Paul Desmond was an integral part of the Dave Brubeck Quartet for 17 years (1950-1967). His alto sax helped define the Brubeck sound, and just the fact that he wrote the most well known composition of Brubeck’s career (“Take Five”), would be enough to write his name in jazz history. However, it was his velvety tone and his lyrical improvisation that jazz fans remember most. His sensuous timbre, feather light, but still substantial, can be compared to both Johnny Hodges and Lester Young for its beauty.