Someone known to me only by the e-mail handle “Bloorondo” pointed out links to a pair of Dave Brubeck video performances new to me and, perhaps, to you. The first, “All The Things You Are,” was at a concert in Berlin in 1972 when Gerry Mulligan was the saxophonist in the Brubeck Quartet and Paul Desmond joined them on tour. Jack Six was the bassist, Alan Dawson the drummer. Brubeck, Mulligan and Six are turned out in seventies fashions, including lots of hair. Be sure to notice Brubeck’s trousers; not that you could help it. Dawson’s and Desmond’s wardrobes and hairdos are, as usual, restrained. Desmond is wearing his frequent attire of later years, The Suit (see Take Five: The Public and Private Lives of Paul Desmond, page 257). The playing by all hands is at a high level, with interesting Desmond/Mulligan counterpoint at the end. Camera work, direction and audio quality are good. To watch it, click here.
“In Your Own Sweet Way” is by the classic Brubeck Quartet with Desmond, Eugene Wright and Joe Morello. My guess is 1964, but it could be a year or two either way. This is a notably lyrical performance by Desmond, with the kind of assistance from Brubeck that led Desmond to frequently praise him as an ideal accompanist. The Wright-Morello mutual admiration society is in session. Click here.
The following may be of interest to Dave Brubeck fans in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Flutist and composer Carol Alban has organized a star-studded benefit concert for Christopher Rodriguez at Yoshi’s in Oakland on Monday, March 24th. Christopher Rodriguez is a 10-year-old boy who got shot last month at his piano lesson at the Harmony Road Music School in Oakland and was left paralyzed from the waist down.
Call the Yoshi’s box office at (510) 238-9200
or go to http://yoshis.inticketing.com/evinfo.php?eventid=22667&sid=
Tickets for the 10pm show are $18 and will feature performances by:
Anton Schwartz (great sax player and clinician at the Brubeck Institute), Dan Feiszli, John Santos, Kai Eckhardt, George Brooks, Roger Glenn, Frank Martin, Narada Michael Walden, Jose Neto, Alvenson, Carol Alban and Matt Herskowitz (a great pianist whose fans include Dave Brubeck).
Wonderful, and great quality video, too! You can almost read the serial number on Desmond’s mouthpiece! Many thanks.
Thank you so much, Doug. Wonderful renditions. Almost brings tears to my eyes, seeing and hearing Paul in fresh performances.
yes, wonderful stuff! the best of brubeck… as for the pants, we won’t go there.
Doug: Good guess on “In Your Own Sweet Way.” It’s from a 10/10/64 TV appearance in Belgium. It’s not that I have such an encyclopedic knowledge of Brubeck appearances – the cut is actually from the latest Brubeck Jazz Icons DVD!