Tributes to Dave Brubeck after his death.

Herbie Hancock 

Dave Brubeck was a pioneer, so many of us sprang from his incredibly creative and daring work. He even proved that a song with 5 beats in it and one with 9 beats in it could become popular, with Take 5 and Blue Rondo à la Turk. We were so lucky to have had him for as long as we did and will never forget his musical gifts as a pianist and composer, his kindness, his generosity, and his smile.

Herbie also wrote the following piece for Time Magazine in their annual tribute "To Those We Lost In 2012" article.

"Dave Brubeck was a legend, a master who was instrumental in the shaping of modern jazz. People talk a lot about his playing and “Take Five,” but let’s not forget that he was also an amazing composer. He constructed his pieces not just as tunes but as real compositions: architectural arrangements that were reminiscent of classical works. Even with his strong foundation in the very beginnings of jazz, his mind was always ahead, always reaching beyond the norm. If not for that, he wouldn’t have been able to compose “Blue Rondo à la Turk” and other classics on Time Out.

He also exuded this warmth in his heart that would pervade the room. I can’t even imagine Dave Brubeck with a frown. Whenever I was with Dave, I was thrilled to be around him, but his attitude was always that he was more thrilled to be around me. That’s the way he treated people. He was a great mentor and influenced so many musicians. We wouldn’t be who we are if it weren’t for Dave Brubeck." 

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Taylor Eigsti

Dave set an example that any musician would be wise to follow – to be loving and treat everyone around you with respect, and create new music every minute we have on this earth. I feel lucky to have known him, and his amazing family throughout the years, and will always be inspired by the Brubeck family and all of the positivity and brilliant music Dave gave to the world.

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Joe Lovano

Dave Brubeck had a lifetime in Jazz like no other. We were truly blessed to have been on the scene with him all of these years. His love and passion to communicate his ideas, sounds and feelings have inspired us all to tell the truth in our music. As a composer he wrote so many great tunes that everyone loves to play, Miles’s versions of "The Duke” and “In Your Own Sweet Way” are classics along with his own. I especially loved his quartets with Paul Desmond and Gerry Mulligan. The way he featured his drummers, whether it was Joe Morello or Alan Dawson, was very influential for me as well.

One of the greatest honors of my career was when he called me to record with him on his record “Young Lions and Old Tigers” along with Roy Hargrove, Michael Brecker, Christian McBride, Joshua Redman, James Moody, George Shearing, Jon Hendricks and Gerry Mulligan. It was 1995 to commemorate Dave’s 75th birthday and to my surprise he wrote a tune on the way to the studio for me. He called it “The Joe Lovano Tango” – a very hip modal piece that I was able to shape and express freely within. Dave was great to work with and very insightful. In the liner notes he says he finished my tune on the way to the studio in the car to New York from Connecticut. He explained the concept to me as not to play it as a typical tango but more as a comment on a tango and that I should feel free to take it any direction I want to go. I am very proud to have known Mr. Brubeck and to have his trust like that, having never played with him before that moment in the studio. He was a true Jazz Master !!! To be a part of his amazing recorded history is one of the great highlights of my life in music.

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Bill Smith (Former Quartet member)

“I think everybody knows he made wonderful records and wrote great tunes.But I think he’d be especially happy to be remembered as a man of peace. When he came back from World War II, he wanted to do with his music whatever he could to help peace in the world. To do his bit to not have any more wars, after what he’d been through.”

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Joe Gilman

This moving tribute was posted on the Brubeck Institute website. In 2012, Joe became Artist in Residence at the Brubeck Institute.

I am not a member of Dave’s biological family. If you were to ask my parents, I may as  well have been. Dave was my musical father and role model. I was introduced to Dave’s music by chance on a televised program in 1976 on PBS. It was a 25th anniversary reunion tour of the DBQ. Of course I fell in love with “Take Five” and immediately went to Tower Records and purchased “Time Out”. Other than “Charlie Brown Christmas”, this was my first exposure to jazz.

Jazz piano lessons began immediately. I practiced “Take Five”, “Blue Rondo”, “Three to Get Ready” et. al. for months. Several more Brubeck records followed. By 1978 I was entirely hooked on jazz. Thank you Mr. Brubeck.

After devoting my life to music as an educator for 20 years, I serendipitously began a series of positions at the Brubeck Institute, including instructor, Director of the Fellowship Program, Artistic Director of the Summer Jazz Colony, and Artist-in-Residence of the Institute.

