Music

Dave Brubeck in his Connecticut studio (George Moore)

Aired Sunday, July 4 at 4PM on 93.9 FM and at 8PM on AM 820

Click on the MP3 links below to hear two never-before-heard live recordings of Dave Brubeck, recorded on location by WNYC in New York City!

"In Your Own Sweet Way"  Download MP3
"On the Sunny Side of the Street"  Download MP3

About Dave Brubeck  |  Music CD Playlist  |  Additional Links

"An Hour with Dave Brubeck" is another in Sara Fishko's series of conversations with musical figures. The interview for the program was taped in Brubeck's studio in Connecticut, this past spring. In the program, Brubeck discusses his childhood, musical influences (from jazz pianist Art Tatum to classical composer Darius Milhaud) and development. Music featured includes a very early recording of Brubeck "imitating" Tatum, Teddy Wilson and other pianists he admired; as well as some of the iconic live and studio recordings from his later days.

		Cleo Brown: "When Fats Waller died, the musicians in that band wanted her to take over, that's how great she was. She gave me a note to take to Art Tatum."—Dave Brubeck
		Art Tatum: "Art Tatum, oh boy....I went from one of the greatest woman pianists to the greatest man pianist! Tatum was very important in my life....after my mother heard him, she said, 'Now David, now I know why you want to be a jazz pianist...'"—Dave Brubeck Photo © Herman Leonard
		Darius Milhaud: "Milhaud was a genius beyond genius...he had an open house every Thursday night, and he'd want us to come and jam..." —Dave Brubeck
		The Classic Quartet: "I've had great rhythm sections, but this one was unique..." —Dave Brubeck
		The Gates of Justice: "I think people are aware enough of how bad off the world is if we don't behave, and a piece like the 'Gates of Justice' is full of what they should be doing..." —Dave Brubeck
		Time Out: "Columbia didn't jump at the chance, they were against it...because people couldn't dance to it; and you shouldn't have a painting on the cover..."—Dave Brubeck
		Time Changes: After the phenomenal success of Time Out (1959), the first ever jazz million seller, a whole set of albums followed, all experimenting with odd time signatures...
		Jazz at Oberlin: "It kinda changed the way jazz musicians work in universities and colleges, as concerts rather than...dances, and it was a breakthrough..."—Dave Brubeck
		Private Brubeck Remembers: His latest release, a solo album of tunes associated with World War II (Brubeck joined the army and served from 1942 to 46)...

Photo Credits
· Photo of Art Tatum by Herman Leonard
· Photo of the classic Dave Brubeck Quartet – Dave Brubeck Collection, Holt-Atherton Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library. © Dave Brubeck
· Photo of Dave Brubeck with Darius Milhaud by A.J. Edwards – Dave Brubeck Collection, Holt-Atherton Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library. © Dave Brubeck
· Photo of Dave Brubeck octet (below) – Dave Brubeck Collection, Holt-Atherton Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library. © Dave Brubeck

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About Dave Brubeck
Dave Brubeck was born in 1920 in Concord California, a small town near San Francisco. He was the youngest of 3 sons, all of them musical. Brubeck began to improvise tunes at age 4 (his mother, a pianist, jotted them down). The family moved to a ranch when he was 11, and in that period of relative isolation he listened to jazz records and continued learning his way around the piano. Even though Dave's father wanted him to be a rancher, or a veterinarian, Dave chose music and studied it in College, and then embarked on a career as jazz pianist and composer in the early 1940's.

Starting in the late 40's and early 50's, Dave Brubeck began to make his mark: the innovative Octet, then his Trio, then his classic Quartet made a huge impact on music in that period. Brubeck was on the cover of Time Magazine in 1954, and had the first million-selling jazz record in 1959 with the celebrated tune "Take Five" from the album Time Out. There was another stellar quartet in the 70's, and a series of compositions that combind classical music and jazz.

Lately Brubeck is active in the "Brubeck Institute," a program for young jazz players, and tours widely. His 1968 piece "The Gates of Justice" has been released on CD, and his latest solo piano recording features World War II songs: it is called Private Brubeck Remembers.

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Brubeck/CD Playlist: all performances by Brubeck unless otherwise indicated. (Note: opening music, "In Your Own Sweet Way," was recorded on location by WNYC; all other music is on CD)