Brubeck & Rushing [Original recording remastered]

Brubeck & Rushing [Original recording remastered]

ASIN: B00000DFSD

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
An odd pairing on a couple of counts. First, there's the discrepancy between the innate swing of Jimmy Rushing's phrasing and Brubeck's notorious stiffness. (In one off-kilter moment, the singer exclaims "tell the truth, man... play it, home!" behind the pianist's ultraterse, bluesless, soft-pedaled solo on "Blues in the Dark.") Second, there's Rushing's enormous, rough-textured voice juxtaposed against the sweet, soft, lithe alto sax counterlines of Paul Desmond. It's the latter relationship that carries this 1960 session, though to be fair Brubeck rises to the occasion too, his spare playing--along with the unimpeachable bed created by associates Gene Wright, on bass, and Joe Morello, on drums--providing an exquisite showcase for the Basie belter. Don't miss Rushing slightly rolling his r's on "Evenin'"--the exquisite diction of blues aristocracy! --John Corbett

Tracks:

Blue Rondo A La Turk
Strange Meadow Lark
Take Five
Three To Get Ready
Kathy's Waltz
Everybody's Jumpin'
Pick Up Sticks

Amazon.com essential recording

Boasting the first jazz instrumental to sell a million copies, the Paul Desmond-penned "Take Five," Time Out captures the celebrated jazz quartet at the height of both its popularity and its powers. Recorded in 1959, the album combines superb performances by pianist Brubeck, alto saxophonist Desmond, drummer Joe Morrello and bassist Gene Wright. Along with "Take Five," the album features another one of the group's signature compositions, "Blue Rondo a la Turk." Though influenced by the West Coast-cool school, Brubeck's greatest interest and contribution to jazz was the use of irregular meters in composition, which he did with great flair. Much of the band's appeal is due to Desmond, whose airy tone and fluid attack often carried the band's already strong performances to another level. Together, he and Brubeck proved one of the most potent pairings of the era. --Fred Goodman

Album Details

Limited Millennium Edition. Packed in a Heavy Weight Card Wallet that Faithfully Recreates the Original Vinyl Sleeve, Right Down to the Inner Bag. The Wallet Will Come in a Plastic Cover.

Customer Reviews:

Time Out for a Timeless Classic.......2007-07-04

This is a reissue of the 1959 studio session. Although Blue Rondo and Take Five are the signature pieces for the Quartet, the other tracks are in keeping with the innovative time signatures 5/4, 6/4 and variations of 4/4 and 3/4 time. What else can you say except it's a classic and belongs in evryone's collection.

A classic ! .......2007-07-01

This Cd is just GREAT and such a Jazz classic! The re-mastered version of this Album is absolutely wonderful---sounding so crisp and sharp!

The songs speak for themselves, as they are some of Brubeck's most famous hits.

This is a highly recommended re-mastered version of Dave's TIME OUT Album!

This CD Changed The Rules.......2007-06-16

This album changed the rules in jazz in two important ways. First, it introduced atypical time signatures to jazz performers. Performers were pushing ever other musical limit, including harmony (Miles Davis, Bill Evans, . . .), melody (John Coletrane, Eric Dolphy, . . .) and song structure in general (Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, . . .). 4/4 and 3/4 time signatures were already optional in contemporary classical music and some ethic music. Brubeck opened up this fertile opportunity for the jazz world (and later rock like Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull and Rush). Perhaps more remarkable was the fact that this album proved that the public was receptive to this new approach to popular music. Brubeck went pioneering and returned with no lethal arrows in him.

The best part about this album is that this new technique was not just a novelty; it was a path to creating timeless compositions like Take Five and Blue Turk a la Rondo. My favorite things about Brubeck are his range of expression (from cool and understated to highly muscular), and the unique voice of Paul Desmond's saxophone. Desmond's instrument has the bird-like sweetness of Charlie Parker combined with the lazer-focused tone of John Coletrane. The alternating solo voices really injects life and breath into the group.

The use of different time signatures did not did not get embraced as widely as one might expect in a genre built on creativity. Some felt that odd time signatures did not "swing" (although Brubeck and others disproved that), some may not have felt comfortable with or inspired by this new approach, and I suspect that the distinctiveness of this contribution by a white man made it "uncool" among many jazz musicians to do something that sounded "like Brubeck". The happy side effect for Brubeck is that this album stands out in jazz like few other works.

Time out....Dave Brubeck Quartet.......2007-06-01

A clear jazz master piece......remastered by Sony....better than the originaland better than todays Brubeck Quartet

Brubeck in SACD...heaven.......2007-05-17

Sony/Columbia did this superb sounding disc very well in this SACD transfer! This rivals the original edition Lp for lovely sound, and I think it is among the best single layer SACD's out there (Mingus ah um is THE best to these ears!). You know (or should know) the music, so don't hesitate getting it on SACD! I should add I am not into 5.1 for music. My sound review refers only to 2 channel stereo sound.

Average customer rating:

Take Five in One
Brubeck's Greatest Hits, Great Album
WHEN JAZZ GOES POP
THE GREATEST SELECTION OF BRUBECK TUNES!!!!!!!!!!
(Some) of Brubeck's greatest tunes

Dave Brubeck - Greatest Hits
Dave Brubeck
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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General | Jazz | Styles | Music
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The Essential Dave Brubeck
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ASIN: B000002AL8
Release Date: 1997-12-09

Tracks:

Take Five
I'm In A Dancing Mood
In Your Own Sweet Way
Camptown Races
The Duke
It's A Raggy Waltz
Bossa Nova U.S.A.
Trolley Song
Unsquare Dance
Blue Rondo A La Turk
Theme From 'Mr. Broadway'

Amazon.com

While greatest-hits CDs abound, Dave Brubeck has been one of the few modern-jazz musicians to have actually enjoyed an occasional hit record. This CD compiles material from Brubeck's Columbia recordings of the 1950s and 1960s, revealing his deft combination of modernist harmony and unusual time signatures with the immediately accessible. Whether it's his own fine song "In Your Own Sweet Way" or Stephen Foster's "Camptown Races," his homage to Duke Ellington or the Mozart-inspired "Blue Rondo," Brubeck balances his taste for innovation with traditional melodic values. The quartet with altoist Paul Desmond was Brubeck's finest instrument. Desmond's gauzy sound and fluent improvisations provided effective contrast to Brubeck's own assertive, slightly stiff piano playing, and drummer Joe Morello smoothed out the most challenging rhythms. Desmond's "Take Five" has become a jazz standard, and this once-controversial music now conveys a special period charm. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews:

Take Five in One.......2007-05-08

Some people affirm that the early years of Dave Brubeck's production are his best. If you agree, this may well be your best Brubeck in one disc: Blue Rondo, Take Five, Unsquare Dance...

Brubeck's Greatest Hits, Great Album.......2005-09-19

This album contains many of the Brubecks's songs that I used to listen many years ago, including "Its a Raggy Waltz" and "Take Five", two of his true classics. It's a Raggy Waltz is a masterpiece, a very beautiful jazz song. I think it is interesting that you listen the samples.

Dave give us nice compositions with a sophisticated harmony.
Do not forget Paul Desmond, a very talented saxophonist that was essential to Brubeck's success.

Enjoy it

WHEN JAZZ GOES POP.......2005-04-28

Well, I've been a jazz music fan for a very short time so I can't yet say I'm this big connoisseur and all but...but I bought Dave's Greatest Hits cd yesterday and as I got home I put it into my cd player right away and listened to it three times in a row!!Couldn't help tapping and snapping to it. What a GREAT music, folks! I love all the tracks, especially that "Rondo a la Turk" one which I didn't know was one of Dave's milestones.
If you are looking for a real jazz masterpiece, try this cd and then tell me if I'm right. @.

THE GREATEST SELECTION OF BRUBECK TUNES!!!!!!!!!!.......2004-01-27

If you haven't herd any Brubeck music, this is the album you must get first, besides Time Out. This album has the greatest assortment of Brubeck tunes I ever herd in the best order.
You'll love this music, and the album itself.

(Some) of Brubeck's greatest tunes.......2003-06-08

I've always felt that of all the jazz composers, Dave Brubeck has the most original ideas and concepts. Bear in mind, the man is not just strictly a jazz composer, recently I saw one of Brubeck's newest compositions entitled 'Regrets' being performed by the Yale Cellos, an entire 22 piece ensemble of just cellos. At the recital, I saw him there and got a chance to speak to him and ask him some questions. Given that Dave is currently 82 years old he is still very sharp, though he did not have a lot to say. What he did tell me however, after I asked him how he thought jazz and improvisation related to his orchestral and chamber music, was that they are one in the same. This is clearly evident in all of his music. No one has embodied more of romantic and post-romantic music in the jazz idiom than Dave Brubeck. The tunes on this album I must stress are SOME of the best work he did with the Dave Brubeck quartet featuring Paul Desmond, one of the greatest jazz bands in history. You still get overview however of what makes this band stand out from all other jazz quartets in history. If you are not familiar with Brubeck you should definetely buy this album and listen to it from beginning to end with no distractions and then you will understand what makes his musical ideas so original. If you are familiar with Brubeck you already know what I'm talking about, and this album will just serve as a good summary of his work with Desmond, Morello, and Wright.

Average customer rating:

Time Out for a Timeless Classic
A classic !
This CD Changed The Rules
Time out....Dave Brubeck Quartet
Brubeck in SACD...heaven

Time Out
Dave Brubeck Quartet
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Cool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Mingus Ah Um
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ASIN: B00004S3AN
Release Date: 1999-11-16

Tracks:

Blue Rondo a la Turk
Strange Meadowlark
Take Five
Three to Get Ready
Kathy's Waltz
Everybody's Jumpin'
Pick up Sticks

Amazon.com essential recording

Album Details

Limited Millennium Edition. Packed in a Heavy Weight Card Wallet that Faithfully Recreates the Original Vinyl Sleeve, Right Down to the Inner Bag. The Wallet Will Come in a Plastic Cover.

Customer Reviews:

Time Out for a Timeless Classic.......2007-07-04

A classic ! .......2007-07-01

This CD Changed The Rules.......2007-06-16

Time out....Dave Brubeck Quartet.......2007-06-01

A clear jazz master piece......remastered by Sony....better than the originaland better than todays Brubeck Quartet

Brubeck in SACD...heaven.......2007-05-17

Average customer rating:

Essential jazz for you collection
DAVE DID IT AGAIN
Incomparable
BACK TO MY ROOTS
Brubeck truly shows his skill in this excellent album.

