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
IMAGINATION
Paul Desmond Lyrics
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Can you tell me what you see
There's a thousand voices whispering
Songs and you're the melody
So I imagine my heart with you
See what imagination can do
It's not hard to conceive
Many, many days our shadows passed
Seeing visions of a new bright horizon
Set the morning light
And that morning light is you
So I imagine my heart with you
See what imagination can do
It's not hard to conceive
love ecstasy imagining you, imagining me
The beauty we both can see
You're the dream I prayed would come along
To make my fantasy
Day and night you live inside my heart
You're the flame of love to me
The lyrics of Paul Desmond's song "Imagination" explore the power of the human imagination in creating love and romance. The Magic mirror that is being referred to in the opening line of the song symbolizes the introspective examination of the heart, and the singer of the song's belief in the power of the imagination to shape one's reality.
The singer imagines their heart with the person they love, creating a reality in which they are in love and enjoying all the perks that come with it. The song emphasizes the strength of the imagination in crafting beautiful and meaningful relationships, even in the absence of a physical connection. The lyrics echo the quote by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, "Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."
Throughout the song, it is evident that the singer's relationship with the person they love is based on an almost magical connection. The chorus emphasizes the beauty of their relationship and the ability to create a world of ecstasy and love simply by imagining it. Overall, "Imagination" is a romantic ode to the power of the mind in creating a beautiful reality built around love.
Line by Line Meaning
Magic mirror come and search my heart
Asking for introspection to delve into his deepest feelings
Can you tell me what you see
Asking for clarity on what his true emotions are
There's a thousand voices whispering
Feeling overwhelmed by emotions and thoughts
Songs and you're the melody
Describing how the person he loves is the heart of his emotions
So I imagine my heart with you
Visualizing strong emotions with the person he loves
See what imagination can do
Recognizing the power of imagination to create deep emotions
It's not hard to conceive
Describing how easy it is to feel these emotions
Love ecstasy imagining you with me
Feeling intense and overwhelming emotions about being with his loved one
Many, many days our shadows passed
Experiencing long periods of time
Seeing visions of a new bright horizon
Creating hopeful thoughts of a better future
Set the morning light
Welcoming a new day and new possibilities
And that morning light is you
Realizing that his loved one is the source of his happiness and hope
It's not hard to conceive
Expressing how easy it is to feel love and happiness
love ecstasy imagining you, imagining me
Feeling a deep connection with his loved one and a shared future together
The beauty we both can see
Celebrating the shared beauty in their love and their future together
You're the dream I prayed would come along
Describing the depth of his love and the hope he had for meeting the perfect person
To make my fantasy
Realizing that his loved one has fulfilled his wildest dreams
Day and night you live inside my heart
Feeling an all-encompassing love that never fades
You're the flame of love to me
Describing the passion and intensity of his love for his loved one
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANKA WOLBERT, RONNIE MOERINGS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind