Jazz legend Dave Brubeck dead at 91

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http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-dave-brubeck-appreciation-20121205,0,848294.story

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When thinking about Dave Brubeck, you can't help but also consider time, and not just how much of it fans received from the prolific jazz pianist up to his death Wednesday at age 91.

A titan of West Coast jazz, Brubeck was linked with California for much of his career. He was born in Concord, studied at what is now is the University of the Pacific in Stockton and recorded for Berkeley-based Fantasy Records, which helped forge the Bay Area's sound in the '50s. But regardless of where a listener was based, the Dave Brubeck catalog was an inevitable destination.

Part of the reason is "Time Out," the aptly named 1959 recording that stands with Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue," Charles Mingus' "Mingus Ah Um" and Ornette Coleman's "Shape of Jazz to Come" as a groundbreaking album during a pivotal year in the evolution of jazz. Where Davis explored modal structures and Coleman blazed into a new world of saxophone, Brubeck was equally inventive for his experimentation with jazz's heartbeat.

He served as one of the chief guides in my introduction to jazz when I was an adolscent. Brubeck, to me, was a giant among the modern jazz exponents, along with Jerry Mulligan, Stan Kenton and half a dozen others.

You will be missed, Dave.

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Type: Discussion • Score: 16 • Views: 3,547 • Replies: 24

1 Reply

Take five, man.

That is in my bones.

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@jespah,

Thank you for that, Jes. Take Five was the Brubeck theme song for many years, written by his long-time saxophonist Paul Desmond.

I first heard Dave play in concert when I was maybe 16 or 17 years old at the John Hancock Hall in Boston on a double-bill with Jerry Mulligan. It was an ear-opener for this kid brought up on classical music.

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@Lustig Andrei,

I really liked Dave Brubeck as a kid. His music reminds me of a special time in my youth and discovery of music. My older borthers and sister turned me on to it as a youngster. I studied clarinet as a kid and learned in a little more depth about music than a casual listener. This music was unusual as it had different tones and different rhythms.

West coast or cool jazz perked my ears up as a young teen who lived in Boston and Cambridge area, a big jazz area even then.

By the time I was old enough to attend concerts (1966-1969), places like Paul's Mall came into their own. My money went towards seeing folks singers like Tom Rush, etc. and Club 47 and rock concerts at the Music Hall and the defunct Tea Party.

A bit later on, in the early '70s, I started going to hear live jazz at Berkley school concerts and Inman Sq. Cambridge jazz clubs.

However, all that being said, I never saw him and regret it.

1 Reply

@Ragman,

In the '60s and '70s Paul's Mall, and the Jazz Workshop downstairs from it, were THE places for jazz in Greater Boston. I saw (and heard) Miles Davis at the Workshop. The presence of the Berkley College of Music in Boston, I think, was a great factor in the fact that jazz never lost its popularity there, even at the height of the folkie craze when local legend Joan Baez was going strong.

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I bought the Take 5 album in 1964. Wonderful sound.

1 Reply

@edgarblythe,

I followed Brubeck as his sax players went from Desmond to Mulligan to Miletello(sp?) and back to one of the Brubeck boys.

I loved the Darius Brubeck cover of Take 5 (Icouldnt find it on youtube but Ive got a CD).

Brubeck really spanned the days from Hard Bop to cool Jazz through post "cool" (my term) when his sons joined in the fray.

A great artist, hes like the Leonardo of Jazz

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I remember reading somewhere, years ago, that Brubeck's father owned a ranch somewhere either in Oklahoma or northern Texas and wanted his boy Dave to become a cowboy. Laughing

1 Reply

@Lustig Andrei,

I read also that early on he planned on being a farmer/rancher too. Went to school for it, too. Cool defines the direction to where he went 'awry'.

"Intending to work with his father on their ranch, Brubeck entered the College of the Pacific in Stockton, California, (now the University of the Pacific) studying veterinary science, but transferred on the urging of the head of zoology, Dr. Arnold, who told him "Brubeck, your mind's not here. It's across the lawn in the conservatory. Please go there. Stop wasting my time and yours".

Later, Brubeck was nearly expelled when one of his professors discovered that he could not read music. Several of his professors came forward, arguing that his ability with counterpoint and harmony more than compensated. The college was still afraid that it would cause a scandal, and agreed to let Brubeck graduate only after he had promised never to teach piano."

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@Lustig Andrei,

Love Brubeck

But Andy, you need to stop focusing on the obits.

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@Finn dAbuzz,

I can't help it if my favorite people keep dieing on me, Finn. Smile

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@Lustig Andrei,

Getting old is a bitch in so many ways.

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@Lustig Andrei,

wow.

this is a big one for me.

hamburgboy has always been a great lover of jazz. I didn't really get it as a kid.

Brubeck and Take Five was one of my gateway drugs to loving jazz.

I'm glad I was able to see him live (maybe 25 or 30 years ago).

wow.

I'm a bit overwhelmed from reading this news.

RIP Mr. Brubeck

since I'm just home from 4 hours at the dance studio, this seems appropriate

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@ehBeth,

One of the greatest explorations of jazz syncopation.

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@Lustig Andrei,

Sad.......We'll miss this giant. We're all getting older. All the more reason to enjoy every minute and turn up the music.

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@Lustig Andrei,

it is time to have a party to celibate his life....this guy was good.

1 Reply

@hawkeye10,

I sure hope that was accidental.

1 Reply

@roger,

for sure.....this keyboard is dying. too busy and too lazy to deal with it. had a main cook walk out on me because i asked him if he washes his hands, he was offended!

this has got to be some Mexican thing, because this american does not get it.

anyways..lots of stuff is on my to-do list.

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@ehBeth,

Quote:

Brubeck and Take Five was one of my gateway drugs to loving jazz.

When someone writes what is intended to be a pop tune in 5/4 time that requires the listener to study and learn the beat, AND THEN THE LISTENERS DO TAKE THE TIME, thats huuge.
Brubeck took a gamble that people wouild get it.
They did and they began whistling tunes in 5/4 instead of 4/4. It made getting stuff like "Strawberry Fields" and "I Say a little prayer for you" or "Mission Impossible" much easier to digest and like

1 Reply

Jazz legend Dave Brubeck dead at 91

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