Most of us have this in our collections ....

I've always enjoyed Desmond's self-deprecating description of his sound on the sax: "like three dry martinis".

Oregonpapa,

I would have loved to have seen the Jazz clubs in Los Angeles in the 50's and 60's. I go to some Jazz clubs now in L.A. But I am sure it's not even close to what you saw. Actually for a big city L.A. Has a pretty lame Jazz scene nowadays. When you went it was the heyday.

I attended a drum clinic hosted by Joe Morello, and he was so cool. He played and and spoke about Take 5 with a very good combo. 

^^^ Proving that Paul Desmond sounds great at all times. :>)

Take 5 is played in the unusual 5/4 time signature, which is difficult to do well, as bdp24 says. Here's an interesting experiment which transforms the song Take 5 into Take 4 (4/4 time) as well as Take 3 (3/4) time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-_NXexIcns

Morello had an amazing touch and Desmond an amazing sound.  What a band!

bdp24 ...

Check out the "Conti Candoli" thread. Stan Levy was an amazing drummer too. I sat looking up at the stage at the Lighthouse jazz club in Hermosa Beach on many a night as a teenager back in the 50's watching Stan's feet and hands work his drum set. Simply amazing drumming. 

Exactly oregonpapa, musical. Plus, ask any drummer and he'll tell you how hard "Take Five" is to play well. Hard, really hard. Not just technically, but with the right feel. An elusive thing, feel.

Heard "it" (Iowa City Hancher Auditorium) in the mid 70's.

Not a Brubeck fan in general, but loved Joe and Paul.

Suspect that John Belushi got part of his shtick from Joe.

^^^ Joe Morello was right in there with Shelly Mann and Stan Levy. Such great drumming! Very musical. 

I have such great memories of listening to live jazz at the various clubs around the Los Angeles area in the 50's and 60's. Truly a lost era. 

Not me, but I did see drummer Joe Morello with guitarist Bola Sete in '67.