Dave Brubeck passed away on December 5, 2012. He left us one day shy of his 92nd birthday. 

The music of the man born David Warren Brubeck was some of the first music I ever heard as a child. It might be helpful to note that before my parents had me in 1957 they had Dave Brubeck albums. By the time I had my first conscious memories, Brubeck was a bonified super star the likes of which the jazz world had seldom seen before and has not seen since. There have been very few times in my life that too many days passed when I didn’t listen to a recording by Dave Brubeck. 

Brubeck was perhaps, more than any other artist, most closely associated with the west coast cool jazz movement of the 1950’s. Brubeck, however, could play anything and did in a career that spanned seven decades. The Concord, California native who was raised on his father’s cattle ranch in the San Joaquin Valley felt just at home with Rachmaninoff as he did when visiting the world of Ellingtonia. He combined styles of music from all parts of the globe and incorporated them into some of the most articulate and innovative piano playing ever recorded. In time he would also become one of the most important composers in jazz. 

His career took flight during one of the most creative periods in jazz music, the 1950s. Brubeck in many ways came to personify the creativity and experimentation that was one of the hallmarks of that period. Brubeck seemed keenly aware that he traveled on the same trail that was pioneered by such masters as Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis. In some ways he was connected to the jazz world at large as his music was covered by some of the biggest and most important artists of the day such as Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, Barney Kessell and others, but he also was an outsider. Jazz critics at the time often dismissed Brubeck for several reasons not the least of which he was a cowboy from California and not an urban hipster. He was a white man who wore horned rimmed glasses and used expressions like, “gee wiz”. He was also popular, which made the east coast jazz community very uncomfortable. In time, they too would be on board. The founder and producer of the Newport Jazz Festival, George Wien, has been quoted as saying, “They (the fans) were right and we (the critics) were wrong about Dave Brubeck.”  

He represented the rugged idealism of the American West where he was from and was also a symbol of uptown sophistication. His most famous recording 1959’s, Time Out has Brubeck experimenting with different time signatures that are not associated with jazz and blues. He challenged his listeners and they responded. In retrospect this is astounding. 

In his long career, Brubeck recorded over 100 albums. These ranged from 1957’s Columbia Records’ release, Dave Digs Disney, where the consummate jazz musician recorded popular tunes from Disney movies, to recording his own sacred music compositions commissioned by the Catholic Church. Even in these extreme examples Brubeck made music his way and without compromise.  One can hear traces of Mozart as well as Monk in his music, sometimes in the same piece but you always hear Brubeck. 

Dave Brubeck, in many ways, exemplifies the finest the American experience has to offer. He became, over time, a true innovator and like many great American conceptual thinkers he incorporated not only ideas from all over the world but found inspiration in the deepest recesses of his soul. He also took those concepts and applied them in the context of the collective. Moreover, he was a forward thinking vanguard as it relates to race relations in this country. While serving in Patton’s Third Army during World War Two in France he formed and led one of the first racially integrated bands in Untied States Military history. He later fronted an integrated band and wouldn’t play anywhere that tolerated segregation. Not only creativity, but courage and commitment are part of Brubeck’s lasting legacy. 

When I listen to Brubeck’s music, I still find deep soul and blues in some unexpected and interesting places. For anyone that takes the time to reach out to Brubeck’s music they will be in for a rewarding journey, regardless of the destination. That excursion, if you stay with it long enough, will lead you right back home to the blues.

- David Mac

Editors Note: For some recommended listening check the tab that reads, “Dave Digs Dave” as I have selected some jukebox selections from the BLUES JUNCTION library that are from some of my favorite recordings of Dave Brubeck.