Paul Desmond (born Paul Emil Breitenfeld; November 25, 1924 – May 30, 1977)"Final Bar" (obituary). Down Beat, 11 August 1977, 11. was an American jazz alto saxophonist and composer and proponent of cool jazz. He was a member of the Dave Brubeck Quartet and composed the group's biggest hit, "Take Five". The song remains the best-selling jazz song of all time.
In addition to his work with Brubeck, he led several groups and collaborated with Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Jim Hall, and Ed Bickert. After years of chain smoking and poor health, Desmond succumbed to lung cancer in 1977 after a tour with Brubeck.
Early life Desmond was born Paul Emil Breitenfeld in San Francisco, California, in 1924, the son of Shirley (née King) and Emil Aron Breitenfeld. His grandfather Sigmund Breitenfeld, a medical doctor,"United States Aufzeichnungen," Aufnahmen, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9M8-KW4J?view=index: 4. Nov. 2024), Aufnahme 399 von 875; New York. County Court (New York County). was born on November 17, 1857, in Kameničky"Czech Republic, Church Books, 1552-1981", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6PFJ-KSJF: Wed Sep 11 10:11:50 UTC 2024), Entry for Sigmund Breitenfeld). in Eastern Bohemia; he emigrated to the US in 1885"United States Census, 1900", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSKX-RJQ: Thu Apr 11 19:59:07 UTC 2024), Entry for Sigmund Breitenfeld and Hermina Breitenfeld, 1900. and on May 2, 1886, in New York, married Hermina Lewy."New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1938", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:243M-MV8: Tue Feb 20 18:48:39 UTC 2024), Entry for Sigmund Breitenfeld and Hermina Levy, 2 May 1886. They had four children (including Emil, father of Paul Emil). Paul Desmond and members of his father's family "frequently speculated as to whether Sigmund or Hermine Breitenfeld had Jewish backgrounds", though they did not identify as Jewish or observe Jewish traditions. However, Fred Barton, composer and cousin to Desmond, found extensive genealogical proof that both the Breitenfeld and Löwy families were Bohemian Jews. The Breitenfeld family in Bohemia and Vienna featured musicians in every generation throughout the 1800s, 1900s, and to the present day. Desmond's mother, born Shirley King, was of an Irish Catholic family.
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. During World War I, while 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 the war.The Singing Program of World War I: The Crusade for a Singing Army Author(s): E. Christina Chang Source: Journal of Historical Research in Music Education, Vol. 23, No. 1 (October, 2001), pp. 19-45 Published by: Sage Publications, Inc.
Desmond's mother, Shirley, was emotionally unstable throughout his upbringing and appears to have suffered from obsessive–compulsive disorder and other mental illnesses. Starting in 1933, Desmond spent nearly five years living with relatives in New Rochelle, New York, due to his mother's mental health problems.
Desmond began playing the clarinet at the age of twelve and continued to do so throughout his time at San Francisco Polytechnic High School. While in high school, he expressed an interest in learning the violin, but his father discouraged him, claiming that violin players were "a dime a dozen" and warning him that with the violin, "you'll starve." Also during high school, Desmond developed a talent for writing and became the co-editor of his school newspaper. In this role, he had the opportunity to interview comedian Bob Hope when he visited San Francisco. After graduating from high school, Desmond enrolled at San Francisco State College, where he majored in English. While in college, Desmond began playing the alto saxophone, after being influenced by the likes of Lester Young and Charlie Parker. In his first year of college, Desmond was drafted into the United States Army and joined the Army band while stationed in San Francisco. He spent three years in the military, but his unit was not called to combat.
Following his military discharge, Paul Emil Breitenfeld legally changed his last name from Breitenfeld to Desmond in 1946. He told many stories over the years regarding how he chose the name Desmond, but his biographer Doug Ramsey offers an account from Desmond's friend Hal Strack that the two were listening to the Glenn Miller band singer Johnny Desmond in 1942, and Desmond told Strack, "that's such a great name. It's so smooth and yet it's uncommon. ... If I ever decide I need another name, it's going to be Desmond."
Desmond was married from 1947 to 1949 to Duane Reeves Lamon.Born 30 August 1927 in Los Angeles. Later married Willis Dean Kaye (died 1986); they had one child, Christopher (1956-2014). She died in 2013. "Duane Reeves LaMon" He never remarried.
Career After World War II, Desmond started working in the San Francisco Bay Area as a backing musician. He worked occasionally for Dave Brubeck at the Geary Cellar in San Francisco. For several weeks, he led a small jazz combo at the Band Box in Redwood City that included Brubeck. Desmond had a falling-out with Brubeck when he resigned from the Band Box and prevented Brubeck from taking over the residency. In 1950, 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 Desmond set foot in the family home. Desmond appeared at Brubeck's San Francisco apartment one day while Dave was in the backyard hanging diapers on a laundry line, and Iola, defying Brubeck's wishes, let Desmond in and took him to Dave. 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.
