Dave Brubeck, Essential Standards

Label: Concord Jazz
Year: 2009
Released on LP: No
Released on CD: Yes

Tracks

1. Let's Fall in Love
2. Body and Soul
3. Look for the Silver Lining
4. Stardust
5. The Way You Look Tonight
6. All the Things You Are
7. Laura
8. Yesterdays
9. Black and Blue
10. Cherokee
11. September Song

Notes

Album Notes

This ESSENTIAL STANDARDS collection from Fantasy is a fascinating glimpse of the early '50s "college" Dave Brubeck when he played with a trio (and bongos!) and also formed his celebrated quartet with altoist Paul Desmond, who shines on "Stardust" and "The Way You Look Tonight," with the pianist providing swinging Bach-like contrapuntal runs on the latter. This was the beginning of the exuberantly intellectual jazz that reached its peak in the late '50s with TIME OUT and other seminal Columbia LPs.The compilation also includes some post-Columbia tracks from Telarc and Concord, which provides a nice overview of Brubeck's early-to-late career in one neat package.


Performers:

Dave Brubeck
Herb Barman
Chris Brubeck
Dave Brubeck
Ron Crotty
Lloyd Davis
Paul Desmond
Joe Dodge
Randy Jones
Bobby Militello
Wyatt Ruther
Jack Six
Cal Tjader

Reviews

All Music Guide – Review – copyright

As part of the Essential Standards series from OJC, pianist and composer Dave Brubeck is spotlighted on 11 tracks recorded for Fantasy, Concord, and Telarc between 1949 and 2007. With the exception of "Let's Fall in Love," "Body and Soul," "Look for the Silver Lining," and "September Song," the remaining tracks were recorded live, and all show Brubeck applying his laid-back yet slightly academic approach to melodic standards. Brubeck maintains an inspired excellence that few musicians have been able to sustain for over six decades, and these tracks are no exception. Longtime Brubeck alto saxophonist Paul Desmond is featured on four tracks. The highlights presented here should be enough to keep the novice jazz listener interested in searching out more material, especially Time Out.

Al Campbell

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