Brubeck & Rushing -- I know what

[Larry Kart]

http://www.amazon.com/Brubeck-Rushing-Reis-Dave/dp/B00000DFSD

... and Desmond is in fine form, too. Rushing's reshapings of "Evenin'" and "Ain't Misbehavin'"(very nice Desmond here) are remarkably spontaneous, even by his standards. What a jazz singer he was.

[Spontooneous]

Seconded. I was expecting a mismatch of singer and band, but everybody has it together here.

[Dan Gould]

Third. I picked this up a few years ago and found I quite enjoyed it.

[Harold_Z]

Agreed. I'm a fan of all Jimmy's Columbia records.

[AllenLowe]

I used to have this, but got rid of it because Brubeck makes me nervous (and not in a good way). Someday I will listen to it again.

[Christiern]

I was pleasantly surprised when I first heard it. I liked both artists but questioned the wisdom of teaming them up. I shouldn't have.

[JSngry]

Agreed. I'm a fan of all Jimmy's Columbia records.

Same here, including this one.

FWIW, Willie The Lion was very complimentary towards Brubeck in a DB BFT. Don't remember exactly what or why, but I think it was something about the strong left hand and the conviction with which he played. But maybe not.

[Ken Dryden]

The session was suggested by Rushing. I've long enjoyed it, having first acquired it back in the 1970s.

I remember that being in one of Leonard Feather's Encyclopedias of Jazz. Smith talked about Brubeck having heavy hands, but if it was played at a party, people would dance all night long. Smith had no tolerance for pianists with a weak left hand.

Edited December 27, 2010 by Ken Dryden

[jazzbo]

Got this reissue when it was first released. Just one of a string of pearls from this band at that time. All these albums should be out and in print.

[EKE BBB]

FWIW, Willie The Lion was very complimentary towards Brubeck in a DB BFT. Don't remember exactly what or why, but I think it was something about the strong left hand and the conviction with which he played. But maybe not.

DAVE BRUBECK. ST. LOUIS BLUES (COLUMBIA). Paul Desmond, alto, Norman Bates, bass.

WILLIE "THE LION" SMITH: I give them five [stars], and if they were all put on the stage together, they would capture the prize anywhere -not only in a concert hall, but in a back room or any place. They upset me ... the minute they start playing, that feeling and beat is there.

I like the piano because he plays like the guys I told you about at the brickyards in Haverstraw, New York, where the blues was born ... he has heavy hands, but hits some beautiful chords ... you could put this on at anybody's house, and they'd dance all night.

[AllenLowe]

only shows what poor critics even some of the best musicians make. Not trying to be glib, but to compare Brubeck to the old-time stompers is somewhat.....misleading. Now, on the other hand, if he'd praised Elvis I could understand......

Edited December 27, 2010 by AllenLowe

[JSngry]

I don't know, man, The Lion was an astute observer. He made note of the intrinsic Jewish influence in Ellington's compositions at a time when this had pretty much gone unnoticed by everybody else.

(I'm serious - it's on the RCA talking record)

[jlhoots]

Based on this thread I just bought a reasonably priced copy online.

I wish someone would reissue The You & Me That Used To Be.

I guess I could buy one of the $20+ used copies.

Edited December 27, 2010 by jlhoots

[Peter Friedman]

The Rushing / Brubeck session is a very good one. I like pretty much everything by Jimmy Rushing as well as Brubeck recordings on Fantasy and Columbia.

Don't care much for most of the Brubeck things after Desmond was no longer part of the group.

[AllenLowe]

The You and Me that Used to Be is one of the greatest vocal sessions ever; it actually was out, briefly, on CD, in the early '90s, and sounded like crap. Fortunately it disappeared. I own 2 LP copies.

[JSngry]

The You and Me that Used to Be is one of the greatest vocal sessions ever; it actually was out, briefly, on CD, in the early '90s, and sounded like crap.

