Knowing that Paul Desmond wrote the Dave Brubeck Quartet's breakout hit “Take Five” might help you out at trivia night, but the saxophonist's arguably more important contribution to the group was the way he balanced Brubeck's dense piano work. With an airy, self-possessed tone that helped codify the West Coast “cool jazz” sound, Desmond played the foil to his bandleader's more florid style. Thanks to his focused approach, Desmond opened up new possibilities for subsequent generations of saxophonists. In this playlist, you'll find a killer mix of his most inspired performances.