Today is the 90th Birthday of an American treasure: Dave Brubeck.
Brubeck is a Jazz pianist whose quartet defined what most American’s called Jazz in the fifties and sixties. Unlike some other Jazz artists of that era, Brubeck wasn’t over the top or weird.He played cool Jazz that even a non-musician could love and appreciate.
This performance of “Take Five” was recorded in Germany in 1966. Paul Desmond, Brubeck’s long-time friend and collaborator is featured — as usual — as the soloist on this, their most famous number.
In the late sixties, I named one of the trios that I formed the “Take Five” as an homage to Brubeck. Today, at Mayfair Mall, I will be thinking about Brubeck when I play some of his arrangements of Christmas songs.
So, thanks Mr. Brubeck for your great music and your being a really well-grounded person all of these years.
