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Paul Desmond

How To Like Jazz, For The Uninitiated

Jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie performs at the Boston Globe Jazz and Blues Festival on Jan. 15, 1966. Bob Daugherty/AP hide caption

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Bob Daugherty/AP

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How To Like Jazz, For The Uninitiated

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How To Like Jazz, For The Uninitiated

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Review

Basic Jazz Record Library

The Dave Brubeck Quartet: 'Time Out'

President Bill Clinton said one artist inspired him to take up the saxophone: Dave Brubeck. Brubeck had a No. 1 hit with "Take Five," which is heard on Time Out. The album also illustrates the Brubeck Quartet's experimentation with complex poly-rhythms.

The Dave Brubeck Quartet: 'Time Out'

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Review

Basic Jazz Record Library

Dave Brubeck: 'Jazz Goes to College'

Known for his complex rhythms and ability to play two keys at once, Dave Brubeck was already a sensation in 1954, when he appeared on the cover of Time magazine. The same year, he recorded Jazz Goes to College at several live shows on college campuses.

Dave Brubeck: 'Jazz Goes to College'

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West Coast Cool: The Jazz Sound Of '50s California

A classic West Coast jazz quartet: saxophonist Paul Desmond, drummer Joe Dodge, pianist Dave Brubeck, bassist Bob Bates. Hulton Archive/Getty Images hide caption

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Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Take Five: A Jazz Sampler

West Coast Cool: The Jazz Sound Of '50s California

Jazz24

As opposed to the hard-bop sound dominant on the East Coast during the '50s, the West Coast sound was a bit mellower and more lyrical, with blended harmonies and more interest in composition and arrangement than improvisation. In these five songs, you'll hear all the definitive aspects of the West Coast jazz sound.

Paul Desmond: 'The Sound of a Dry Martini'

Paul Desmond with the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Hulton Archive/Getty Images hide caption

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Hulton Archive/Getty Images

NPR's 'Jazz Profiles'

Paul Desmond: 'The Sound of a Dry Martini'

With a darkly lilting approach, alto saxophonist Paul Desmond rose to fame soloing in the crook of Dave Brubeck's piano, playing a critical part in one of the most heralded groups in jazz history.

Paul Desmond: 'The Sound of a Dry Martini'

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