The Quartet

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Label: Denon Japan
Year: 1961
Released on LP: Yes
Released on CD: Yes

Tracks

1. Cassandra
2. Three To Get Ready
3. St. Louis Blues
4. Forty Days
5. Softly, William, Softly
6. Some Day My Prince Will Come
7. Brandenburg Gate
8. In Your Own Sweet Way

Personnel

Dave Brubeck (piano)
Paul Desmond (alto sax)
Joe Morello (drums)
Eugene Wright (bass)
Darius Brubeck (keyboards)
Danny Brubeck (drums)
Chris Brubeck (electric bass)
Perry Robinson (clarinet)

Notes

1. This CD is identical to the Laserlight label release – same name.

2. "Cassandra" is incorrectly listed as "Castillian Drums"."
"Softly, William,Softly " is incorrectly listed as “Summer Song".

3. Tracks 1- 6 are suggested to be from a 1961 recording, unknown location.

4. The last two tracks have not been properly identified on this release. They definitely do not feature the Classic Quartet. The tracks appear to be from the mid 1970’s and include according to the Fischer discography as “probably” including Darius Brubeck on keyboards, Chris Brubeck on electric bass, Danny Brubeck on drums and Perry Robinson on clarinet .

5. Denon also released the album on LP.

6. Tracks 2 and 4 - 6 were released on the 12” LP – Europa Jazz.

7. Tracks 2 & 4 appear on the 12” LP -"Dave Brubeck & Paul Desmond"– Giants Of Jazz label

Reviews

All Music Guide – copyright

Dave Brubeck was exclusively a Columbia artist throughout the 1960s, so it's obvious that this CD was not authorized by him. This compilation actually combines two separate concerts, probably from an audience member near the stage. Like the earlier Europa Jazz LP and LRC CD, this release misidentifies the opening track as "Castillian Drums"- it is actually "Cassandra."

"Softly, William, Softly" is incorrectly labelled "Summer Song"; there is little commercial documentation of the Dave Brubeck Quartet playing these two tunes in concert, though the other four tracks from the 1966 concert were already (or later became) regular features. The playing is at an extremely high level, especially on a frenetic "Some Day My Prince Will Come," though Brubeck is stuck with a less than perfectly tuned piano.

Brubeck toured extensively with sons Darius, Chris, and Danny between 1973 and 1978, so it is harder to date these last two tracks precisely; they make up the group accompanying their father, and clarinettist Bill Smith joins them on "In Your Own Sweet Way." Since the music recorded by the Brubeck family has been recorded live elsewhere under better circumstances, this release is mainly for hardcore Brubeck collectors.

Ken Dryden

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