{"title":"Dave Brubeck","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the 1950s and '60s, few American jazz artists were as influential, and fewer still were as popular, as Dave Brubeck. At a time when the cooler sounds of West Coast jazz began to dominate the public face of the music, Brubeck proved there was an audience for the style far beyond the confines of the in-crowd, and with his emphasis on unusual time signatures and adventurous tonalities, Brubeck showed that ambitious and challenging music could still be accessible. And as rock \u0026amp; roll began to dominate the landscape of popular music at the dawn of the '60s, Brubeck enjoyed some of his greatest commercial and critical success, expanding the audience for jazz and making it hip with young adults and college students.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDavid Warren Brubeck was born in Concord, California on December 6, 1920. Brubeck grew up surrounded by music -- his mother was a classically trained pianist and his two older brothers would become professional musicians -- and he began receiving piano lessons when he was four years old. Brubeck showed an initial reluctance to learn to read music, but his natural facility for the keyboard and his ability to pick up melodies by ear allowed him to keep this a secret for several years. His father worked as a cattle rancher, and in 1932, his family moved from Concord to a 45,000-acre spread near the foothills of the Sierras. As a teenager, Brubeck was passionate about music and performed with a local dance band in his spare time, but he planned to follow a more practical career path and study veterinary medicine. However, after enrolling in the College of the Pacific in Stockton, California, Brubeck played piano in local night spots to help pay his way, and his enthusiasm for performing was such that one of his professors suggested he would be better off studying music. Brubeck followed this advice and graduated in 1942, though several of his instructors were shocked to learn that he still couldn't read music.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrubeck left college as World War II was in full swing, and he was soon drafted into the Army; he served under Gen. George S. Patton, and would have fought in the Battle of the Bulge had he not been asked to play piano in a Red Cross show for the troops. Brubeck was requested to put together a jazz band with his fellow soldiers, and he formed a combo called \"the Wolfpack,\" a multi-racial ensemble at a time when the military was still largely segregated. Brubeck was honorably discharged in 1946, and enrolled at Mills College in Oakland, California, where he studied under the French composer Darius Milhaud. Unlike many composers in art music, Milhaud had a keen appreciation for jazz, and Brubeck began incorporating many of Milhaud's ideas about unusual time signatures and polytonality into his jazz pieces. In 1947, Brubeck formed a band with several other Mills College students, the Dave Brubeck Octet. However, the Octet's music was a bit too adventurous for the average jazz fan at the time, and Brubeck moved on to a more streamlined trio with Cal Tjader on vibes and percussion and Ron Crotty on bass. Brubeck made his first commercial recordings with this trio for California's Fantasy Records, and while he developed a following in the San Francisco Bay Area, a back injury Brubeck received during a swimming accident prevented him from performing for several months and led him to restructure his group.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1951, the Dave Brubeck Quartet made their debut, with the pianist joined by Paul Desmond on alto sax; Desmond's easygoing but adventurous approach was an ideal match for Brubeck. While the Quartet's rhythm section would shift repeatedly over the next several years, in 1956 Joe Morello became their permanent drummer, and in 1958, Eugene Wright took over as bassist. By this time, Brubeck's fame had spread far beyond Northern California; Brubeck's recordings for Fantasy had racked up strong reviews and impressive sales, and along with regular performances at jazz clubs, the Quartet began playing frequent concerts at college campuses across the country, exposing their music to a new and enthusiastic audience that embraced their innovative approach. Brubeck and the Quartet had become popular enough to be the subject of a November 8, 1954 cover story in Time Magazine, only the second time that accolade had been bestowed on a jazz musician (Louis Armstrong made the cover in 1949). In 1955, Brubeck signed with Columbia Records, then America's most prestigious record company, and his first album for the label, Brubeck Time, appeared several months later.