Time Further Out
Dave Brubeck
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Cool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000002AAL
Release Date: 1996-11-05

Tracks:

It's A Raggy Waltz
Bluette
Charles Matthew Hallelujah
Far More Blue
Far More Drums
Maori Blues
Unsquare Dance
Bru's Boogie Woogie
Blue Shadows In The Street
Slow And Easy (A.K.A. Lawless Mike)
It's A Raggy Waltz (Live At Carnegie Hall)

Amazon.com

Time Further Out extends upon the concepts first enunciated on the Brubeck Quartet's surprise hit Time Out, but in this case with the organizing principles involving the leader's varied compositional treatments of the blues--traditional and otherwise. Thus a darkly ruminative tune such as "Bluette" treats a fairly standard 12-bar form in a very non-standard manner, interpolating a variety of classical devices that suggest the melodic influence of Chopin and the contrapuntal devices of Bach in its treatment, with a yearning alto solo from saxophonist Paul Desmond that suggests the emotional content of a blues, without specifically referring to standard devices. As if to italicize his band's mastery of polymeter, pianist Brubeck treats the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth tunes in corresponding meters, to particular effect on the 7/4 hoedown of "Unsquare Dance," the 8/8 barrelhouse changes of "Bru's Boogie Woogie" and the engaging dissonances of his 9/8 mood piece "Blue Shadows in the Street." And on "Far More Drums," drummer Joe Morello displays a mastery of 5/4 metric variations and African-styled polyrhythms that was unheard of for that time, save for percussive grandmasters such as Max Roach. --Chip Stern

Customer Reviews:

Essential jazz for you collection.......2007-04-01

I found this record in my Dad's collection when I was 14 and just getting into jazz drumming. When I found it on disc I ordered it immediately! (When the disc is playing, I can mentally put in the pops and clicks from the old record!) The guys in Dave's quartet are all unbelievable musicians. This disc is quite rhythmic and has lots of layers to each song and that's why I love it. You'll find something new each time you listen to it. You can tell Dave, Paul, Joe and Eugene are having a blast putting this album together. If you like Dave Brubeck and most do, you'll want to add this to your collection.

DAVE DID IT AGAIN.......2007-03-15

Time Further Out is a great sequel to Time Out. Like its predecessor, the instrumentations are flawless, and the music does reflect the artistry of a true jazz master.

Though Time Out is rightfully regarded as the pinnacle release in Brubeck's career, Time Further Out does not disappoint. The melodies and rhythms reflected the joy of a performer who loved and continues to love doing what he does best, namely entertaining listeners in the style that only Mr. Brubeck could only hope to ever achieve.

One interesting observation: just as Miles Davis once said that Herb Alpert's trumpet-playing style was so distinctive that you knew it was Alpert who was performing after putting forth so much or so little as three notes, the same could be said of Brubeck's piano style.

No unequivocal comparisons can be made in distinguishing the quality of work between Time Out and Time Further Out. This is taking a stab, but I would say that Brubeck's piano style is more at the forefront in the latter.

Anyway, get both of these classics if you haven't already done so, and enjoy the listening experiences.

Incomparable.......2007-02-10

This is absolutely as good as the Brubeck Quartet -- and modern "intellectual" jazz -- gets; not to slight the Carnegie Hall Concert in any way, but this is one case where the form, clarity, and concision required in the studio trumps the live format every time.

Much looser and less self-conscious than "Time Out", "Time Further Out" finds the guys light years more comfortable with the odd time signatures they must certainly have realized (and accepted!) would become their main claim to fame, as well as with each other (Desmond was originally quite put out that Morello had demanded to be a "featured" drummer instead of a faceless time-keeper) -- and the results are obvious. This is only peripherally "intellectual" jazz; the Quartet is now expressing itself emotionally and spiritually through those odd time signatures ... it ain't just a gimmick no more, Sports Fans!

It flows, it rocks, it scales lofty peaks -- yeah, ol' ham-handed Dave is still pounding out those block chords; Paul is still smoother than silk or any other sax-man that ever lived; Gene is still running the voodoo down and Joe is still ... Joe: but the individuals have melded their sounds and their personalities, here, and the music is otherworldly, heaven-sent, and relentlessly listenable even to non-aficianados. Put it on for your girlfriend, sometime, don't make a big speech or anything, just let ot percolate through the room, and see where THAT gets you ... !

A word about Joe Morello. I'm a drummer myself, and many favorites have come and gone since I first heard him play "Take Five" on my daddy's hi-fi -- but he's the one drummer in the world I have never gotten over and never will. Buddy Rich blazes, Krupa stokes those fires down below, Max Roach'll make you think intricate interlocking thoughts; hell, even Ron Bushy (the "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" guy) and John Bonham and Terry Bozzio deserve the attention they recieved. The current crop of jazz meisters have chops and technique far beyond the abilities of mortal men --

But nobody -- NOBODY -- tells a story like Joe Morello. Nobody makes 'em talk like that, makes 'em sing like that, or puts you somewhere out in the jungle listening to four or five hand-drummers having an honest-to-god conversation. You know how Eric Clapton never tries to fast-talk you on guitar? That's how Morello is on drums.

Back in '61, drum construction had not yet gone all-maple-plies-and-razor-sharp-bearing-edges; the base was still the African mahogany of Krupa's day, mixed with a little poplar, and the sheer sound, the deep, mellow tone, of those drums is one reason folks will still be listening to solos from pre-1970 long after those who played them have left the planet. Morello doesn't have to hit you over the head with speed or technique -- just let the drums speak for themselves.

Seductive, mon, seductive ...

BACK TO MY ROOTS.......2007-01-10

I was surfing and starting looking at good old jazz that I had grown up with. Dave Brubeck started me on my appreciation of jazz. It was like meeting an old friend. I love the album and it continues Dave's unique signature in jazz composition.

Brubeck truly shows his skill in this excellent album........1998-11-12

This is one of his best. "Time Further Out" just shows how good he is and how his music can be soothing and swinging at the same time. David Brubreck does it all on this album. He has his piano skills mixed with the wonders of Paul Desmond, Joe Morello, and Eugene Wright. If you want a CD with swing and rythym, this masterpiece is the one for you!

