Paul Desmond composed primarily during his seventeen-year tenure with the Dave Brubeck Quartet from 1951 to 1967. His most famous composition, "Take Five," written in an unconventional 5/4 time signature, became one of the best-selling jazz singles of all time and remains among the most performed jazz pieces in history. Desmond's compositional style was characterized by airy, warm melodic lines and sophisticated use of unusual time signatures, creating music that was both accessible and harmonically adventurous. He died in New York in 1977.
