Dave Brubeck: An Unlikely Hit, 50 Years Strong

pete

pete

Brassica Oleracea
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I was unaware, until I heard this story, that Time Out was 50 years old this year.

This is the Dave Brubeck quartet record (yes, I actually had the record) that had such hits as "Take 5" and "Blue Rondo A La Turk" on it. If you haven't played these pieces, you've probably heard them.

In any event, there's a nice NPR story at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105322899 (with the full audio from the radio). There are also links to a story about Brubeck's new symphony, composed with his son, that was inspired by Ansel Adams (kewl piece).

Related YouTube:
-> "Take 5" performed live in 1961.
-> "Blue Rondo A La Turk" performed live in 1962.
 
People don't realize just how long Dave has been around. He was playing with US military service bands either at the very end of World War II, or very shortly thereafter, something that surprised me the first time that I saw it.

Still, I imagine that his "popularity" rests in large part with the large amount of time that his name has been in the public eye, rather than from any genuine (in modern terms) popularity that he might hold. He's not going to be drawing any David Bowie- or Madonna- sized crowds any time soon, "Take Five" notwithstanding.

Incidentally, for some real fun, try playing "Take Five" with a rock bass player. In the same vein, I understand that someone, somewhere plays the tune in four these days.
 
Brubeck and his quartet are mostly responsible for mainstreaming so-called "modern jazz" in the 1950s. He was popular on campuses and sold a lot of records. His fans from then are now mostly in their 70s. They can (and do) still pack large auditoriums.

Brubeck's generation of jazz musicians are unique. Their sounds are their signatures. After a few notes you know who is playing. Brubeck, Tatum, Shearing, Lewis, Garner, Monk, Powell, Jamal, Peterson, Cole. And those are only the piano players.

(I need to buy a turntable. All that vinyl gathering dust.)
 
I can remember going to a Brubeck concert on the campus of Penn State when I was a student there in the early 50's. Great music then and still great as far as I am concerned.
 
Coincidentally, I watched a movie on cable TV night before last. It is titled, "Next Stop, Greenwich Village." The story is set in 1953. The sound track heavily features the Brubeck quartet. A few tracks were Desmond playing solo.

Desmond playing "For All We Know" with Brubeck was a highlight for me. I hadn't heard that track.
 
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