Average customer rating:

Perhaps my favorite "cool jazz" CD
Where is Jazz Goes to Junior College?????
Brubeck at His Very Best
Jazz goes baroque
This one's great, but where'sJazz Goes to Junior College?

Jazz Goes to College
Dave Brubeck Quartet
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Jazz at Oberlin
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ASIN: B0000026TC
Release Date: 1989-08-07

Tracks:

Balcony Rock
Out Of Nowhere
le Souk
Take The 'A' Train
The Song Is You
Don't Worry 'Bout Me
I Want To Be Happy

Customer Reviews:

Perhaps my favorite "cool jazz" CD .......2006-03-18

Certainly Time Out is a great album, as are just about all the Brubeck albums, but to me, this early album (1954) is the Brubeck to get first. This is completely fresh and unique jazz improvisation that to my ears goes deeper than just about anything else in the cool jazz/west coast school of the 50s. Paul Desmond sounds absolutely inspired, and everyone in the group sounds as if they are totally on the same page. It even seems that the audience is listening with bated breath, absolutely in synch with what this group is doing. This music seems to float, sounding like a perfect dry martini (which is, I think, a common metaphor to describe Paul Desmond's alto sax sound). This even holds true when Desmond throws in elements that sound to my ears almost atonal, and perhaps these aspects of his playing are why Anthony Braxton cites him as a central influence.

My only complaint is that I wish Columbia Records would release a remastered version of this CD!

Where is Jazz Goes to Junior College?????.......2006-02-26

This one of Brubeck's (and of course Desmond's -- where would the quartet be without him?) greatest recordings -- much truer to real jazz than the programmed formulaic "Time Out"/"Time In"/Time Anywhere series. This one is on a par with the fine "Jazz at the College of the Pacific," where drummer Joe Dodge creates a very different swing for the group than he does here, or as the smoother Joe Morello did for the group later. Morello brings me, however, to the other classic -- "Jazz Goes to Junior College" -- which INEXPLICABLY is still not available. Why not?? Desmond's fabulous solo on "Bru's Blues" on "Junior" is on a par or better than "Balcony Rock" here. Is Sony really so broke that they cannot add this classic to the Brubeck CD shelf? At least to make the three college concerts a series.....now there's a marketing plan for them!!

Brubeck at His Very Best.......2005-03-26

Amazing! Recorded in 1954 and, in my opinion, his best. Liked him better before the commercial success of Take Five. If there's a better tenor sax man than Paul Desmond, let me know. His solo on La Souk is nothing short of magnificent.

This recording was re-released as a double record album with Jazz Goes to Junior College, also classic but not released on casette or CD. If anyone knows if it was and where I can get it, let me know. Email: buzzmag2@yahoo.com

Jazz goes baroque.......2005-01-14

In 1954, I sat in Ann Arbor's Masonic Temple one evening and listened to this freshman's newest, musical hero, Dave Brubeck. One or two numbers from that night's program became a part of this album which, in turn, formed a leg of the tripod for the burgeoning career of the Brubeck Quartet. The other two legs consisted of their "College of Pacific" and "Oberlin" albums. I had become addicted to jazz while in high school, but that night's audience --and others that followed during the 50's-- consisted of a great many for whom Brubeck had become their missionary for a jazz conversion.
It is still amazing to consider that people who might not have responded to Armstrong, Basie or Ellington, became feverish upon hearing the complex flights of Brubeck, Desmond, et al.
And this member of a musical breed not always well regarded by American audiences was placed on the cover of a very conservative Time Magazine, even before attaining iconic status.
If Brubeck holds an enduring place in your jazz collection, then you are obliged to immediately add "Oberlin" to that library. It was the LP (now on CD) that brought the East Coast jazz masses to worship at Brubeck's pedals -- and the Quartet never recorded anything better!
One other note before I go: Before there was the Quartet, there was the Trio, which recorded on the Fantasy label. No Desmond sax, but much of the stimulating rhythms of Cal Tjader. If you're a collector, you might want to pick up a copy of the CD, "Dave Brubeck Plays Standards."

This one's great, but where'sJazz Goes to Junior College?.......2004-06-24

This album hardly needs a review for anyone who knows the output of Brubeck and company. It's great, top to bottom. I submit this, really, in hopes that someone will heed a call for reissue of an even greater album - Brubeck's Jazz Goes to Junior College. For years I have periodically checked for a CD reissue of that one, my all-time favorite of the quartet. What will it take to have that happen? RKC

The Dave Brubeck Quartet at Carnegie Hall

Average customer rating:

Brubeck!
A must buy
The Perfect Quartet
Jazzman since 1942
Degree'd

The Dave Brubeck Quartet at Carnegie Hall
Dave Brubeck
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Cool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Jazz at Oberlin
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For All Time
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ASIN: B00005AWMW
Release Date: 2001-04-10

Tracks:

St. Louis Blues
Bossa Nova U.S.A.
For All We Know
Pennies From Heaven
Southern Scene
Three To Get Ready

Tracks:

Eleven Four
It's A Raggy Waltz
King For A Day
Castilian Drums
Blue Rondo A La Turk
Take Five

Customer Reviews:

Brubeck!.......2007-05-13

I listen to this one and, wow! Jazz at it's best. It never tires. Over 40 years old and still tops my list!

A must buy.......2007-03-05

This is a classic album with Dave Brubeck at his best. A collectors item.

The Perfect Quartet.......2007-01-03

I think that Paul Desmond was second only to Johnny Hodges as an alto player. I have always considered
this group supurb.

