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Quartet Brubeck on Campus (Vinyl, CBS Records, 1972) ****
The Dave Brubeck Quartet The Last Time We Saw Paris (Vinyl, Columbia Records, 1968) ****
Dave Brubeck Trio & Gerry Mulligan Live at the Berlin Philharmonic (Vinyl, CBS Records, 1973) ****
The Dave Brubeck Quartet Paper Moon (Vinyl, Concord Jazz Records, 1982) ****
The Dave Brubeck Quartet A Place In Time (Vinyl, Avon-Guard Records, 1954) ****
Dave Brubeck Two Generations of Brubeck (Vinyl, Atlantic Records, 1973) ****
The Rodger Fox Big Band The New York Tapes (Vinyl, Ode Records, 1981) ***
Grover Washington, Jr. Feels So Good (Vinyl, Kudu Records, 1975) ****
They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8
Active compensatory factors: Doing research for this post led to a personal epiphany. Dave Brubeck was a huge favourite of my dad's and Dave's full name, I've just realised, was David Warren Brubeck. I've always wondered about my name's origin, and now the coincidence seems too great. I'm going to take it as a fact from here on.
Jazz Goes to College was his first album for Columbia, and given it's live, and it's live in 1954 - the sound is amazing! At this point the quartet comprised alto saxophonist Paul Desmond, double bassist Bob Bates, and drummer Joe Dodge. While I prefer the Joe Morello/Eugene Wright classic line-up. these earlier combos are pretty great too.
The album with Gerry Mulligan is another swingin' affair. Gerry has a very different approach to Paul Desmond (the epitome of cool jazz sax). As in he has a firmer, more robust tone to Paul's. That presents fresh challenges to Dave Brubeck - which is the point I guess.
Paper Moon is another exceptional album in his catalogue. His son Chris is by this time part of the Quartet on bass, but the real star of this album is Jerry Bergonzi on tenor sax. He is brilliant throughout!
Two Generations of Brubeck has Dave joined by his three sons on various instruments: electric piano; trombone; drums; organ; electric bass; clavinet.
The Rodger Fox Big Band album lets rip nicely with massed horns in a big band. Jacky doesn't like the trumpets, but they provide a top end to the sound that helps blend in all these instruments. I've had this album a few times, but I'll hang on to this copy!
Genre: Jazz
Places I remember: Brian Smith Collection, The Little Red Bookshop, JB Hi Fi, Vinyl Room, Vinyl Vault Plus
Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Three To Get Ready (The Last Time...)
Gear costume: I Hear a Symphony (Paper Moon)
Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Three To Get Ready (The Last Time...)
Gear costume: I Hear a Symphony (Paper Moon)
Active compensatory factors: Doing research for this post led to a personal epiphany. Dave Brubeck was a huge favourite of my dad's and Dave's full name, I've just realised, was David Warren Brubeck. I've always wondered about my name's origin, and now the coincidence seems too great. I'm going to take it as a fact from here on.
Brubeck on Campus is a double album compilation of two albums - 1954's Jazz Goes to College and 1957's Jazz Goes to Junior College (which I've reviewed here previously).
The Last Time We Saw Paris does feature the classic line-up of Brubeck, Desmond, Morello and Wright. It's from their final tour in 1968 (they'd eventually reunite) and they were on top form during these six extended versions of songs from their past.
The band certainly rises to the challenge on this recording. Jack Six (bass) and drummer Alan Dawson, are terrific - pushing Gerry and Dave to new heights. This is an excellent addition to my Brubeck collection - showing him in a slightly different light.
A Place In Time (originally called Brubeck Time) is a re-release of a studio album from 1954 with an early incarnation of the quartet. Bob Bates is on bass and Joe Dodge is on drums - the same personnel as Jazz Goes To College from that time. It's excellent! Does he ever do less?
It's a much more jazz fusion approach on this album thanks to this new Brubeck generation, while still retaining aspects of Dave's more acoustic inclination. The new versions of old Quartet 'hits' are interesting and show how the songs stand up to the test of time. Side two has the more challenging songs/sounds, but side one is terrific.
Feels So Good is a 1975 album by Grover with Bob James doing the arrangements. Both artists are at the top of their game on this album. Grover's deep groove sax work is a thing of beauty and Bob gives him the space and canvas to work his magic. A top effort!
Where do they all belong? Back to the rock albums next.
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