To the greater general public, Dave was that hip and cerebral jazz cat from the 1950’s who recorded “Take Five”. A jazz icon. To many jazz musicians, Dave was a fine composer, exceptional bandleader, innovative pianist, and craftsman of brilliantly produced acoustic jazz recordings. A jazz master. To those more familiar with Dave’s extended body of work, they will tell of his tremendous humanitarian efforts across the globe and his bandleading of some of the first military and commercial racially integrated jazz ensembles. In my unique position with the Brubecks and at the Institute, I would like to tell you more.

More than any other jazz musician in the past 100 years, Dave Brubeck has created a legacy. A legacy that even arguably surpasses Ives, Gershwin, Bernstein, and Ellington. A cultural legacy. A legacy of connections. A legacy that transcends generational, cultural, and geographical boundaries.

Here are the names of all of the Brubeck Fellows over the past ten years. There have only been 37 students. Perhaps you recognize some of the names. You should if you appreciate jazz from the younger generation; Justin Brown, Joe Sanders, Tommy Morimoto, Fabian Almazan, Anthony Coleman II, Tobin Chodos, Mark Zaleski, Scott McGinty, Sean McGinty, Dominic Thiroux, Hayden Hawkins, Josh Gallagher, Peter Spear, Colin Stranahan, Glenn Zaleski, Lucas Pino, Brian Chahley, Chris Smith, Cory Cox, Ben Flocks, Javier Santiago, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown, Zach Brown, Adam Arruda, Corey Fonville, Noah Kellman, Nick Frenay, Colin McDaniel, Sam Crowe, Bill Vonderhaar, Alec Watson, Tree Palmedo, Rane Roatta, Tom Kelly, Malachi Whitson, Adam Goldman, and Paul Bloom.

The Dave Brubeck Summer Jazz Colony has now enrolled over 150 students between the ages of 14-18. There are far too many to list here, but a few notables include Grace Kelly, Eldar Djangirov, Matt Marantz, Ben Van Gelder, and Marcus Gilmore.
 It is only through Dave Brubeck’s legacy that these young people met and created beautiful music together before moving on to all parts of the world to begin to shape the musical landscape of the 21st century.

My children, who are now 6 and 11, are still unfamiliar with the music of Dave Brubeck. But to them “Brubeck” means a cool Summer hang in Stockton where those high school kids from around the country with unbelievable talent make remarkable music together, and then travel back home to share the experience with their friends. This is possible only through the legacy of Dave Brubeck. “Brubeck” means more than jazz.

Believe me, when you hear any number of the most successful jazz acts in the world today, you are hearing a onetime Brubeck Fellow or Colonist, or an innovation created by Dave Brubeck in the last 50 years.

Because of the Brubeck legacy, these fellows and colonists of awe inspiring talent and dedication were able to meet, play, and be mentored by their idols, a list which now includes but is not limited to;

Christian McBride, Stefon Harris, Freddie Hubbard, Wynton Marsalis, Nicholas Payton, Robert Glasper, Joshua Redman, Roy Hargrove, Kenny Werner, Fred Hersch, Darius Brubeck, Geoff Keezer, Danilo Perez, Taylor Eigsti, Donald Brown, Mark Levine, Gerald Clayton, Orrin Evans, Benny Green, Robert Rodriguez, Sam Yahel, Bobby Militello, Jimmy Heath,  Bob Mintzer, Yosvany Terry, Bobby Watson, Bennie Maupin, Greg Tardy, Jim Snidero, Anton Schwartz, Vincent Herring, Miguel Zenon, Stacy Dillard, Donny McCaslin, Walter Smith III, Chris Cheek, Dayna Stephens, Willie Akins,  Ingrid Jensen,  Ralph Alessi, Brian Lynch, Marvin Stamm, Mike Rodriguez, Gilbert Castellanos, Ambrose Akinmusire, Sean Jones, Michael Moore, Robert Hurst, Jeff Chambers, Rufus Reid, Marcus Shelby, Matt Penman, Essiet Essiet, Ray Drummond, Larry Grenadier, Harish Raghavan, Willem von Hombracht, Randy Jones, Ndugu Chancler, Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts, Joe Chambers, Lewis Nash, Dan Brubeck, Eric Harland, Jeff Ballard, Karriem Riggins, Montez Coleman, Akira Tana, Matt Slocum, Chris Brubeck, Conrad Herwig, John Fedchock, Wayne Wallace, Steven Erquiaga, Anthony Wilson, Paul Bollenback, Cleo Laine, Dena DeRose, Bill Smith, Christian Tamburr, Madeline Eastman, Michael Weiss, and the best talent in the San Francisco Bay area.

