Jazz Master Class with Dave Frank #34 - The Music of Paul Desmond, How Sweet it Was

Join Dave Frank for a class on the playing of the great Paul Desmond with the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Topics include 4 kinds of musical imitation, the use of quotes, wide interval lines, mantra phrases, and much more. The level for this class in intermediate -advanced. The class starts with Dave Frank playing Shades of Renoir off his solo CD Ballads and Burners.

[@joeloss1]

Discovered Paul Desmond when I was a teenager around 1972......still sends a shiver listening to this now. Beautiful.....the coolest.

[@mcvooty]

Great class. PD is underrated and under-appreciated as an improvisor (like many other Cool schoolers). Thanks, as always.

[@sitarnut]

Bro.. heard him on the old WBAP radio station's "Cool School" AM broadcast in 1959 playing "Gone with the Wind". I'm still playing Alto because of him... and he might be under appreciated by today's young folks, but not for millions around the world in the 60's. "Take Five" is the largest selling jazz single still to this day... they idolized the Quartet in Europe and Asia back then.... for these old ears there's never been such a gorgeous tone on Alto. Peace out.

[@asafbeeri4037]

A highly valuable class if you want to understand Desmond's style.

[@DaveFrank]

thank you for writing)

[@marcwayne9514]

Thank you so much for the analysis. I once did a similar analysis in my college music composition class of Desmond’s song 11/4 , one of his most creative compositions. I believe Desmond was Bach reincarnated as a sax player, playing timeless, beautiful jazz. We were lucky to be alive when he was playing , and so blessed to have his beautiful music now preserved.

[@CaedenskiGreene]

love how Paul quotes other licks from other songs

[@judykessler8584]

I love your playing, Dave ! Seems your musical imagination is endless !

[@petersimms8290]

Dave Frank, I love you.Thanks again for yet another amazing Masterclass. I dream of having a fraction of your talent.

[@DaveFrank]

thanks you for writing, Peter) It's really slavish endless work and not talent..

[@AlbertGBaierII]

Beautiful tune, Dave! Who knew you were a Romantic Impressionist:) Paul is one of my favorite improvisers. It's hard to get the young cats out of the 'running changes' mode of scalar improvisation. I think it's actually easier to employ classical theme and variation techniques, then to work scales, but that's just me.
Keep up the good work. You're one of a kind, man!

[@DaveFrank]

thank you very much for writing, that' the first feedback I ever got for Shades of Renoir) it took years haha. Yeah, you can't be human and not dig Paul Desmond..

[@AlbertGBaierII]

Dave, do you have a lead sheet available?

[@DaveFrank]

no, but I may have a scratchy sheet of the music, I can check..

[@kabeersingh8411]

I just love your channel !

[@themfu]

Fantastic! Super clear and illuminating what's going in Desmond's solos and how to recreate along those lines.

[@RanBlakePiano]

What a fantastic lesson .many channels focus on the speakers own music ofcourse Dave will speak about his own music too ,but A great majority tackle the talents of others
My alto listening has been devoted to Johnny Hodges and
Ornette but I can admit I ve overlooked Paul.
Wonderful opening .d Frank solo

[@jeffreynaness6358]

Dave is the best! (And Paul Desmond is no slouch either).

[@mudsinkmayor]

Thanks, excellent master class.

[@DaveFrank]

you are welcome)

[@Jack-fs2im]

wow what a painter Renoi was

[@gabrielmelodia]

my hero

[@DaveFrank]

I love Paul' playing too)

[@gerardpavillon6131]

Wonderfull class Dave! So clear as usual, I (re)discovered Paul Desmond thanks to you. And your piece in intro is also splendid (didn't you influence Debussy?).
All the best

[@JulieHeathers]

Love this, Dave .... TY! May I Share it w/ All That Jazzzzz group? :)

[@DaveFrank]

share it with the John Birch Society if you like..hi dear!

[@kurtv4946]

There was only one Paul Desmond.

[@jesspittard4435]

super!! and where can I get that hat ? ! ?

[@DaveFrank]

Berklee Bookstore online)

[@JulieHeathers]

I want one too !

[@DaveFrank]

looks like they may be out of stock. I'll sell you mine for $1,000,000.

[@jesspittard4435]

send hat....check is in the mail !!!

[@BenJogan]

I can hear a lot of Johnny Costa in your performance! (Shades of Renoir)

[@DaveFrank]

interesting, I never heard of him)

[@BenJogan]

Wow you should listen to him! He was "The White Tatum", but with so much gentleness and style (personally I think I was even better than Art Tatum) :)

[@DaveFrank]

ok, thanks for the heads up!

[@DaveFrank]

kind of a big claim you make there haha)

[@mdwhatcott]

BTW, Jonny Costa was the pianist and musical director for many years on Mr. Roger's Neighborhood.

[@WerendVanDenBosscheMusic]

Hey Dave, do you happen to have a transcription of the solo?

[@DaveFrank]

negative..

[@WerendVanDenBosscheMusic]

Then it looks like I'll have to do it myself ;)

[@DaveFrank]

I know someone who would do it for you, if you like write to me at [e-mail] and I'll pass along his info

[@leviteixeira9666]

Saint thomas !?