Paul Desmond
Alto Sax Solo on
Three to Get Ready

About

Paul Desmond's alto sax solo opens the improvised portion of this recording, followed by Dave Brubeck on piano. Spanning three choruses of the 16-Bar form at a medium-up 177 BPM with a swing feel in C, the solo runs approximately 58 seconds. Paul Desmond's three-chorus alto saxophone solo at 177 BPM over the 16-bar form in C navigates the shifting meters with the casual grace that defined his playing, making the transitions between waltz and swing feel effortless. "Three to Get Ready" from Dave Brubeck's 1959 Time Out album playfully alternates between 3/4 and 4/4 time, its title describing the rhythmic conceit at the heart of the composition. Each chorus has 16 bars consisting of four 4-bar phrases that each contain 2 bars in 3/4 time followed by 2 bars in 4/4 time. Count carefully! Paul Desmond was 34 to 35 years old at the time of this 1959 recording.

Paul Desmond was 34 to 35 years old at the time.