"Jazz Impressions of Brubeck"

[ghost of miles]

 

In the 1950s and 60s the Dave Brubeck Quartet became one of the most popular jazz acts in the world–one of the reasons why the group ended up doing a State Department tour in 1958 at the height of the Cold War that took them to countries such as India, Poland, and Iraq. The music inspired by this and other international forays came out on albums called Jazz Impressions of Eurasia, Jazz Impressions of Japan, and Bravo Brubeck. These tours also made Brubeck a spokesperson for values that for him were heartfelt: a love of jazz and liberty, and a belief that the two were intertwined. “No dictatorship can tolerate jazz,” he said at one performance. “It is the first sign of a return to freedom.” Brubeck, who recently was honored by the U.S. government for his long-running jazz ambassadorship, was a pupil of the classical-music composer Darius Milhaud, who told his young student “to travel the world and keep my ears open.” The pianist did just that, and his subsequent jazz-impressions albums contain some of the most interesting music in his jazz legacy.

 

Jazz Impressions of Brubeck airs this evening at 11:05 p.m. EST on WFIU. Check "Carriage" on the links page for airtimes on other stations around the country. The program will be posted for online listening Monday morning in the Night Lights archives.

 

Next week: "The Carla Bley Songbook."

Edited December 6, 2020 by ghost of miles

[AllenLowe]

please pardon the cheap shot, but I've always felt that Brubeck was just giving us his impression of what it must be like to be a jazz musician -

[Ken Dryden]

You're right, Allen. That was a cheap shot.

Brubeck remains far underrated as a composer, no matter what one thinks of his piano playing.

I think he's playing better in his eighties than he did in his forties.

[Chuck Nessa]

I disagree with that. He was an interesting player (for me) 40+ years ago but wouldn't drive 10 minutes to hear him now. I would drive 50 miles to have dinner with him. He is a very nice human. Not a bunch of those walking around.

Impressions better left to Rich Little and I will completely leave Rich Little alone.

[AllenLowe]

"I think he's playing better in his eighties than he did in his forties."

well, I would hope so -

(another cheap but accurate shot)

sorry, Dave, but they say controversy is good for ratings -

LET THE PEOPLE DECIDE

bring on the musical super delegates -

[Ken Dryden]

Not everyone's playing gets better with age. Some get stuck in a time warp or just lose their chops.

I'd rather hear Brubeck than the constantly hyped Herbie Hancock (yawn....).

Dave is one of the nicest guys around in jazz, whether over a meal, during an interview, or just hanging out.

[AllenLowe]

he is extremely nice (talked to him only once) - I just find that listening to him play is like watching someone who's shuffling a deck of cards but who never gets around to playing the damn card game -

Edited May 4, 2008 by AllenLowe

[JSngry]

What if his game is the shuffle?

[JSngry]

I mean, I'm in no way a "fan", & I used to take the cheap (and not so cheap) shots with great regularity. But the thing is, for all his quirks and such, he's kept on doing what he does and...it's got (and always has had, and apprently always will have) its own interior logic and its own core integrity. I can't say that I find it "deep", but I can't say that I find it "shallow" either. There is substance there, just substance for which I myself have very little "natural affinity". But substance nevertheless.

My final verdict on Brubeck (as of now...) - inhabitant of a parallel universe which holds neither strong attractions or repulsions for me, maybe not that "nice" of a place to visit, and I'd definitely not want to live there, but if somebody tried to tear it down to put up a parking lot, I'd protest with some fervor. He built it, he's kept it up, and he has no call to be anything other than proud about it.

I don't know (and probably don't really care) what is in his game, but there for sure ain't no shame.

[BillF]

Whether or not you like Brubeck's piano playing (and I don't), there should be plenty of interest in the Night Lights show, which deals with Brubeck's role in the State Department tours, an event in history that I want to know more about.

[AllenLowe]

don't misunderstand - I am actually trying to increase ratings for the show - I think THE PEOPLE should reach their own verdict - we don't need no Judge Wapner -

BRING IT ON DAVE

[ghost of miles]

The controversial, provocative, and polarizing Jazz Impressions of Brubeck is now archived.

Edited December 6, 2020 by ghost of miles

[AllenLowe]

yes, even Hillary made on a comment about it, in her Sunday interview:

"Brubeck's audience, in the face of critical rejection, turns bitterly to its LPs and old Downbeat polls. They are BITTER BITTER BITTER."

[BillF]

Now listening to the show.

There's so much in Brubeck's music - as opposed to Desmond's - that is distant from jazz sensibility as I recognize it. Pleased David mentions Brubeck's mass popularity at the time of these recordings. I think my distaste for Brubeck and his appeal goes back to a jazz package I saw at the St.George's Hall, Bradford in 1959 comprising the Brubeck Quartet, the Gillespie group with Junior Mance and Les Spann that recorded Have Trumpet, Will Excite! and a Buck Clayton band with Emmett Berry, Dicky Wells, Buddy Tate and Earl Warren in the front line. Others attending the concert repeatedly tried to convince me after the event of the worthlessness of the non-Brubeck groups. I doubt if any of those people are still listening to jazz! Oh, and they also liked the MJQ, by the way!

[ghost of miles]

 

  ghost of miles said:

 

In the 1950s and 60s the Dave Brubeck Quartet became one of the most popular jazz acts in the world–one of the reasons why the group ended up doing a State Department tour in 1958 at the height of the Cold War that took them to countries such as India, Poland, and Iraq. The music inspired by this and other international forays came out on albums called Jazz Impressions of Eurasia, Jazz Impressions of Japan, and Bravo Brubeck. These tours also made Brubeck a spokesperson for values that for him were heartfelt: a love of jazz and liberty, and a belief that the two were intertwined. “No dictatorship can tolerate jazz,” he said at one performance. “It is the first sign of a return to freedom.” Brubeck, who recently was honored by the U.S. government for his long-running jazz ambassadorship, was a pupil of the classical-music composer Darius Milhaud, who told his young student “to travel the world and keep my ears open.” The pianist did just that, and his subsequent jazz-impressions albums contain some of the most interesting music in his jazz legacy.

 

Jazz Impressions of Brubeck airs this evening at 11:05 p.m. EST on WFIU. Check "Carriage" on the links page for airtimes on other stations around the country. The program will be posted for online listening Monday morning in the Night Lights archives.

Expand  

 

We're re-airing Jazz Impressions of Brubeck this week on Night Lights; it's already archived for online listening.

Edited December 6, 2020 by ghost of miles

[ghost of miles]

Another show up in honor of today’s Brubeck centennial (and we’re re-airing it this week as well):

Jazz Impressions of Brubeck

[Ken Dryden]

I would have aired a Brubeck Centennial program today, but the university shut down access to the station becasue of COVID two weeks ago before I could record any additional programs. Oh, well...only 5 more weeks of reruns....