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA steady stream of live and studio recordings followed as the Dave Brubeck Quartet became the most successful jazz act in the United States, and in 1959, they released one of their most ambitious albums yet, Time Out, a collection of numbers written in unconventional time signatures, such as 5\/4 and 9\/8. While Columbia were initially reluctant to release an album they felt was too arty for the mainstream, their fears proved groundless -- Time Out became the first jazz album to sell a million copies, and in 1961, it bounded back into the charts when \"Take Five\" unexpectedly took off as a single, rising to 25 on the pop charts and five on the adult contemporary survey.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs Brubeck enjoyed increasing commercial success, he began exploring new musical avenues; in 1959, the Brubeck Quartet performed with the New York Philharmonic, performing \"Dialogues for Jazz Combo and Orchestra,\" a piece written by Howard Brubeck, Dave's brother. Dave's own composition \"Elementals,\" written for orchestra and jazz ensemble, debuted in 1962; \"Elementals\" was later adapted into a dance piece by choreographer Lar Lubovitch. And Brubeck and his wife, Iola, wrote a song cycle called \"The Real Ambassadors\" that celebrated the history of jazz while decrying racism; it was performed at the 1962 Monterey Jazz Festival, with contributions from Louis Armstrong, Carmen McRae, and Lambert, Hendricks \u0026amp; Ross. The Brubeck Quartet also became international stars, with the State Department arranging for them to perform in locales rarely visited by jazz artists, including Poland, Turkey, India, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Sri Lanka.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1967, Brubeck dissolved the Dave Brubeck Quartet and began devoting more time to composing longer works that often focused on his spiritual beliefs, including an oratorio for jazz ensemble and orchestra, \"The Light in the Wilderness,\" which debuted in 1968; \"The Gates of Justice,\" first performed in 1969, which melded passages from the Bible with the writings of Martin Luther King, and \"Upon This Rock,\" which was written for Pope John Paul II's visit to San Francisco in 1987. Brubeck continued to perform in a more traditional jazz format as well, forming a new combo in 1968 featuring Jack Six on bass, Alan Dawson on drums, and Gerry Mulligan on baritone sax. In the '70s, Brubeck also toured with a group featuring his sons Darius (keyboards), Chris (bass and trombone), and Dan (drums); dubbed Two Generations of Brubeck, the ensemble performed a bracing fusion of jazz, rock, and blues. In 1976, Brubeck reassembled the classic lineup of the Dave Brubeck Quartet for a 25th anniversary tour; the reunion was cut short by the death of Paul Desmond in 1977.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the mid-'80s onward, Brubeck maintained a schedule that would befit a rising star eager to make a name for himself rather than a respected elder statesman. He continued to compose orchestral works as well as fresh jazz pieces, and recorded and performed on a regular basis with a variety of accompanists. Perhaps the most honored jazz artist of his generation, Brubeck received awards from two sitting United States Presidents -- Bill Clinton presented him with the National Medal of the Arts in 1994, and Barack Obama presented him with the Kennedy Center Honors in 2009. Brubeck also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a lifetime achievement Grammy from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Smithsonian Medal, and honorary degrees from universities in five different countries, among many other awards for his life in music. When he died of heart failure late in 2012, just one day before his 92nd birthday, his life and his work were celebrated around the world. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"dave-brubeck-the-essential-dave-brubeck","title":"THE ESSENTIAL DAVE BRUBECK","description":"\u003cp\u003ePersonnel: Dave Brubeck (leader, piano); Tony Bennett, Louis Armstrong, Carmen McRae, Jimmy Rushing; (vocals); Paul Desmond, Bobby Militello (alto saxophone); Jerry Bergonzi (tenor saxophone); Gerry Mulligan (baritone saxophone); Bill Smith (clarinet); Norman Bates, Eugene Wright, Ron Crotty, Bob Bates, Jack Six, Michael Moore (bass); Chris Brubeck (electric bass); Joe Morello, Carl Tjader, Lloyd Davis, Joe Dodge, Alan Dawson, Butch Miles, Randy Jones (drums). Producers include: Dave Brubeck, Chris Brubeck, George Avakian, Teo Macero, Cal Lampley. Compilation producers: Russell Gloyd, Didier C. Deutsch. Recorded between 1949 \u0026amp; 2002. Includes liner notes by Joel Lewis. This double-disc overview collects 31 tracks selected by Dave Brubeck and provides an excellent overview of his long career. While the temptation would be to concentrate on the wildly successful run of albums his quartet -- with saxophonist Paul Desmond, bassist Eugene Wright, and drummer Joe Morello -- cut for the label between 1958 and 1967, this compilation actually contains cuts from 24 albums recorded between 1949 and 2002, and draws from numerous labels, settings, concerts, and studio sessions. Certainly most of the hits are here, including \"Take Five\" and \"Blue Rondo ? la Turk,\" but so are lesser-known favorites from the early years, including live versions of Duke Ellington tunes such as \"Perdido\" and \"Take the 'A' Train.\" In addition, Brubeck has often chosen mono versions over later stereo ones and the set is all the better for it -- go no further than the spooky modal blues called \"Audrey\" on disc one for proof. Disc two provides much of the better-known material, including some excellent takes on show tunes such as the theme from Mr. Broadway and \"Maria\" from West Side Story. While it's true that Time Out provides an excellent introduction to the music of Brubeck's famed quartet all by itself, this collection is a compelling introduction for the beginner to get the vast range of Dave Brubeck's musical range and complexities as a composer, as well as his dynamite presence as a performer. ~ Thom Jurek\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenre: Jazz\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat: Vinyl\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReleased: 03\/04\/2016\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Dave Brubeck","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43651320316137,"sku":"EIG4KJ-WDQ8-00","price":36.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/files\/Dave-Brubeck-THE-ESSENTIAL-DAVE-BRUBECK_8lzUm.jpg?v=1759423359"},{"product_id":"dave-brubeck-time-in","title":"Time In","description":"\u003cp\u003eTime In, issued in 1965, was the last of pianist and composer Dave Brubeck's \"Time\" recordings, and one of his most musically adventurous. Gone are the moody, silky textures and glissando moves of Time Out, or Time Further Out. In fact, of all the \"Time\" recordings, this is the least commercial and, in places, almost hard bop-oriented among them. This set goes beyond the entire West Coast idea as well. That's not to say there are no ballads -\"\"Softly, William, Softly\"\" is one of the most gorgeous ballads Brubeck ever composed, with a memorable solo by Paul Desmond, who plays a slow, bluesy articulation over the pianist's augmented harmonic changes. But there's so much more. The title track has Stravinsky-esque chords that introduce a delicate theme, which disintegrates into a dissonant swing. There is also Brubeck variation on \"Frankie and Johnnie,\" on \"He Done Her Wrong.\" This track comes charging out of the box ? la the Ramsey Lewis trio in a fit of pure one-four-five groove, with Desmond playing ostinato throughout the chorus. And here, Brubeck shows his love of tradition: Inside his solo, comprised of chords and striated intervallic figures that are just off the harmonic series, he never leaves the original behind; it is always readily evoked at any moment in the tune. The set closes with \"Cassandra,\" a piece with sleight-of-hand rhythms and fleet soloing by the pianist and Desmond. Brubeck himself comes out of the melody with a series of 16th notes that blaze into 32nds before he comes back to the changes for Desmond. All the while, Joe Morello is triple-timing the band even in the slower passages just to keep the pulse on target as Gene Wright and Brubeck move all around the time figures to create a sense of space around Desmond's solo. Though it is seldom celebrated as such, this is one of Brubeck's finest moments on Columbia. ~ Thom Jurek\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenre: Pop\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat: Vinyl\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReleased: 11\/02\/2018\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Dave Brubeck","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43651368681705,"sku":"5F57JM-0F5P-00","price":34.