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
Star Dust
Paul Desmond Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Steals across the meadows of my heart
High up in the sky the little stars climb
Always reminding me that we're apart
You wander down the lane and far away
Leaving me a song that will not die
Love is now the stardust of yesterday
The music of the years gone by.
Sometimes I wonder, how I spend
The lonely nights
Dreaming of a song
The melody
Haunts my reverie
And I am once again with you
When our love was new
And each kiss an inspiration
But that was long ago
And now my consolation is in the stardust of a song
Besides the garden wall, when stars are bright
You are in my arms
The nightingale
Tells his fairytale
Of paradise, where roses grew
Though I dream in vain
In my heart it will remain
My stardust melody
The memory of love's refrain.
In Paul Desmond's song Stardust, the singer's heart is filled with memories of a love that has come to an end. The song opens with the melancholic image of the purple dusk of twilight time, which seems to symbolize the end of a relationship. The stars climbing up in the sky remind him of his lost love, who has wandered down the lane and left him behind with a song that will not die. This image of a love song forever echoing serves to emphasize the continued presence of his feelings, despite the passing of years.
The second verse then reveals how the memory of this love song haunts the singer's thoughts, even as he spends lonely nights dreaming of it. The melody of the song is like a reminder of the time when his love was new and each kiss was an inspiration. However, he recognizes that this time has passed, and he can only find solace now in the stardust of a memory.
The final verse then takes us to a scene where the singer imagines himself with his lost love, arms wrapped around each other under the stars. The nightingale's fairytale tells of paradise where roses grew, but the reality is that their love story has ended. Still, the memory of the melody of love's refrain remains vibrant in the singer's heart, symbolized by the stardust melody.
Line by Line Meaning
And now the purple dusk of twilight time
The evening time arrives bringing a peaceful, intimate aura.
Steals across the meadows of my heart
This beautiful dusk is reflected in the singer's heart, setting the mood.
High up in the sky the little stars climb
Stars come up in the sky shining their light down on the earth.
Always reminding me that we're apart
The separation between speaker and loved one is highlighted in the star's presence.
You wander down the lane and far away
Loved one is physically distant and no longer close to the artist.
Leaving me a song that will not die
Even though the loved one is not with them anymore, they have left something that will remain forever - a song.
Love is now the stardust of yesterday
The love that was there, now only exists as a faint, distant glitter for the singer.
The music of the years gone by.
The song, a reminder of the past, left behind by the loved one, epitomizes the years gone by.
Sometimes I wonder, how I spend
The artist often reminisces about how they spend their lonely nights.
The lonely nights
The artist finds themselves alone, without anyone to share their life with.
Dreaming of a song
The song that was left to the singer is constantly on their mind, and has become a part of their nightly dreams.
The melody
The tune that was accompanied by the lyrics of the song, leaves an imprint in the artist's mind.
Haunts my reverie
The singer's thoughts drift to the song often, making it a haunting memory that doesn't leave them.
And I am once again with you
The song conjures up memories of the loved one, which makes the singer feel as if they are together again.
When our love was new
The imagery of the two when they first fell in love and the excitement and freshness associated with it, is resurrected by the song.
And each kiss an inspiration
Each kiss between the two was an inspiration for further love between them.
But that was long ago
The happiness and love that the two shared feels like a distant memory now.
And now my consolation is in the stardust of a song
The song has become the only solace, a feeling of peace and comforting distance from reality.
Besides the garden wall, when stars are bright
The singer is reminded of the loved one and the happy moments they shared, which were often by a garden wall and under the stars.
You are in my arms
The artist imagines being in the arms of the other, filling their heart with happiness and love.
The nightingale
The artist hears the sound of a nightingale, bringing about emotions of love and purity.
Tells his fairytale
The song of the nightingale tells a fairytale, one of love and beauty, symbolizing the artist's own love stories and the cherished memories of the past.
Of paradise, where roses grew
The singer is transported to a place where paradise existed and everything was as it should be, where love strongly bloomed like the roses in the garden.
Though I dream in vain
Even though the artist knows, they are only dreaming and hoping for something unattainable, they still find it impossible to let go of those memories and dreams.
In my heart it will remain
The love they once shared can never truly be erased, and it will always remain in the singer's heart.
My stardust melody
The melody is now referred to as their own, it completely embodies the thoughts concerning their past love story.
The memory of love's refrain.
The song's lyrics, haunting melody and their memories all create a beautiful and comforting picture; one that reminds them of the heartwarming and unforgettable moments shared with their loved one.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER GENTRY, JOHN HUTCHINSON DEAN, MATTHEW EVERITT, SIMON IAN WHITE, STUART BLACK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pamelawomack3076
mornings have improved since I started listening to this beautiful jazz instead of the news
@ScalerWave
I was never a Jazz fan until listening to Paul Desmond.
@stevenlowel486
When I first heard this piece, I was driving and I was only a couple blocks from home and got lost! This song is so hauntingly beautiful that I play it often before I sleep and I hear it in my dreams
@Shaker626
How long ago was that, may I ask?
@danielfavre7741
Paul Desmond is so expressive and unfolds so feeling that reaches our sensibility.
@jeremywheeler5522
Just astonishingly beautiful in its inventive improvisation of perhaps the greatest melody ever written for a popular song by the talented Mr Hoagy Carmichael. At 83 I sit here and wonder about how such near perfection can exist in a world so totally screwed up by humanity.
@karlirvine8774
What a lie
@marketccess1
From Paul’s horn to God’s ears. How lucky for us to be in the audience!
@williamneumyer7147
Very nice combination of the cut with the photo montage.
@The_Preacher_LLC
I just want you to know. I grew up on Paul & Dave cause my old man played Paul. Did gigs in his early 20’s. Sounded just like him. Carnegie Hall was my bible. I was missing him so much today and vis just crusherd me missing my Pop. Im 40. You posting this, just made my day. I thank you. Take care.