Dave Brubeck

I have on original vinyl the following Brubeck: Time Out (as well as the Classic Records remaster), Time Changes, Jazz Impressions of New York, Adventures In Time,Countdown: Time In Outer Space. Brubeck is one of those names that says JAZZ to me in neon capital letters. As an aside, I played in rock bands in the late 60's and 70's along the NJ shore and our drummer had taken lessons given by Joe Morello in NYC, and our drummer was very good.

In the jazz world, where the most talented and famous musicians were users and abusers of drugs, Dave Brubeck was always a dignified gentleman. When I saw him, he had on a dark suit and tie. While he looked the personification of a "dignified gentleman", my intimate knowledge of Mr. Brubeck as a "jazz giant", caused me to look upon him with the same reverence and awe, Catholics reserve for the Pope.

I would not call him a Jazz Giant. He was / is not in the top tier of Jazz players. And no one looked more dignified than MJQ. As I recall there was some discussion back in the day as to whether Brubeck's music was Jazz. And those that said it was, contributed that solely to paul desmond. Something about no blues in it, or too 'cerebral', whatever that means. I think he was well suited to a certain segment during a certain time in our history. The cool college / playboy magazine crowd. Just can't see him in an after hours jam session with the greats. Concert hall, not club player.
Cheers

Rok2id,
I have heard both Brubeck and Desmond in concert. Brubeck's Time Out was revolutionary. I remember well when it came out. It took the jazz world by storm. The jazz world had never heard anything like it before. Brubeck's compositions are totally original, unique and unequaled. Listen to Paul Morello's solos -- the man was blind. Just listen to the genius of Morello playing the genius of Brubeck.

As a piano great you cannot compare Brubeck to other piano greats such as Art Tatum or Oscar Peterson, for example. Brubeck is technically brilliant but his style is his own. Art Tatum was mainly a soloist, though not exclusively. Oscar Peterson had a powerful command of the keyboard -- I saw him play him in the 1980s -- but he was not known for his original compositions. Brubeck was certainly a great -- a great pianist and a great composer.

With all due respect, since when has venue ever been the measure of an artist's genius? Why in the world would playing in a concert hall ever make an artist a lesser giant than playing in a club? Were any of the classical piano virtuosos club players? Venue is a totally irrelevant measure to use in this respect. IMO.

Rok2id, your astute knowledge of jazz has left me very little wiggle room to defend Dave Brubeck as a "giant of jazz". First, I based my statement primarily on Mr. Brubeck's longevity.

In regard to his music as compared to what most "jazz aficionado's" would consider the "hippest", there are other jazz artists who would rank higher than Dave Brubeck, but so many of them flashed across the sky like shooting stars, that only aficionado's like yourself even remember their names. If not too long ago, I had seen any one of the artists you might have in mind, I would regard them with the same awe and admiration, as I did Mr. Brubeck.