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/files\/Dave-Brubeck-Time-In_YFsBV.jpg?v=1759004309"},{"product_id":"dave-brubeck-re-union","title":"RE-UNION","description":"\u003cp\u003ePersonnel: Dave Brubeck (piano); Paul Desmond (alto saxophone); Dave Van Kriedt (tenor saxophone); Norm Bates (bass); Joe Morello (drums). Originally released on Fantasy (3268). Includes original release liner notes by Dick Hadlock. Digitally remastered by Phil De Lancie (1990, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California). Tenor-saxophonist Dave Van Kreidt, a former member of Dave Brubeck's octet in the late '40s, had a reunion with the pianist, altoist Paul Desmond and bassist Bob Bates for this unusual session; Brubeck's new drummer Joe Morello made the group a quintet. Van Kreidt supplied all of the compositions (some of which are fairly complex), giving this set a sound very much different than the usual Brubeck Quartet outing. Interesting if not essential classical-influenced music that predates the Third Stream movement. ~ Scott Yanow\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenre: Jazz\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat: Vinyl\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReleased: 06\/24\/2014\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Dave Brubeck","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43662184808681,"sku":"SVPW01-MSKL-00","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/files\/Dave-Brubeck-RE-UNION_xvkmP_06c55713-d87f-440b-a97b-d380b68039df.jpg?v=1759190810"},{"product_id":"dave-brubeck-lullabies-lp","title":"Lullabies [LP]","description":"\u003cp\u003eLullabies [LP] is a Records \u0026amp; LPs from Dave Brubeck\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenre: Pop\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat: Vinyl\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReleased: 11\/06\/2020\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Dave Brubeck","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43662259716329,"sku":"M94RNO-CO4N-00","price":35.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/files\/Dave-Brubeck-Lullabies-LP_66rLs.jpg?v=1759235114"},{"product_id":"dave-brubeck-3-classic-albums","title":"3 Classic Albums","description":"\u003cp\u003e3 Classic Albums is a Records \u0026amp; LPs from Dave Brubeck\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenre: Jazz\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat: Vinyl\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReleased: 04\/14\/2017\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Dave Brubeck","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43662262173929,"sku":"OFJW3P-V5Z1-00","price":45.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/files\/Dave-Brubeck-3-Classic-Albums_kwlXa_9fcfb6a5-a2af-4ae2-a9ff-9def86b3333c.jpg?v=1759161308"},{"product_id":"original-soundtrack-dave-brubeck-co-all-night-long","title":"All Night Long","description":"\u003cp\u003eAll Night Long is a Records \u0026amp; LPs from ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK \/ DAVE BRUBECK \u0026amp; CO\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat: Vinyl\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReleased: 2\/26\/2016\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK \/ DAVE BRUBECK \u0026 CO","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43662263943401,"sku":"9NOMFG-U88J-00","price":31.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/files\/ORIGINAL-SOUNDTRACK-DAVE-BRUBECK-CO-All-Night-Long_Lutoq.jpg?v=1747048585"},{"product_id":"dave-brubeck-the-very-best-of","title":"The Very Best Of","description":"Tracks\r\n1 Take Five (5:28)\r\n2 Three to Get Ready (5:28)\r\n3 Perdido (Live) (7:55)\r\n4 Tea for Two (2:45)\r\n5 Take the 'A' Train (Live) (5:12)\r\n6 There'll Be Some Changes Made (2:07)\r\n7 The Duke (2:57)\r\n8 Somewhere (4:34)\r\n9 Over the Rainbow (Live) (5:02)\r\n10 Blue Rondo À la Turk (6:48)\r\n11 In Your Own Sweet Way (5:02)\r\n12 Camptown Races (2:01)\r\n13 You Go to My Head (7:55)\r\n14 Unsquare Dance (2:04)\r\n15 Maria (3:32)\r\n16 Stardust (Live) (6:33)\r\n17 Indiana (2:35)\r\n18 Bossa Nova U.S.A. (2:24)\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat: Vinyl\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReleased: 1\/27\/2015\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"DAVE BRUBECK","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43662264140009,"sku":"96G7UX-APIA-00","price":39.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/files\/DAVE-BRUBECK-The-Very-Best-Of_UxwnG.jpg?v=1756757895"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/collections\/dave-brubeck-249059.jpg?v=1680327704","url":"https:\/\/www.vibinvinyl.com\/collections\/dave-brubeck.oembed","provider":"Vibin' Vinyl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}