Dave Brubeck: Take Five Jazz Pianist Dies

[webfact]

Dave Brubeck: Take Five jazz pianist dies

Dave Brubeck Quartet 1967. From left to right: Joe Morello, Eugene Wright, Brubeck and Paul Desmond.

Source: wikimedia

Pioneering jazz pianist and composer Dave Brubeck has died, aged 91.

The musician, whose recordings included Take Five and Blue Rondo a la Turk, was once designated a "living legend" by the US Library of Congress.

He died on Wednesday morning in hospital in Connecticut, his manager Russell Gloyd told the Chicago Tribune newspaper.

The musician, who toured with the likes of Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald would have turned 92 on Thursday.

Mr Gloyd said Brubeck died of heart failure after being stricken while on his way to a cardiology appointment with his son Darius.

Full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk...t-arts-20609327

-- BBC 2012-12-06

[uptheos]

Very sad to hear, the world has lost one of the greatest modern jazz pianist's of all time. Together with the amazingly gifted alto sax of Paul Desmond they produced some terrific music, much of which I have including Time Out released in 1959, which remains today one of the best selling jazz albums of all time. I consider myself very fortunate to have attended two concerts by the DB quartet, their music made my life richer.

Time Out Dave - RIP

[craigt3365]

One of my most favorite musicians. Take Five is my number one favorite song. RIP.

[maidu]

Besides a great jazzman, he was a great guy - inspired and brought joy and wonderment to untold thousands, and his legacy lives on.....

[uptheos]

One of my most favorite musicians. Take Five is my number one favorite song. RIP.

[webfact]

listen to 'take five' still gives me a shiver down the spine...

RIP

[Albacore]

Very sad news. I've tried to catch the remaining jazz legends in concert, but never had a chance to see Dave Brubeck. He'll continue to live on with his numerous recordings and jazz standards that are being interpreted by jazz musicians all over the world.

[orosee]

Shame though that while maybe 100% know Take 5, only 0.01% could probably name a second piece ;-)

Well, I have to include myself but I'll correct that tonight.

[samsara]

sad to see him go. no worries, though, mates. one direction is here to fill the vacuum.

[samjaidee]

Shame though that while maybe 100% know Take 5, only 0.01% could probably name a second piece ;-)

Well, I have to include myself but I'll correct that tonight.

Blue Rondo A La Turk, off the top of my head.

He's one of my favorite jazz musicians. Saw him at Ronnie Scott's many moons ago. An extraordinarily talented and versatile man. To think he nearly became a vet instead.

RIP Dave. It was a great pleasure to meet you.

[cheshiremusicman]

A 'Great Musician' that inspired a lot of future generations to love,learn and play; R.I.P Dave. As they say "The Music Lingers On".

[rayw]

Oh dear such very sad upsetting news indeed.

Dave Brubeck got me heavily into Modern Jazz back in the late 50's and early 60s and I too brought that Time Out album back then, and indeed I think I still have it in my old vinyl collection as well as on a lovely crystal clear click free CD of course. Just looked it up and the Take Five album was recorded way back in 1959 when I was just 14 and I remember buying that album not long after it's release and playing it repeatedly for weeks and weeks, must have driven my parents mad . I actually think most of us who grew up in the 50s and 60s and were heavily into the music of the time will know, love and remember many of Dave Brubeck's tracks and by name too. Indeed he did have other top twenty records out too which was unusual for modern jazz records back then. For example, I can remember "Unsquare Dance" as a hit single in the 60's and of course the massive hit "Take Five" itself.

My favourite Brubeck track is without doubt Blue Rondo a la Turk which is musically a brilliant composition following true sonata form classical lines and with a stunning switching to and fro of two differing time signatures; the standard 4/4/ and the pulsating 9/8 theme, and those two rhythms do battle with each other with the 9/8 finally winning ans closing the long track. Paul Desmond's as always beautiful sax alongside Dave's piano demanding attention makes this track just wonderful, and all held in place by Joe Morello's awesome stylish and technically brilliant drumming and of course Eugene Wright's smooth double bass.

