“I think I had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to sound like a dry martini.”
About his distinctive light sound
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Paul Desmond was an American jazz alto saxophonist and composer, best known for his work with the Dave Brubeck Quartet and for composing that group's biggest hit, "Take Five". He was one of the most popular musicians to come out of the cool jazz scene.
In addition to his work with Brubeck, he led several groups and collaborated with Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Jim Hall, and Ed Bickert. After years of chain smoking and poor health, Desmond succumbed to lung cancer in 1977 after a tour with Brubeck.
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“I think I had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to sound like a dry martini.”
About his distinctive light sound
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“I hate the way he writes. I kind of love the way he lives, though.”
On writer Jack Kerouac
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“I could only write at the beach, and I kept getting sand in my typewriter.”
His reason for not pursuing a literary career
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His response to the annoying banality of an interviewer
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“It's like living in a house where everything's painted red.”
On Ornette Coleman's playing
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“I tried practicing for a few weeks and ended up playing too fast.”
About the value of practice
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“Not for me. If I want to tune everybody out, I just take off my glasses and enjoy the haze.”
On contact lenses
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“Well, that I'm not playing better.”
When asked by Gene Lees what accounted for the melancholy in his playing
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