Dave Brubeck Quartet
Desmond met Dave Brubeck in 1944 in the military. Brubeck was auditioning for the 253rd Army band, to which Desmond belonged. After making the cut, he—unlike Desmond—was sent overseas in 1944, to Europe. 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. After Desmond persuaded Brubeck to hire him following his stint with Jack Fina, the two had a contract drafted (of which Brubeck was the sole signatory); the wording forbade Brubeck from firing him, ensured Brubeck's status as group leader, and gave Desmond twenty percent of all profits generated from the quartet. This established the Dave Brubeck Quartet, which lasted from 1951 to December 1967.
The quartet became especially popular with college-age audiences, often performing in college settings, including their ground-breaking 1953 album Jazz at Oberlin at Oberlin College and at the campuses of Ohio University and the University of Michigan. The success of the quartet led to a Time magazine piece on them in 1954, with the famous cover featuring Brubeck's face.
After drummer Joe Dodge decided to leave the group, Joe Morello joined in late 1956, on Desmond's recommendation. Despite this, differences in musical aspirations and taste made their relationship a tense one for many years. Desmond hoped for a "tinky-boom" background-type drummer while Morello wanted to be recognized and featured. During Morello's first performance with the group, he was featured by Brubeck and received an ovation from the audience for his solo. Desmond resented this, and threatened to leave the group. Brubeck managed to keep both Desmond and Morello in the group but with friction between them for years. Desmond's grudge against Morello could also be heard during their performance. In their "Take the 'A' Train" performance in Hanover, Germany, in 1958, for example, Desmond's playing sounded lackluster and uninterested. After a passage of rhythmically complex playing from Morello, Desmond would sometimes play very quietly and or even drop out for a few bars. In their later years, they reconciled and became close friends.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet played until 1967, when Brubeck switched his musical focus from performance to composition and dissolved the group. During the 1970s, Desmond joined Brubeck for several reunion tours, including Two Generations of Brubeck. Accompanying them were Brubeck's sons, Chris Brubeck, Dan Brubeck, and Darius Brubeck. In 1976, Desmond played 25 shows in 25 nights with Brubeck, touring the United States by bus.
Other collaborations
Desmond worked several times during his career with baritone saxophonist and bandleader Gerry Mulligan. They made two studio albums together (Gerry Mulligan – Paul Desmond Quartet and Two of a Mind ). In June 1969, Desmond appeared at the New Orleans Jazz Festival with Gerry Mulligan, with favorable reactions from critics and audience members. During Brubeck's Two Generations tours, Desmond and Mulligan shared the stage in 1974. Unlike Brubeck, Mulligan had much in common with Desmond; they were similar in their interests and humor, and both were prone to addiction.
Desmond had a celebrated studio partnership with guitarist Jim Hall. Hall played on several albums recorded by Desmond between 1959 and 1963 for Warner Bros. and RCA Victor. After a period of inactivity, Desmond was asked to play the Half Note in New York City in 1971 by Hall. With his customary wryness, Desmond said that he took the job only because he was nearby and could tumble out of bed to work. The two continued to play at the club to packed audiences. Desmond also joined the Modern Jazz Quartet for a Christmas concert in 1971 at the New York Town Hall.
Desmond was a guest artist on five tracks by Chet Baker recorded between 1975 and 1977. These were released on the albums She Was Too Good to Me (CTI, 1974), You Can't Go Home Again, and The Best Thing for You. Baker and Desmond also appeared together on two tracks included on Jim Hall's 1975 album Concierto.
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. Desmond featured Bickert on his 1975 studio album Pure Desmond, and the two played together at the 1976 Edmonton Jazz Festival. Live recordings of that concert and club dates with Bickert performed during 1974–1975 were released during and after Desmond's lifetime.
Personal life In their private lives Dave Brubeck and his family were very close to Paul Desmond, though the two men possessed very different personalities. Darius Brubeck recalled thinking that Desmond was his uncle almost into adolescence. Desmond grew especially close to Dave's son Michael, to whom he left his saxophone upon his death. Desmond was also described as a womanizer who was unable to form (and was uninterested in maintaining) steady relationships with women, though he had no shortage of female companions throughout his life.Gioia, Ted (1998). West Coast Jazz, Ch 4: "Dave Brubeck and Modern Jazz in San Francisco"; University of California Press, 1998 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. Eliot's "This is the way the world ends / Not with a bang but a whimper"). In contrast, Brubeck was deeply religious and a stalwart family man.