It's May 4th, which means it's Brubeck & Desmond Day! What does the 4th of May have to do with Dave Brubeck or Paul Desmond? 5/4, of course. Brubeck and Desmond popularized and mainstreamed this unusual time signature into jazz and popular music in 1959 with Desmond's mega hit "Take Five", opening the door for [...]
After spending time in the jazz capital of the world (New York City), it's time to explore some other jazz clubs. But before we leave the East Coast, there's another spot that is worth checking out. We're headed to Massachusetts. The city? Boston. The club? Storyville. It's another exploration in 'Nightclub Jazz', the sub-genre of [...]
Rolling along with the festive-themed 'Desmond's Quotes', this post highlights another band member of the Brubeck Quartet making Christmas references in their solo. This recording is unique in that there are numerous quotes and references flying around, and it's not just Paul Desmond that engages in the shenanigans. The recording that all this merry music-making [...]
As the Christmas season marches on, it's time for another variation of 'Desmond's Quotes'- Christmas Edition. This post focuses on the leader, Dave Brubeck, who was just as slick with the quotes and references as his friend Paul Desmond. And just like Desmond, he often used festive tunes as fodder for his own solos. This [...]
Back to vinyl, back to records. This post is a nod to Dave Brubeck. Specifically, it's a post in honor of Dave Brubeck, who passed away five years ago on December 5th, 2012. He was 91, a day shy of his 92nd birthday. To celebrate (and reflect), I wanted to profile an Brubeck album of [...]
Christmas came early, for me anyhow. After a combo of school and lack of funds kept me away for months, I was able to make a trip down to my local record store. A few hours later, I walked out with too many records. Those records will be profiled here in the next few weeks, [...]
Out of all the songs Dave Brubeck penned over his lengthy career, my favorite is his tune "Nomad". Written by Brubeck during their tour of Eurasia in the spring of 1958 while in Afghanistan, the tune was first heard by the masses on Brubeck's album 'Jazz Impressions of Eurasia'. It has a haunting melody, interesting [...]
On this day fifty years ago (well, it was the 13th when I wrote this), the Dave Brubeck Quartet played their last European concert. Luckily, the music made that night was recorded and pressed onto wax. The Music Tune: "These Foolish Things" Recorded: 13 November, 1967 in Paris, France Personnel: Paul Desmond- Alto Sax Dave [...]
One of the most famous tunes Paul Desmond 'wrote' was a song named 'Audrey'. Paul had a big crush on Audrey Hepburn, and at a recording session in 1954, he and the Brubeck Quartet improvised a minor blues with her in mind. In the ensuing years, the Dave Brubeck Quartet would occasionally return to the [...]
This edition of 'Desmond's Quotes' is special for a couple of reasons. First of all, it kicks off a new series entitled 'Brubeck's Notes', which sets out to spotlight performances where Dave Brubeck weaves his own quotative magic. Second of all, this post highlights one of Brubeck's most inspired moments ever captured on tape. [...]
It's A Raggy Waltz 