And not only did these fine mentors influence the colonists and fellows. Through the legacy of Dave Brubeck and the cross fertilization of ideas of creative people coming together, these world class artists themselves have become energized with a feeling of renewal and hope for a brighter future in our music and in our world by knowing that there are talented, passionate, loving, and caring youth ready to carry the torch and help to find new journeys, stories; new fusions of sounds of the worlds cultures. How many times have I heard from these great artists; “what’s happening at Brubeck?” “what  are the Brubeck fellows up to this year?” “Can you give me the number of that kid from two years ago?”

Only through Dave Brubeck’s legacy would some of the greatest educational organizers in the world; JB Dyas, Michael O’Daniel, Steve Anderson, Andrew Schniederman, Simon Rowe, Nick Fryer, and great friends such as Bart Marantz, come together with Dave’s guidance and inspiration to build a hub of creative connectivity at the University of the Pacific.

My wife, who is from a rural community in Southern Thailand called Nakhorn si Tammarat, had never heard of Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner, Gershwin, or Ellington, but she knew Dave Brubeck. Dave’s legacy transcends cultural borders and brings happiness, joy, and love to our neighbors around the world.

Although Dave has passed from this life and into eternal life, his works and messages are clear for the rest of us to follow. Bring people together, build communities, challenge the accepted, and affect social change through music and creativity.

Thank you again Dave.

Joe Gilman

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Stanley Clarke

“When I was 18 and could hardly play the bass, Dave or someone from his management, hired me to sub for his bass player who couldn’t make this gig in some club in Jersey. I guess someone gave him my name. I was scared to death having to read all his charts!!

I saw him at a festival that we were on together a couple of years ago and we laughed about that gig. It was so cool to play with that band with Joe Morello and Paul Desmond. I’ve always enjoyed my times with him. He was the nicest guy you could ever meet. He will be truly missed.”

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Al Jarreau

University of The Pacific website

Dec 6, 2013
Tributes for jazz great Dave Brubeck '42 continue to come in from around the world. Here are just a few who knew him and were influenced by his music and the way he lived his life.

Al Jarreau
Al Jarreau, the Grammy Award winning jazz vocalist and headliner of 2014 Brubeck Festival: Coast to Coast, took a moment to recall Dave Brubeck:

In 1960, Dave and Gene Wright and Joe Morello and Paul Desmond came to little Ripon College and reconfirmed my love for Brubeck Jazz. I had been listening to D.B.'s record "Time Out," which had "Take Five" on it, since its release.

When I heard Carmen McRae do a version of "Take Five" with a lyric (by Iola Brubeck), I just had to put that in my repertoire. Just at that time I was leaving the George Duke Trio and Half Note days, which made up one of the most important periods in my musical life, and I was about to begin another most important period in my musical life, which became the "Al Jarreau and Julio Martinez Duo" period. I found myself exploring extra-vocal type excursions - still my thumbprint to this day. The year was 1968 and "Take Five" locked itself into my musical repertoire and became a permanent fixture, providing a wonderful landscape for all my musical tangents. Lots of people have mentioned "Take Five" and my name in the same sentence. I'm flattered, and I still do it every performance.

After that, "Blue Rondo a la Turk" was a kind of natural next step, and I really loved the process of writing an original lyric for this fascinating Brubeck song in another odd time signature.

These two performances, and my obvious affinity for Jon Hendricks, Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Bobby McFerrin, George Duke, Take Six, Joe Zawinul, George Benson, and, yes, Johann Sebastian Bach (ask me later!) have helped put a label on me that I'm really proud of, a label identifying me as an adventuresome singer. And so, of course, joining Dave on stage and doing "Take Five" at the Playboy Jazz Festival was a premier highlight in my performing career. And 18,000 people thought it was pretty special, too.

I say, "Every day is Thanksgiving Day," a lot. And Dave Brubeck is an important person on my gratitude list. There are at least one or two more Dave Brubeck compositions that I'm doing a lyric for and am committed to recording ASAP.

 A special thank you to all of you at the Brubeck Institute for keeping the spirit of Dave well and alive, and making me a part of the extended family.