Paul Desmond ‘Alone Together’

Originally featured on the album ‘Take Ten’ and subsequently rereleased as part of the ‘Paul Desmond Quartet With Jim Hall’ box set, closer inspection of this characteristically understated alto solo reveals ingenious use of harmony, melody and rhythm as hip and relevant today as when committed to record in 1963.

Topics to look out for include:

• Motivic development (blue)

• Melodic minor vocabulary (grey)

• Diminished language (green)

• Tritone substitution (red)

If you’d like to explore applying these concepts to your own practice and playing, I offer bespoke 1-1 coaching so feel free to get in touch and check out my ebook ‘The Creative Method’!