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
Indian Summer
Paul Desmond Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're The Tear That Comes After June Time's Laughter
You See So Many Dreams That Don't Come True
Dreams We Fashioned When Summertime Was New
You Are Here To Watch Over
Some Heart That Is Broken
By A Word That Somebody Left Unspoken
You're The Ghost Of A Romance In June Going Astray
Farewell To You Indian Summer
The song "Indian Summer" by Paul Desmond talks about the feelings of nostalgia that often come with summer coming to an end, particularly for those who have experienced heartbreak or unfulfilled dreams during that time. The lyrics personify summer as an old, wise Indian summer who sees many dreams that don't come true, the futility of which is emphasized in the line "dreams we fashioned when summertime was new". The singer addresses Indian summer as a sort of guardian or watcher over those whose hearts are broken from an unspoken word or a failed romance that bloomed in June.
Line by Line Meaning
Summer You Old Indian Summer
Addressing the fleeting nature of summer, where Indian Summer is personified as an old companion.
You're The Tear That Comes After June Time's Laughter
Depicting Indian Summer as a somber period following the exuberant days of June.
You See So Many Dreams That Don't Come True
Referring to Indian Summer as an observer of unfulfilled expectations and shattered hopes.
Dreams We Fashioned When Summertime Was New
Describing the longing for new beginnings and aspirations that fade away as summer progresses.
You Are Here To Watch Over
Acknowledging Indian Summer as a comforting presence to oversee and console.
Some Heart That Is Broken
Alluding to Indian Summer being there for those who have experienced heartbreak during the season.
By A Word That Somebody Left Unspoken
Implying that Indian Summer can ease the pain caused by unspoken words that were left unsaid.
You're The Ghost Of A Romance In June Going Astray
Relating Indian Summer to the ghost of a fading summer love that met its end in June.
Fading Too Soon That's Why I Say
Acknowledging the fleeting nature of Indian Summer, where everything seems to disappear too soon.
Farewell To You Indian Summer
Bidding farewell to Indian Summer, thanking it for its presence and the memories it brought along.
Writer(s): VICTOR HERBERT (DP), BOB WILBER, AL DUBIN (DP)
Contributed by Lillian G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.