Let's "Take Five" for Dave Brubeck, 1920-2012

[Meddle]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...8B40XO20121205

[[Reuters) - Jazz pianist Dave Brubeck, whose choice of novel rhythms, classical structures and brilliant sidemen made him a towering figure in modern jazz, has died at the age of 91, his longtime manager and producer Russell Gloyd said on Wednesday.

Brubeck died of heart failure on his way to a regular medical exam at Norwalk Hospital, in Norwalk, Conn., said Gloyd.

His Dave Brubeck Quartet put out one of the biggest selling jazz songs of all time: "Take Five," composed by alto saxophonist Paul Desmond. Like many of the group's works, it had an unusual beat -- 5/4 time as opposed to the usual 4/4.

"We play it differently every time we play it," Brubeck told The Philadelphia Inquirer in 2005. "So I never get tired of playing it. That's the beauty of jazz."

"Take Five" was the first million-selling jazz single.

Brubeck injected classical counterpoint, atonal harmonies and modern dissonance into his music, hinting at composers such as Debussy, Bartok, Stravinsky and Bach.

[TKshreve]

RIP Dave Brubeck. May your music live on for years to come.

[Jimaz]

Dave Brubeck - Take Five - JazzAndBluesExperience

[Downriviera]

RIP. One of my favorites. I'll always remember his shows at the jazz fest.

[canuck]

I went to a Brubeck concert 25 years ago and he was playing with his son,I think. RIP.

[G-DDT]

Aaauwwgh! I didn't see this thread. I was in Madison at the time that this happened. I wore a black arm band [[same for Pete Seeger and Ray Bradbury). He composed a few masses.

My best memory of him was talking my mom to get out of the house to see the Jazzfest downtown in 2005. This was during the Katrina Hurricane starting up. Dave Brubeck was there playing with a New Orleans Brass Band [[the Regal Brass Band-Fleur de Lis and all that).

Dave was promoting his London Flat London Sharp album. He went into a tiny dissertation about the making of the album and capped it off with a sly, corny joke about how tricky the piece will be on the switch-ups and to tell the audience if they can tell the difference when he is playing an A sharp note or B flat note [[most of the crowd gave an impressed "Oooo", while the rest of groaned and chuckled.). Amazing how he played through and through at his age.

The best was playing "When the Saints Come Marchin' In" with the Brass Band. After a few cycled rounds of it, they began to slowly march off the stage one by one, leaving poor Dave up there by himself. Who [[seemed) to catch on in embarrassment and hurried off himself.

Hard for anyone who is familiar with his work to not love him. He blended classical and jazz formats and was no stranger to implementing strange time signatures.

Here's a piece I've heard imitated [[somewhat) in a commercial.


Here's another one with the great Gerry Mulligan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htzCwbQUFI8
Though I also like the one done with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
[[the way the strings come in on some pieces).

Anyway, be at harmonious peace, Dave.