Paul Desmond was one of the great jazz saxophonists & composers. Even if you don’t think you know who he is, you undoubtedly know his greatest composition, the Dave Brubeck Quartet’s “Take Five”, embedded below.

In addition to his musical expertise, Desmond was also a great wit & practical joker. This anecdote, taken from his Wikipedia page, is a great joke, but the fact that he did it after he was already dead catapaults it into a whole other realm:

Desmond reportedly owned a Baldwin grand piano, which he loaned to Bradley Cunningham, owner of the famous Bradley’s piano bar in Greenwich Village, with the condition that Mr. Cunningham had to move the large piano back to Desmond’s Upper West Side apartment to become part of Desmond’s estate. After this long and expensive process, Desmond willed the piano to Mr. Cunningham, a characteristic and final prank.

Like his music, Desmond was a classic!