Rey before forming the Dave Brubeck Quartet in 1951 with pianist Dave Brubeck. There was a musical rapport that Desmond described as “kind of scary.” Desmond’s melodic solos were in marked contrast to the polytonal rhythms of Brubeck, but somehow they clicked and drove each other to creative greatness. Desmond’s sound made him a favorite with critics and fans alike, and won him jazz poll after jazz poll.
Desmond passed away from cancer in 1977, but his music continues to move people, sell well, and receive a lot of airplay from live bands and the media.
Paul Desmond’s music influenced the jazz genre in several significant ways. He was one of a generation of players influenced by Lester Young but used a purer, more outspoken tone, and he was the only alto sax musician in the early 1950s employing the upper harmonics of the instrument!
