Desmond was bor… Read Full Bio ↴Paul Desmond (1924-1977) was a U.S jazz saxophonist.
Desmond was born Paul Emil Breitenfeld in San Francisco, California on 25th November 1924. He came to prominence with the Dave Brubeck Quartet, which lasted from 1951 until 1967. Desmond wrote their biggest hit, "Take Five".
Desmond's alto saxophone tone and technique owed nothing to the great alto player of the time, Charlie Parker; instead his was a clear, light, floating sound and highly melodic playing style. Much of the success of the classic Brubeck quartet was due to the superposition of his fragile, airy sound over Brubeck's sometimes relatively heavy, polytonal piano work.
Desmond died on 30th May 1977.
Paul Desmond is widely recognized for his genius as a melodic improviser and as the benchmark of cool jazz sax players. His warm, elegant tone was one that he admittedly tried to make sound like a dry martini. He and Art Pepper were virtually the only alto players of their generation not directly influenced by Charlie Parker. Desmond was influenced by Lester Young, but took it further, into melodic and harmonic worlds never before traveled by reedmen -- especially in the upper registers. Desmond is best known for his years with the Dave Brubeck Quartet (1959-1967) and his infamous composition "Take Five." He met Brubeck in the late '40s and played with his Octet. The Quartet formed toward the end of 1950 and took final shape with Eugene Wright and Joe Morello a few years later. Jazz at Oberlin and Take Five were considered essential purchases by college students of the era, but Jazz Impressions of Japan was its most innovative recording. Desmond played his loping, slow, ordered, and intricate solos in direct contrast to the pianist's obsession with large chords, creating a myriad of textures for melodic and rhythmic counterpoint unlike any heard in jazz. His witty quotations from musicals, classical pieces, and folk songs were also a watermark of his artistry. When the Quartet split in 1967, Desmond began an intermittent yet satisfying recording career. It included dates with Gerry Mulligan for Verve, various sessions with Jim Hall, and a concert with the the Modern Jazz Quartet. He played his last gigs with the Brubeck Quartet at reunions before dying of lung cancer. Desmond's recordings for RCA have gotten box-set treatment and Mosaic issued one of the complete sessions with Hall. There are also reissues from A&M and CTI, though recordings on Artist House and Finesse remain regrettably out of print. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi
Autumn Leaves
Paul Desmond Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The autumn leaves of red and gold
I see your lips, the summer kisses
The sun-burned hands I used to hold
Since you went away the days grow long
And soon I'll hear old winter's song
But I miss you most of all my darling
C'est une chanson, qui nous ressemble
Toi tu m'aimais et je t'aimais
Nous vivions tous deux ensemble
Toi qui m'aimais moi qui t'aimais
Mais la vie separe ceux qui s'aiment
Tout doucement sans faire de bruit
Et la mer efface sur le sable les pas des amants desunis
In Paul Desmond's song Autumn Leaves, the lyrics are colored with the melancholic essence of autumn, as the falling leaves drift by the window. The leaves of red and gold signify the passage of time and the changing of seasons. The singer reminisces on the loving memories of summer, when they held the sun-burned hands of their lover and kissed their warm lips.
Yet, since their lover has gone away, time seems to drag on longer and the days grow colder, signifying the arrival of winter. It is during the autumn season, when the leaves start to fall, that the singer misses their lover the most. The chorus emphasizes this through repetition and a somber melody, evoking feelings of longing and nostalgia.
The second verse, in French, adds another layer of meaning to the song, as it speaks of a love separated by life's circumstances. The lovers lived together and loved each other, but life has quietly and gradually separated them. The metaphor of the sea erasing the footsteps of the separated lovers on the sand creates a sense of inevitable finality and resignation. Overall, Paul Desmond's Autumn Leaves is a timeless ode to lost love and the changing of seasons.
Line by Line Meaning
The falling leaves drift by the window
The leaves that are falling from the trees are moving gently by the window due to the wind.
The autumn leaves of red and gold
The leaves that are falling from the trees in autumn have red and gold colors.
I see your lips, the summer kisses
The singer remembers the sweet kisses he had with his lover during summertime.
The sun-burned hands I used to hold
The singer misses holding his lover's hands that were sunburned during summertime.
Since you went away the days grow long
Since his lover left him, the days have become longer and seem to stretch out.
And soon I'll hear old winter's song
Winter is coming soon, and the singer will hear its harsh melody soon.
But I miss you most of all my darling
Out of all things the singer misses the most is his lover, whom he affectionately calls 'darling'.
When autumn leaves start to fall
The singer particularly misses his lover when autumn arrives because of the falling leaves and the changes in the weather.
C'est une chanson, qui nous ressemble
This is a song that resembles us, telling our story.
Toi tu m'aimais et je t'aimais
You loved me and I loved you.
Nous vivions tous deux ensemble
We used to live together as a couple.
Toi qui m'aimais moi qui t'aimais
You loved me and I loved you.
Mais la vie separe ceux qui s'aiment
However, life separates even those who love each other deeply.
Tout doucement sans faire de bruit
It happens slowly and silently.
Et la mer efface sur le sable les pas des amants desunis
And the sea erases the footprints of the separated lovers on the beach.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Springstoff GmbH, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jacques Prevert, Joseph Kosma, Johnny Mercer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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"Las hojas muertas" (título original: "Les feuilles mortes") es una canción francesa de 1945 con letra de Jacques Prévert y música de Joseph Kosma. Fue popularizada por Yves Montand y la música del estribillo se convirtió en un standard jazz, con el título de "Autumn leaves" (Hojas de otoño). Gran parte del atractivo armónico para los músicos de jazz estriba en que las estrofas presentan una típica progresión siguiendo un ciclo de cuartas y el estribillo utiliza una escala húngara menor de manera fluida.
"Las Hojas de Otoño"
Las hojas que caen, vuelan por la ventana.
Las hojas de otoño de rojo y oro.
Veo tus labios, los besos de verano,
las manos quemadas por el sol que yo solía tomar.
Desde que te fuiste los días son largos.
Y pronto escucharé la vieja canción de invierno...
Pero tú eres lo que más extraño mi vida,
cuando las hojas del otoño empiezan a caer.
Desde que te fuiste los días son largos
y pronto escucharé la vieja canción de invierno.
Pero tú eres lo que más extraño mi vida,
cuando las hojas del otoño empiezan a caer.
Dr. SaxLove
This swings hard, man! The Masters at work. Love it!
TheFunkyKingston
Respect for your variety in musical tastes Sir!!!
serge
Dr. SaxLove toy
Sir. Smoke a lot
Really digging this new place of YouTube man.
Roger Ball
With the Steve Gadd magic happening , it lifts this piece to a beautiful place. Even though this standard has been played many times over.
Cebe Ebec
yes, indeed! I love it too!
jazzyla9
I do not care what anybody says about this rendition of Autumn Leaves. My comment is this: This is what jazz is all about. Absolutely beautiful!
imbees2
yes indeed, Jazzla9. For sure.
Steve Wilkins
The crazy thing is jazz isn't about anyting... It's all about improvised years of studying how not to play it
Baron Saturday
Yeah... 100 others think so too ;)