I don't think the LP sounds too good either. Schlitten didn't get a good sound on that session, period (imo). Too dry, too "in your face", no room/space in the sound.

[paul secor]

The You and Me that Used to Be is one of the greatest vocal sessions ever; it actually was out, briefly, on CD, in the early '90s, and sounded like crap.

I don't think the LP sounds too good either. Schlitten didn't get a good sound on that session, period (imo). Too dry, too "in your face", no room/space in the sound.

Never had the CD, but I agree with Jim about the LP. If the CD sounded bad, it was probably because the sound was poor to begin with.

[paul secor]

Even Brubeck seems less heavy handed than usual - at least to the extent he's able to do that. It's a shame (and surprising, given Brubeck's popularity back then)that this record never found an audience and doesn't seem to have done anything for Jimmy Rushing's career.

Perhaps Columbia never promoted it.

[brownie]

The Spanish label As Is is releasing this month a CD that couples 'Brubeck & Rushing' with the splendid 'Rushing Lullabies'

[David Gitin]

I heard Brubeck & Rushing live on a bill with Carmen McRae in Buffalo, New York early/mid sixties...

[AllenLowe]

'If the CD sounded bad, it was probably because the sound was poor to begin with.'

No, it was a different issue - though I think the LP is fine (the main problem may have been that it was made in the days when engineers started sending the bass directly to the board). The CD was one of the real early things put out in the RCA masters series, I think it was, and one can hear that the transfer is a mess, it has that grainy thing that happened when they were using bad analog to digital converters.

[Larry Kart]

'If the CD sounded bad, it was probably because the sound was poor to begin with.'

No, it was a different issue - though I think the LP is fine (the main problem may have been that it was made in the days when engineers started sending the bass directly to the board). The CD was one of the real early things put out in the RCA masters series, I think it was, and one can hear that the transfer is a mess, it has that grainy thing that happened when they were using bad analog to digital converters.

Don't think I ever heard the LP, but the CD was almost unlistenable. Sounded like it had been recorded in an anachonic (sp?) chamber.

[JSngry]

The Spanish label As Is is releasing this month a CD that couples 'Brubeck & Rushing' with the splendid 'Rushing Lullabies'

Rushing Lullabies is stoopidsick GREAT!!!!

[medjuck]

Even Brubeck seems less heavy handed than usual - at least to the extent he's able to do that. It's a shame (and surprising, given Brubeck's popularity back then)that this record never found an audience and doesn't seem to have done anything for Jimmy Rushing's career.

Perhaps Columbia never promoted it.

Joel Dorn included "River Stay Away from My Door" from this Lp on a compilation he did called IIRC "Songs that Lit Up the Switchboard"-- the concept being that when he was a DJ there were certain songs that always got a strong positive reaction from his listeners. It was hearing this cut that made me by the cd.

[Larry Kart]

The You and Me that Used to Be is one of the greatest vocal sessions ever; it actually was out, briefly, on CD, in the early '90s, and sounded like crap.

I don't think the LP sounds too good either. Schlitten didn't get a good sound on that session, period (imo). Too dry, too "in your face", no room/space in the sound.

As it happens, I picked up an unopened LP copy today. I agree with Jim's characterization of the sound there, but agree with Allen IIRC that the CD sounded much worse.

The horns are in fine form, especially Zoot and Al; Rushing sounds a little weary and/or less buoyant than usual to me, certainly not as ebullient as he was on the Brubeck date some twelve years before this (Rushing only had a year left to live when he made "The You and Me That Used To Be"). Aside from the engineering, the big problem for me is pianist-bandleader Dave Frishberg, who almost drowns Rushing in intrusive, old-timey piano cliches, which Frishberg often doesn't even get right grammatically (e.g. you don't play full-bore stride behind a vocalist [and Frishberg's stride is rather oafish in itself]; overall he sounds like a hotel-band pianist's idea of Sammy Price). By contrast, Brubeck sounds fairly sensitive to what Rushing is doing; at least he tries not to step on Rushing's toes.