Pianist/composer Dave Brubeck and Alto Saxophonist Paul Desmond are enshrined in jazz history as the most prominent voices of the popular Dave Brubeck quartet. This group cast an outsized shadow over the jazz scene of the 1950’s and 1960’s, Desmond’s composition "Take Five" is one of the most beloved jazz compositions of all time and was the biggest hit the quartet ever had. Brubeck incorporated diverse musical influences, including that of French composer Darius Milhaud to fashion a style that incorporated odd rhythmic meters and polytonality into a fusion that predated the “third stream” movement. Desmond is perhaps the most influential voice on his instrument since Charlie Parker, he was famously quoted as saying his lyrical, pure sound on the instrument was a result of his wanting to sound like a “dry martini". His series of recordings with guitarist Jim Hall are masterpieces of melodic inventiveness, a testament to his spare, beautiful voice as both composer and performer.
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