Jazzman since 1942.......2006-11-10

I purchased the CD in order to compare it with my original vinyl LP version of the concert,which I bought end of 1960. The result: The original LP played with a o.5 mg Shure system on the grooves transfers more feeling between the group and the great audience in the Carnegie hall that night. Maybe its also a little bit psychology involved. However, could it be that the zero/one editing technique is somewhat weaker than the transfer of soundwaves to the mother printing material??
Anyway The concert on CD is a must in all that Jazz collections, therefore the 5 stars.

Degree'd.......2006-01-31

This is no doubt the most important, most exciting representation of the post-Take 5 quartet on record. Both Brubeck and Desmond are on fire, and the rhythm section of Gene Wright and Joe Morello insures the flames remain bright. And unlike the studio album, "Take 5," the odd time signatures by this time have become so second-nature to the musicians that extended, extemporaneous improvisation is the order of the night. Simply put, "At Carnegie Hall" recalls the earlier college concert dates but with the addition of a state-of-the-art rhythm section and the bold, virtuosic confidence that come with experience and success.

At the same time, the earlier recordings have their own strengths. Nowhere does the quartet sound more genuinely inspired than on "Jazz at Oberlin," "Jazz at the College of the Pacific," and "Jazz Goes to College"--performances that are characterized by in-the-moment creation and the sheer joy of discovery. Listen to Brubeck's heavy-handed bitonality and polyrhythmic thunder on "St. Louis Blues" from the Carnegie Hall date. It's in many respects dramatic and engaging but in a calculated, crowd-arousing manner that is not the case on the earlier, 1950's live recordings. Even though the other members of the rhythm section--usually Bob Bates and Joe Dodge--are clearly not marquee musicians, they're as empathetic and supportive a pair of team players as the two emerging stars could ask for.

Forget "Time Out" and go directly to "At Carnegie Hall." But on the way be sure to check out Oberlin, College of the Pacific, and those other academic venues so vital to Brubeck's and any jazz listener's education.

Average customer rating:

This was my FIRST !
Nothing not to like about this one...
Not Bad!!!!!!!!!!
Mr. Brubeck's Tribute to New York
Brubeck at his BEST

Jazz Impressions of New York
Dave Brubeck
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Dave Brubeck Quartet Plays Music From West Side Story And Wonderful Town And More
Jazz Goes to College
Time Out

ASIN: B00000274T
Release Date: 1990-09-07

Tracks:

Mr. Broadway: Theme
Broadway Bossa Nova
Autumn In Washington Square
Something To Sing About
Sixth Sense
Spring In Central Park
Lonely Mr. Broadway
Summer On The Sound
Winter Ballad
Broadway Romance
Upstage Rumba

Customer Reviews:

This was my FIRST !.......2007-04-23

I was perhaps 13 years old when I bought this album--Brubeck my intro to jazz. His jazz impressions of New York became mine, and when I visited NYC several times in my youth, I saw it through his music.

In the last four years I have been fortunate to see him in concert twice: NYC, Carnegie Hall just to see him. As a 'grownup' my first impressions of his music walked with me every step of the way. ...and today! He, the quartet played in my small town to cap off our town's college Bach Festival.

Such an intimate venue, a performance that surpassed the one at Carnegie Hall by leaps and bounds. Mr. Brubeck is now slow to walk, slow to speak, however, his fingers know no age...have no sense of time other than that in music. His fingers glide over the keyboard without effort and the most beautiful sounds DO play!

He is a man of insurpassable talent, incredible wit and kindness. I met him today! As I stood in line, waiting, pinching myself, telling myself to not bumble and fumble, I thought this is the man who introduced me to the world of jazz, a world that just keeps growing.

You'll not get a bad review from me on any of his music. He is a integral part of what I love in life! Nothing but a fan here and with the utmost respect for his lengthy, varied contribution to music.

So giddy with delight on this day...this day that just got better and better...still pinching! :))))) !!!

Nothing not to like about this one..........2006-12-06

I'm a jazz fan, but no expert. I'm a music fan, but no musician. I am a New York City fan, but since these 11 original songs were composed for a television series in the 1960's which did not last long, and none have lyrics, I can't say that any of the tunes remind me of any specific NYC sights. All I can say is that it is one of the best of the 10 or 12 Brubeck CD's in my collection. This is Brubeck's classic quartet at the height of its powers, and for 44 minutes I was delighted by all the players. Dave's career has gone on now for about 60 years, and while the classic quartet is extinct, Brubeck is still producing good recordings. But this one is nearly equal to "Time Out" and "Time Further Out" and "The Great Concerts". If you like Brubeck, or jazz piano in general, or Paul Desmond's sax playing, don't miss this one. It is a "below the radar" gem.

Not Bad!!!!!!!!!!.......2004-03-27

After analyzing and listening to this album, I've come to the conclusion that it's not that bad. The album starts off with the killer track, Theme from Mr Broadway, (In my oppinion the best song ever recorded. even better than take five) than floats into an easy bossa nova, in which Joe Morello plays a very complicated brush pattern, even me, a professional drummer who memorized the drum solo on take five couldn't even figure out. There are definitlely some clinkers in this album, or else I would have given it five stars. By the end of the album, the piano sound of Brubecks block chords start grading on your nerves, but it's all good! The last song, Upstage Rhumba is alittle misleading because it is not very fast or up beat at all, with no melody, but a constant drum beat, and claves by Teo Marceo, but overall the song and the album in its entirety aren't that bad.

Mr. Brubeck's Tribute to New York.......2003-10-01

This has to be one of the highpoints of the Brubeck Quartet's career. It sounds as fresh today, as it did forty years ago. This is a musical love letter to a great city. Of course, Dave's playing really shines, but Paul Desmond has many fine moments as well.

