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Posted

Indeed.

I've come to Brookmeyer in recent years, initially via his later recordings, then going back to those of the 50s/60s for which he has most acclaim. The richness of his writing in latter day discs really touches me - he hits an almost Mahlerian level of sadness and longing.

Saw him the once a few years back at Cheltenham playing for a few tunes in a UK band alongside Kenny Wheeler.

R.I.P.

Posted

He left a lot of fine music behind and was a character indeed. Arguably, with occasional detours, he got better and better as a composer and a player. The length and the beauty of the melodies he improvised on "Jim Hall/Bob Brookmeyer at the Northsea Jazz Festival (Challenge) from 1979, is quite something. Heard him live about five years ago with the DePaul University Jazz Band, playing his pieces, and he was in great form.

The Northsea album BTW is the perfect response to Andre Hodeir's semi-putdown of Brookmeyer in "Jazz Its Evolution in Essence" back in 1956: "These two young soloists [Chet Baker and Brookmeyer] have a conception of jazz that is much like his [Gerry Mulligan's]. It is based on a use of modern material (sonority, attack, various harmonic elements) in a resolutely traditional context.... The most debatable part of this conception is the resulting rhythmic vocabulary. Brookmeyer in particular seems to have a fondness for certain syncopated formulas and frankly corny accentuations that jazzmen had eliminated during the classical period [i.e. the 1930s]; he doesn't hesitate to use them side by side with a legato style of phrasing based on eighth notes. Few will deny that the result is asymmetry, a kind of hybrid.... When a writer who is qualified to speak on the subject says that Brookmeyer, in 'Open Country,' 'uses the lilt of 1930 Broadway songs with considerable wit,' how are we to imagine that he means this as praise rather than condemnation?"

Yes, early Brookmeyer did seem to be the riding on a buckboard at times from a rhythmic point of view -- at times in a rather self-conscious ole-timey manner, at times I would guess not that way but just because -- but that went away eventually, while the "Broadway" strain that Hodeir speaks of just became extended into (at best) near endless mutating melodies. Both as a player and writer in later years, Brookmetyer seemed me to to be jazz's Sibelius, which is plenty OK in my book, though Hodeir might thank that the final condemenation.

Posted (edited)

fascinating guy - he was another, like Carisi, who represented the old modernism as it thoroughly rejected the new modernism.

Nice guy too, in my few encounters.

Edited by AllenLowe
Posted

Saw him the once a few years back at Cheltenham playing for a few tunes in a UK band alongside Kenny Wheeler.

What sad news to log into, after a rough 250 mile car drive. :(

Like Bev, the one time I saw Bob Brookmeyer play was at Cheltenham and I'm very glad I saw it.

A true master of the valve trombone - and an excellent arranger. Loved his work with Thad & Mel and also the collaborations with Clark Terry. RIP Mr Brookmeyer,

Posted

Oh no, this is sad news! He was on so many great albums, played in so many great bands, from Mulligan's quartet and sextet the CJB, the Giuffre 3, the Jones-Lewis Orchestra. Love his playing!

r.i.p. and thank you so much for all the great music

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