Dave Brubeck was one of the highly–influential pioneers of the west coast “cool school” of modern jazz musicians, developing a strand of music which was different from the more frenetic approach of the New York-based bebop movement, initially appealing to sophisticated college audiences and the clubs in San Francisco.
He is famous, of course, for his landmark Time Out and Time Further Out albums of 1959 and 1960 with his famous Quartet, but he had made his first recordings more than a decade earlier, before that group had evolved.
This 50-track set comprises recordings which he made for the newly-established San Francisco label owned by Max and Sol Weiss, with Brubeck also an early investor, initially devoted to releasing Brubeck’s recordings, although other artists were soon signed.
The collection includes recordings Brubeck made over the next couple of years which were released on Fantasy singles, with performances in various formats – solo, Trio, Quartet and Octet. The groups feature some notable musicians, including bassists Ron Crotty, Jack Weeks, Fred Dutton and Wyatt Ruther, drummers Cal Tjader, Herb Barman and Lloyd Davis, saxophonists Paul Desmond, Dave Van Kriedt and others.
Brubeck died of heart failure on 5 December, 2012, one day before his 92nd birthday. Writing for The Daily Telegraph, Ivan Hewett, wrote: “Brubeck didn’t have the réclame of some jazz musicians who lead tragic lives. He didn’t do drugs or drink. What he had was endless curiosity combined with stubbornness… “His work list is astonishing, including oratorios, musicals and concertos, as well as hundreds of jazz compositions. This quiet man of jazz was truly a marvel.”
REVIEWS
This double disc collection of course predates his period of commercial success as it concentrates on the first two years of the fifties with 50 recordings for the Fantasy label. A very engaging collection. - Gerry Stonestreet (In Tune Issue 354)
Plenty of repeat listening... - Alyn Shipton (Jazzwise Issue 266)
A rewarding insight into early Brubeck... - Peter Vacher (The Jazz Rag Issue 167)
TRACKS
Disc 1 |
|
|
Track |
Title |
Artist |
1 |
Lullaby in Rhythm |
The Dave Brubeck Trio |
2 |
You Stepped Out of a Dream |
The Dave Brubeck Trio |
3 |
Singing in the Rain |
The Dave Brubeck Trio |
4 |
I'll Remember April |
The Dave Brubeck Trio |
5 |
Body and Soul |
The Dave Brubeck Trio |
6 |
Let's Fall in Love |
The Dave Brubeck Trio |
7 |
Laura |
The Dave Brubeck Trio |
8 |
Indiana |
The Dave Brubeck Trio |
9 |
Blue Moon |
The Dave Brubeck Trio |
10 |
Tea for Two |
The Dave Brubeck Trio |
11 |
Undecided |
The Dave Brubeck Trio |
12 |
That Old Black Magic |
The Dave Brubeck Trio |
13 |
Sweet Georgia Brown |
The Dave Brubeck Trio |
14 |
September Song |
The Dave Brubeck Trio |
15 |
Spring Is Here |
The Dave Brubeck Trio |
16 |
S Wonderful |
The Dave Brubeck Trio |
17 |
Love Walked In |
The Dave Brubeck Octet |
18 |
The Way You Look Tonight |
The Dave Brubeck Octet |
19 |
September in the Rain |
The Dave Brubeck Octet |
20 |
What Is This Thing Called Love |
The Dave Brubeck Octet |
21 |
Fugue on Bop Themes |
The Dave Brubeck Octet |
22 |
Prelude |
The Dave Brubeck Octet |
23 |
Let's Fall in Love |
The Dave Brubeck Octet |
24 |
Indiana |
The Dave Brubeck Octet |
25 |
Avalon |
Dave Brubeck Trio |
26 |
Perfida |
Dave Brubeck Trio |
Disc 2: |
|
|
Track |
Title |
Artist |
1 |
Always |
The Dave Brubeck Trio |
2 |
I Didn't Know What Time it Was |
The Dave Brubeck Trio |
3 |
How High the Moon |
The Dave Brubeck Trio |
4 |
Squeeze Me |
The Dave Brubeck Trio |
5 |
Too Marvelous For Words |
Dave Brubeck Trio |
6 |
Heart and Soul |
Dave Brubeck Trio |
7 |
Crazy Chris |
The Dave Brubeck Quartet |
8 |
Somebody Loves Me |
The Dave Brubeck Quartet |
9 |
Lyons Busy |
The Dave Brubeck Quartet |
10 |
A Foggy Day |
The Dave Brubeck Quartet |
11 |
Mam'selle |
The Dave Brubeck Quartet |
12 |
Me and My Shadow |
The Dave Brubeck Quartet |
13 |
At a Perfume Counter |
The Dave Brubeck Quartet |
14 |
Frenesi |
The Dave Brubeck Quartet |
15 |
Look for the Silver Lining |
The Dave Brubeck Quartet |
16 |
This Can't Be Love |
The Dave Brubeck Quartet |
17 |
Just One of Those Things |
The Dave Brubeck Quartet |
18 |
My Romance |
Dave Brubeck |
19 |
Stardust |
The Dave Brubeck Quartet |
20 |
Lulu's Back in Town |
The Dave Brubeck Quartet |
21 |
All the Things You Are |
The Dave Brubeck Quartet |
22 |
Alice in Wonderland |
The Dave Brubeck Quartet |
23 |
I May Be Wrong |
The Dave Brubeck Quartet |
24 |
On a Little Street in Singapore |
The Dave Brubeck Quartet |