The Painter Prince, Paul Salvator Goldengruen, 2007
Dave Brubeck died yesterday. If you’re a child of the 80′s or 90′s you may not recognize his name, but his signature tune Take Five evokes the smoky cool jazz clubs of the late fifties and sixties.
Brubeck was a highly accomplished musician who broke barriers with music. He experimented with time signatures that put an indelible stamp on jazz music. His was one of the first integrated bands in the 1950′s and he was active in the civil rights movement.
They said he couldn’t sell jazz, but his quartet recorded the first jazz album to sell a million copies. They said he couldn’t take jazz to the communist world, but he did, and gave those behind the Iron Curtain hope.
He wasn’t locked into a style or brand, and he composed classical orchestral pieces and religious music as well. He pursued his passion for 60+ years. He was still performing in his nineties. His was a well-lived creative life.
“Rhythm is an international language.” – Dave Brubeck
Enjoy this performance by The Dave Brubeck Quartet and let it stir you to pursue your creative passion, no matter where you are on the journey.
Wow! Really? Where was I that I missed that? That’s just sad… He gave the world beautiful music. He will be missed.
Brubeck was the greatest. “Take Five” hooked me on jazz, and the “Time Out” album gave me plenty to think about…
…. didn’t hear about this either…. Thanks for the update!
“His was a well lived creative life.” Amen to that. May we all be so fortunate.