He opened doors. Dave Brubeck opened the doors to a hitherto mystical world of Jazz for people like me. He uncovered for me the riches of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Art Blakey, Chick Corea, Weather Report, Robert Glasper, Vijay Iyer, Brad Mehldau…a whole area of beauty.
A tune that I heard countless times before I knew its name, ‘Take Five’ was, no it still is, the most recognisable jazz composition for me. It’s what got me started listening to jazz, a form of music that I had till then thought inaccessible. And through jazz I learnt to appreciate music that went beyond pop. My mind opened to possibilities beyond popular song structure. The man, his bands and his music helped lay the foundation for my musical education. And nothing and no one touches me the way music does.
He opened doors. He opened doors and now he has left the building. Today I wept.
DyingNote 
Absolute Legend!!
Some of my fondest memories of drinking are in the song’s namesake bar when we’d stagger out late night to the very same tune playing in the background.
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It was the constant song, a sort of theme, of the first Indigo Jazz & Blues Festival a few years back at the Palace grounds. One of my fondest live music memories
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I once saw Dave Brubeck perform at the Ryman Auditorium. I went to hear “Take Five” but came away liking it all.
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Lucky man.
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Brubeck was a great favourite of my Dad. I went straight to Miles and Coltrane, but recognise DB’s greatness.
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The man created such strange, complex time-signatures which helped lay the foundation for many other artists to experiment. And he formed such a phenomenal quartet with Paul Desmond (the man who wrote Take Five), Eugene Wright and Joe Morello.
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I don’t know much of his work as I’ve not listened to Jazz much, but I know a little. Always sad when a legend passes, although a good reason to revisit his work, no?
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Yup. This one’s a bit strange though. I had selected one of his songs for a playlist type post for later and then 3 days later came the news of his passing away.
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My all-time favorites along with the Duke Ellington and vocalists, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Washington.
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So you’re more of a “classical” jazz fan, are you?
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