The Time Out album is packed with all awesome tracks including of course Take Five, Three To Get Ready, and Kathy's Waltz which are clear in my memories. I will have to blow off the cobwebs and give that album another play as a way of paying tribute to Dave Brubeck and rekindling the great pleasure and musical fulfilment that he always gave to me and millions of others.. If you like the style and music of Take Five and have not got in your collection, or even heard, this truly classic "Time Out" jazz album, then go get it or download it today as I really doubt that you will regret it.

Oh of course I love Take Five too as we all do, but it is second to the amazing Blue Rondo for me, though absolutely still a truly awesome hypnotic 5/4 time signature jazz track with Paul Desmond at his very best..

I am so sad that I never did get to see the Dave Brubeck Quartet live unlike the lucky uptheos and samjaidee above. Sorry to rave on about this legend of jazz but this has to be the very time to revel in his glorious style and life.

RIP Dave you will be sorely missed by so many. Thank you for enhancing my life.

Edited December 6, 2012 by rayw

[craigt3365]

Just listened to Blue Rondo. Absolutely fantastic. But I still love Take Five.

Will have to go through some more of his songs tonight in honor of him.

[Narratio]

As with above, blue rondo ala turk was my first love. I discovered his music after it was used as the intro theme for a BBC drama "Take 3 Girls" (?) my memory fades. Never saw him live, but have 5 albums in vinyl and then in CD.

A fine musician. RIP

[VBF]

For me, it's "Unsquare Dance" or "It's a Raggy Waltz" as well as the more famous tracks mentioned. I also saw him at Ronnie Scott's in London many moons ago. A genius - he will be missed.

[nurofiend]

the only song i'm familiar with is take five, probably seeing as it's his most famous and i'm not exactly a jazz enthusiast, i don't dislike it.

interesting that he didn't actually write take five.

[richardjm65]

Sad news indeed - he did so much to bring what was still a fairly new development in jazz to thousands - millions, perhaps. My first of his albums was 'Jazz at Oberlin', and it was said that Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond were in the middle of a fairly bitter squabble, the result of which was that each tried to outplay the other, once on stage. Maybe it's true, maybe not. I went on to collect just about all his albums, but never had the opportunity to see and hear him live.

What made him special was that he remained melodic, even when improvising, unlike many others who sought to confound with their discords and 'million notes a minute' styles.

During those years of the late fifties and early sixties Dave Brubeck was, for me, right up there with the MJQ, Cannonball Adderly, Dizzy Gillespie, Zoot Sims, Charlie Mingus and Gerry Mulligan, to name but a few. He was a master of his trade.

[richardjm65]

I have just also remembered that whilst doing my apprenticeship in the RAF, I built a fourteen foot GP14 sailing dinghy which I named 'Perdido', as a tribute to the quartet - it was one of their famous pieces. I believe 'perdido', in Spanish, means 'lost' - an appropriate name for my first boat.

[Albacore]

I have just also remembered that whilst doing my apprenticeship in the RAF, I built a fourteen foot GP14 sailing dinghy which I named 'Perdido', as a tribute to the quartet - it was one of their famous pieces. I believe 'perdido', in Spanish, means 'lost' - an appropriate name for my first boat.

Perdido was actually composed by Juan Tizol, a valve trombonist in Ellington's band for many years.

[Chicog]

I always preferred Bill Evans myself, but he was never lucky enough to have a hit as definitive as Take Five.

[tutsiwarrior]

'take 5' was one of the great cross over efforts between jazz and popular music...solidified by 'kind of blue' a few years later...I was just a 9 y.o. kid in 1959 and when I heard 'take 5' it appealed to all the musical sensibility that I had at the time...

RIP

Edited December 9, 2012 by tutsiwarrior

[animatic]

I grew up with Brubeck as the background music of my life, with Modern Jazz Quartet, Bird, Wes, Amhad Jamal, Ramsey, B. Goodman sextet, and several others in regular rotation on my fathers high end stereo.

Brubeck got more than typical spins, and more than typical repurchase after album grooves wore down. I later became a fan on my own, because it was there in my head, and instantly popped up when ever I heard some of this. I could anticipate the music before I heard it, even as a kid, because it was already in there.

It's nice Dave lived a good long life, played till near the end,

and was accorded the accolades he well deserved.

RIP Dave Brubeck you done good!

Edited December 11, 2012 by animatic