Featured in JAZZED UP ART on 17 March 2012
A collage made from a friend’s alto saxophone. The saxophone is a woodwind instrument, but it is cast in brass or other metals to make it lighter to hold. It does not actually belong to the family of brass instruments, which produce sound by buzzing the lips against the mouthpiece and which have no tone holes like woodwind instruments. Enjoy the superb sax playing of Paul Desmond in “Take Five”!
Paul Desmond – alto sax
Eugene Wright – bass
Joe Morello – drums
“Take Five” is a classic jazz piece first recorded by the Dave Brubeck Quartet and released on its 1959 album Time Out. It became a hit on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1961, at a time when rock music was in fashion. Composed by Paul Desmond, the group’s saxophonist, it became famous for its distinctive, catchy saxophone melody and use of quintuple time, from which its name is derived. It is also known for the solo by drummer Joe Morello. While “Take Five” was not the first jazz composition to use this meter, it was the first of the United States mainstream significance.
The song has been recorded by scores of artists, from Swedish singer Monica Zetterlund in 1962 to a dub version by King Tubby in 2002. Some versions have included lyrics, including a 1961 recording with lyrics written by Dave Brubeck and his wife Iola, that was sung by Carmen McRae.
Upon his death in 1977, Paul Desmond left the proceeds for his performances and compositions, including “Take Five,” to the American Red Cross. Since that time, the organization has received approximately $100,000 per year in combined royalties.