I don't see the point in singling out any particular track, since this disc should be savoured in its entirety. Over the years, the City of New York has inspired so many artists--here is yet another fine example--and a triumph for Dave and his quartet !

Highly recommended !

Brubeck at his BEST.......2001-12-14

I first heard this album in college in 1966. I instantly fell in love with the quartet and their music. Of course, I went out and bought the platter. And while I've heard much of Dave's music since, this recording is still my favorite. I've been humming the songs from Jazz Impressions of New York for 35 years, and I've never grown tired of them. Dave's piano is understated, allowing Paul's sax to really shine, while the bass and drums fill out the sound exquisitely. The music is crisp, and after 37 years, it's still current. It really captures the many moods and faces of New York. I plan to hold onto this album and remember the New York that was, and still is. By the way, after thinking about it for a long time, I broke down and bought the CD last month. It's great. But I still have the vinyl version.

Average customer rating:

Pleasant, but mostly boring
That Sweet West Coast Sound!
Dave Digs Disney ~ Dave Brubeck
Brubeck meets the Cheshire Cat and all that jazz...
Visiting Jazz via Disney

Dave Digs Disney
Dave Brubeck
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Dave Brubeck Quartet Plays Music From West Side Story And Wonderful Town And More
Jazz Impressions of New York
Jazz Impressions of Japan
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Jazz Goes to College

ASIN: B000002864
Release Date: 1994-06-14

Tracks:

Alice In Wonderland
Give A Little Whistle
Heigh-Ho (The Dwarfs' Marching Song)
When You Wish Upon A Star
Some Day My Prince Will Come
One Song
Very Good Advice
So This Is Love

Amazon.com essential recording

Dave Brubeck's ensemble playing is lit with contradictions, many of them best caught by the particular quartet lineup that included alto saxophonist Paul Desmond and drummer Joe Morello (and, as on Time Out, bassist Eugene Wright, who may well have rounded out the best rendition of the quartet). For this set of Disney tunes, Brubeck and Desmond play craftily off the contradicting sounds each made. Brubeck's stiff phrasing, so consistent that its very stoicalness was core to the art, and Desmond's lithe execution and breathy tone get jostled swingingly by Morello's baby's-breath touch on the snare--a perfect mix of terseness, economy, bent phrases, and so much more. Many of the tunes are all familiar to anyone with an ear on 20th-century culture, from "Give a Little Whistle" to "When You Wish Upon a Star" and "Some Day My Prince Will Come." The familiarity of the material allows an extended level of rapport, giving Digs Disney a shine that many Brubeck recordings just can't match. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

Pleasant, but mostly boring.......2006-10-30

As a long-time Brubeck fan, I bought this album mainly to hear the quartet's rendition of "Alice in Wonderland". It wasn't bad, but I was unimpressed. I was also unimpressed with most of the rest of the album. There were certainly some nice bits, and a great performance of "Someday my Prince will Come", but on the whole this album just wasn't my cup of tea.

That Sweet West Coast Sound!.......2006-06-10

For a while, I debated on whethr I should buy this album. Of course, I'd already heard "Time Out," and the other odd-time-signatured records, along with "Jazz Goes to College," and some others. That, though, was "serious" jazz. This was Dave and crew playing Disney songs we've all heard - I thought then - too many times.

But leave it to Dave, Paul, Joe, and the bass player of the month to take the familiar and help us rediscover its delights. Believe it or not, Disney CAN swing and be more than a novelty.

First and foremost, this album is a high example of West Coast jazz at its best. It achieves the type of laid back feel that can't help but put a cool smile on the listeners face (particularly, but certainly not limited to, "When You Wish Upon a Star.") The soloing, while none of it earth-shattering, is always melodic, sweet and simple. Rarely do we hear Brubeck soloing in his "pounding-out-block-chords" mood. Rather we hear his sweeter and more lyrical "one-note-at-a-time" side. The mood of the album demands it.

The only complaint I have is that sometimes this album is actually a bit TOO laid back. When the quartet is not careful, they can actually become pretty formulaic. First Paul Desmond solos, then Dave Brubeck, then some counterpoint between them, and out (maybe after having traded fours with Joe Morello). Yes, this album does engage in a good amount of that. If the music on this album did not come off so dang good, I would have been tempted to deduct more than one star for that.

But this music really is that dang good. As long as you are not expecting unbridled emotionalism or intensity (but, instead, restrained and sweetly wistful diddies), then this album will be a good choice.

Dave Digs Disney ~ Dave Brubeck.......2006-03-10

Great CD of golden oldies

Getting the sticky security seal off the CD to get it open was a really hard chore. Needed a special sticky spot remover product or kero and a lot of patience, so you don't damage the CD holder.

Brubeck meets the Cheshire Cat and all that jazz..........2005-10-05

Dave Brubeck flush from the quartets gigantic success with "Time Out" went on to record a number of intriguing concept albums, "Dave Digs Disney", is one of my favorites from that period. All of the melodies will be familiar to you for you, if you are like me and millions of boomers, have seen dozens of the classic Disney animated tales from the forties and fifties. The title tune from, "Alice In Wonderland" is so elegant and the quartet plays it beautifully. There is ,"Someday My Prince Will Come", "Give A Little Whistle" and of course, "When You Wish Upon A Star" The group gives all these memorable tunes a "Brubeck twist" and the songs that have laid way back in the folds of your brain from childhood, spring to life and you can't help but to...give a little whistle.

Visiting Jazz via Disney.......2004-07-29

I'm somewhat of a newcomer to jazz, so I think this album has been a great introduction. After falling in love with "Take Five" from the album Time Out, I was interested in hearing more of Brubeck. Searching through the racks at the local music store, I came across Dave Digs Disney. Since I'm a major Disney fan, I thought it would be a perfect match for me, and I was not disappointed.

