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
Over the Rainbow
Paul Desmond Lyrics
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There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream,
Really do come true.
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
High above the chimney tops,
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?
Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream,
Really do come true.
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops,
High above the chimney tops,
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?
The lyrics of Paul Desmond's rendition of the classic song “Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz give us a message of hope and a call to dream big. The song begins with the lyrics “somewhere over the rainbow, way up high, there's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.” This line sets up the tone of the song, painting a picture of a far-off place that may only exist in one's imagination. This land is described as a place where the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true; once again, emphasizing the importance of having big dreams.
The second verse of the song talks about the act of wishing upon a star to escape from the troubles of daily life. The lyrics “where troubles melt like lemon drops, high above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me” suggest that the land over the rainbow serves as a place of comfort and escape. The third verse talks about bluebirds flying over the rainbow, and the longing to join the birds in their flight beyond the rainbow, asking the question “why, oh why can't I?" The song ends with a repetition of the first verse, reminding us that the land over the rainbow is a place where your dreams can come true.
Line by Line Meaning
Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There is a faraway place located beyond the horizon, high up in the sky
There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.
I've heard of this place before, though only in a song someone sang to me to help me sleep
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
Up above the horizon, the heavens are a clear blue hue
And the dreams that you dare to dream,
Really do come true.
Those aspirations and hopes that you're brave enough to entertain, can and will turn into tangible realities soon enough
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
One day, under the glimmering of celestial bodies in the night, I will find myself in a place beyond the reach of storm clouds
Where troubles melt like lemon drops,
High above the chimney tops,
That's where you'll find me.
In the imaginary and poetic space where daily troubles become vanishingly small and insignificant, far away from the mundanity of rooftops of buildings, that's where I exist
Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
Above the horizon, there are happy bluebirds freely soaring, yet I seem to remain trapped below it all
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?
If cheerful birds can find freedom and joy in the clouds, then why can't I join in and discover my own sense of happiness up there too?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HAROLD ARLEN, E HARBURG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@charlesbarry6730
Dave Brubeck was a hit on the college campuses in the USA. The influence of Darius showed in his compositions and his harmony. Some critics never appreciated his blend of classics and jazz. He along with the Modern Jazz Quartet produced some of the greatest jazz combo recordings in history.
@ericrumsey7180
Notice Brubeck’s beautiful counterpoint at 2:50, playing the A and B sections of the melody together. My jazz-wise brother Alan says “Note that at 3:09 something is said, which I imagine is a word of appreciation by Paul Desmond in response to what Brubeck has done here.”
@Seamellow
Nice!