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Chris Brubeck, son of groundbreaking jazz musician Dave Brubeck, stops by to talk about the family’s artistic gifts and life on the road with brothers Dan, Darius, and Matthew. Pop chanteuse Angelique Kidjo speaks with us about her exotic blend of musical styles. Plus, a conversation with composer Joan Tower and performance by pianist Melvin Chen.
The Brubecks have produced some fine music over the decades, from father Dave’s chart-busting single, “Take Five,” to son Chris’s new-music and orchestral compositions. The younger Brubeck’s most recent work is “Interplay for 3 Violins and Orchestra,” which the Boston Pops commissioned Chris to write.
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Angelique Kidjo melds funk, salsa, jazz, rumba, souk, and makossa to create a tantalizing musical stew. On Black Ivory Soul, her seventh solo album, the Paris- and Brooklyn-based singer explores her mixed heritage (West African and Brazilian), specifically her Beninese homeland and the city of Bahia.
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Sometimes commissioned, sometimes not, Joan Tower’s unconventional compositions have evolved into full-scale choreographed works and pieces that showcase the talents of such solo performers as percussionist Evelyn Glennie. Renaissance-man Melvin Chen completed a doctorate in chemistry from Harvard and a double master’s degree from Juilliard in piano and violin, and spent two years as a member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. The two take Woodstock at the Maverick Concerts festival on August 10.
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