The first go around was fun, hearing standards such as "Heigh-Ho" and "So This is Love" set in a different style and, in some cases, a different meter. "Alice in Wonderland" starts in a 3/4 waltz time, but then switches to a more traditional 4/4 time. But it was future listenings that got better. Having grown up with these songs, I had the melodies firmly implanted in my mind. So during the middle esposition/improvisation section of each song, I could feel how the notes were inspired by the theme yet not identical. This became even more clear to me when I realised that "Very Good Advice" is the only track I didn't care for too much and also the only songs I didn't already know by heart.

From some of the other reviews about this album, it sounds like it's not quite a milestone in jazz (especially compared to Time Out). I do, however, think it is quite an enjoyable stepping stone into jazz.

Average customer rating:

" Not essential " Dave Brubeck
Essential, perhaps, but hardly adequate
Spectacular collection of Brubeck's work - definitely worth checking out for a Jazz newbie
A wonderful introduction to an entire world.
" Masterful ... "

The Essential Dave Brubeck
Dave Brubeck
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Dave Brubeck Quartet at Carnegie Hall
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Jazz at Oberlin
Kind of Blue

ASIN: B00008NGAF
Release Date: 2003-03-25

Tracks:

Indiana
Perdido
Take The 'A' Train
Le Souk
Audrey
The Duke
In Your Own Sweet Way
Weep No More
Some Day My Prince Will Come
Tangerine
Brandenburg Gate
Three To Get Ready
Blue Rondo A La Turk
There'll Be Some Changes Made

Tracks:

Take Five
Maria
It's A Raggy Waltz
Unsquare Dance
Kathy's Waltz
Travelin' Blues
Summer Song
That Old Black Magic
Bossa Nova U.S.A.
Autumn In Washington Square
Theme From 'Mr. Broadway'
La Paloma Azul
Recuerdo
Caravan
Stardust
Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?
Love For Sale

Album Description

Dave Brubeck is a member of that charmed circle of improvising artists whose popularity is commensurate with his musical accomplishments. He has for nearly half a century been a major figure as pianist, composer, and leader of perhaps the most widely known and well-traveled quartet in the history of jazz. THE ESSENTIAL DAVE BRUBECK provides the ideal survey course in Brubeck Time with 31 tracks from 24 albums, spanning 53 years!

Customer Reviews:

" Not essential " Dave Brubeck.......2007-05-30

This " essential Dave Brubeck " tracks were selected by Dave Brubeck himself,therin lies the problem with this cd.
The true genius behind the band was Paul Desmond with his wonderful compositions and beautiful sax playing. Tony Morello is to my mind the best drummer I have ever heard. I enjoy Wright on bass too.All this is on disc 2
I can only describe Brubecks's playing as plodding, mainly on disc 1. He is a brilliant at comping,and good at writing, but as a soloist he is not up to par with his band mates.This is of course in my view, as many would disagree.
I rate disc number 1 as zero and disc number 2 as five, so I gave the average as three.
I have just thrown out disc 1, as I have never gotten to like it, even after many listening attempts.

Essential, perhaps, but hardly adequate.......2005-12-10

Brubeck's greatest popularity occurred during his association with Columbia Records, and this collection certainly documents some of the commercial and artistic highlights of this productive period. Particularly heartening is the inclusion of three tracks from the "Brubeck Plays Brubeck" solo piano album, including his exceptional improvisation on "In Your Own Sweet Way," an original that subsequently became a jazz standard. Still, this sampler does not include enough of the early work to dispell three widely held misconceptions: 1. that Brubeck and Desmond (or Brubeck and any other soloist) would regain the extraordinary chemistry of the 1950's quartet; 2. that the studio sessions, beginning with "Time Out," were equal if not superior to the earlier college concert dates; 3. that Brubeck's later experiments with time signatures represented an advance over his earlier adventurousness with melody, harmony, meter.

Neither Brubeck nor Desmond ever played with more in-the-moment inspired inventiveness than on their live 1950's dates. The excitement ensuing from their empathy with one another as well as their reactiveness to the palpable encouragement of their audiences was a singular moment in jazz history. In fact, during the 1950's they were to small-group modern jazz and its adherents what the Benny Goodman Big Band had been to attentive young listeners in the 1930s. The "Essential Dave Brubeck" provides only four examples from this fertile period, barely enough to whet the appetite. Moreover, the selections appear to be more abitrary than representative of this highly-charged edition of the quartet at its very best.

If you really want the essential Brubeck, be sure to supplement this collection with the '63 Carnegie Hall Concert but also with the earlier "Jazz at Oberlin" and "Jazz Goes to College." If the superior heat, intensity, and risk-taking extemporaneousness of these sessions recommend them over the later, more tepid, recordings, look next for "Jazz at the College of the Pacific, Volumes 1 and 2."

Spectacular collection of Brubeck's work - definitely worth checking out for a Jazz newbie.......2005-08-04

I used to have an older Dave Brubeck Greatest Hits package, but it came out in 1966. Brubeck started in the 50's I believe, and is still out there touring and making records in the 21st centry. Amazing given that man's age. But it's the longevity that made me want this package.

This collection came out in 2003 and covers his entire career. It has the signature stuff from Time Out, as well as numerous tracks. The sticker on the CD says "covers 53 years, 31 tracks, 24 albums". It is quite a wide selection of material. Now Brubeck has an absolute avalanche of recorded material, so for someone that only had one album (Time Out) and one 36 year old greatest hits album, this career spanning 2 CD retrospective is perfect. Over so many years and so many record labels, I'm sure there were some rights issues with all this, and I'm glad they were overcome.

I'm sure some Brubeck purists will say that it's not worthy, that one should buy the albums and all that, but he has SO MANY albums, it's extremely daunting to a Brubeck newbie, so this was a prefect choice, and I have to say I really enjoy this collection. I think you will too (unless of course you already own all of this stuff).

A wonderful introduction to an entire world........2005-06-07

I am the sort of person that likes and appreciates all sorts of music, but doesn't know much about any particular genre. I purchased this album in hopes of expanding my modest jazz collection, and I have been very pleased. It contained just enough of the known to make the introduction of the unknown quite enjoyable. The recordings are a representative sample of various periods in Brubeck's career, providing the listener with a diverse collection of complex, high-quality music. The tracks (particularly the newer recordings) have a full, rich sound, and the cd comes with an informative booklet that helped me know more about Brubeck and jazz in general. I have given this collection four stars because (as a collection, and not a true album) it is only natural that not every song from every era appeals equally, but I suspect that both jazz lovers and jazz novices (like me) will enjoy these discs.

" Masterful ... ".......2004-05-09

One of the finest, most sophisticated, and artistic [collection of] jazz-music cuts ever put together. Impressive !
(I listen to most types of music, not just jazz).

Average customer rating:

Jazz goes to college
Dave Shows What He Is Made Of
Not only guilt-free but absolutely essential.
Timeless
This is the stuff!!

Jazz at Oberlin
Dave Brubeck Quartet
Manufacturer: Ojc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Jazz at the College of the Pacific 2

ASIN: B000000Y2W
Release Date: 1991-07-01

Tracks:

These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You)
Perdido
Stardust
The Way You Look Tonight
How High The Moon

Customer Reviews:

Jazz goes to college.......2007-06-05

This is a great recording of the Dave Brubeck quartet at Oberlin College in 1953. Its the first Brubeck album I ever bought, and whilst it predates the most famous of Brubeck's quartets, it has Paul Desmond on Alto and that makes its essential.

Great versions of How High the Moon and Perdido are perhaps highlights, but the whole album is superb. The contrast between Brubecks aggressive Piano solos and Desmonds flighty alto is amazing, yet somehow they were made for each other. The quality of musicianship is of the highest order, sometimes they throw in a bits of Bach (or Bach like), Brubeck gets into semi-modern classical music at some points and the rest of the time the band are just swinging.

I'm not familiar with the bass player and drummer but they play more than an adequate supporting role to two giants of Jazz.

Dave Shows What He Is Made Of.......2004-01-22

I purchased this album a couple of years ago. Being a very huge Brubeck fan this album did not disappoint. His music in 1953 was every bit as challenging as the Time Out stuff. This is a great album to get especially if you are just being introduced to jazz. Dave always sounds simple, tame and safe on the surface which attracts you to his music and to jazz. Once you start listening and getting into it you realize the complexity. The only reason I did not give this 5 stars is because in reading the liner notes I discovered this was a 2 and 1/2 hour concert and only 40 minutes are represented on this CD. It would be great to have the concert in it's entirety especially considering its historical significance. Buy this CD anyhow; and maybe someone will find the rest of the show and re-release as a complete concert.

Not only guilt-free but absolutely essential........2003-01-13

I find it hard to believe that when I arrived on a college campus in the early sixties I was quickly indoctrinated by the "insiders" among the jazz players into disavowing any interest in the music of Brubeck or Desmond. Both were deemed not only too commercial but too West Coast, too white, too fay, too unaffected by the Bird revolution.

Not only is the foregoing among the most myopic viewpoints ever shared by musicians, but it is equally mistaken to assume Brubeck's music is not a force to be reckoned with until the "Time Out" recordings. Let the Oberlin record speak for itself: it represents improvisation of the highest order by two musicians at the very peak of their creative powers.

Take Paul's solo on "Just the Way You Look Tonight": He quotes from Prokofief, Stravinsky, and at least 3 American composers while building an emotional, pyrotechnical, beautifully structured solo spurred on by the audible vocal encouragements of Brubeck himself. Who could follow that? Brubeck does, not only matching but possibly topping it, with thunderous, wildly inventive yet boldly assertive, polyrhythmic melodic statements played in octaves in the left hand.

There's a widespread myth, proven wrong time and again, that the best music occurs when great soloists are accompanied by equally heralded drummers and bass players. To the contrary, the most spirited and swinging jazz always happens when players know their roles and listen to each other.

Before your jazz collection numbers more than 10 albums, make certain that this is one of them.

Timeless.......2002-12-03

This recording is 50 years old but loses none of its luster. The sheer joy of the performance and the appreciation of the audience makes this album pure pleasure. The last four tracks are among the best that Brubeck and Desmond ever did. The creativity and chemistry among the musicians has few rivals in the jazz genre. Amusing quotes and references to other songs, quasi-classical forms including Bach-like fugues between Brubeck and Desmond make for much fun in listening (I always hear something new) and it swings!

This is the stuff!!.......2002-10-22

This happened to be one of the first jazz albums I ever heard, and I thought that was why I liked it so much. But truly, I have rarely heard other material that comes close to the thrill and synchronicity of this performance. All the songs are solid.
Desmond's touch is alternately floating and soaring, while Brubeck has some of the most dissonant and staccato chords somehow mixed with beautiful phrasing, and the two weave together like flowing water. I've heard another live set by this quartet that was recorded only a few months from this date, and they just didn't have it, but man did they have it in this set!! I'm not a jazz expert, but the feel and mood created here is so beautiful, powerful, and emotive. I strongly recommend it!

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