Dave Brubeck: The Inspired Moment of Unity

Bob Kenselaar is former Assistant Curator of the Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University, and has published articles on music in The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, the Annual Review of Jazz Studies, and The Aquarian Weekly.

Recent articles (29 total)

Published: April 17, 2012

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Coleman Hawkins was magnificent to me, too—right to the end of his life. Charlie Mingus, Coleman Hawkins, and I had dinner together one night before the Hawk died, and it was just great because these guys were real giants for me. Coleman had told me once, "No matter what they say, do what you're doing, because what you're doing is great." And I had idolized him for so many years.

Charlie Parker was very interested in what I was doing, too. Once he wrote in Downbeat, "Brubeck is a perfectionist, like I am." Anthony Braxton got into a fist fight once with a guy in Paris because the guy didn't like me. . . . I could mention so many guys who have said nice things. . . .

I can remember a time when Duke Ellington was getting it from the critics and when Louis Armstrong was getting it. I've seen unkind things written about Benny Goodman and Art Tatum. So, I'm not alone. As soon as you're different, you're going to be a target. The more different you get, the more alone you get, and if you're successful, watch out!

Originally published in The Aquarian Weekly, November 1- 8, 1978.

[An extraordinary archive documenting Dave Brubeck's career is held by the University of the Pacific, donated by the pianist and his wife Iola in 2000. The University offers an interesting online sampling of photos, oral histories, and other materials, in addition to hosting an annual Brubeck Festival and carrying out other programs through its Brubeck Institute. Take Five: The Public and Private Lives of Paul Desmond (Parkside, 2005), by Doug Ramsey, offers a good deal of insight on Brubeck and Desmond's work together. The pianist has been the subject of two notable documentaries, Rediscovering Dave Brubeck, and Dave Brubeck: In His Own Sweet Way.]

Selected Discography

Dave Brubeck Quartet, The Columbia Studio Albums Collection 1955-1966 (Columbia/Legacy, 2011)
Dave Brubeck, Indian Summer (Telarc, 2007)
Dave Brubeck Quartet Plus Special Guests, Young Lions and Old Tigers (Telarc,1995)
Dave Brubeck Quartet, Paper Moon (Concord, 1981)
Dave Brubeck, A Cut Above (Direct-to-Disk Labs, 1978)
New Dave Brubeck Quartet, Live at Montreux (Tomato, 1977) Dave Brubeck/Paul Desmond, The Duets (Horizon, 1975)
Dave Brubeck, Two Generations of Brubeck (Atlantic, 1973)
Dave Brubeck, Gerry Mulligan, Paul Desmond, We're All Together Again for the First Time (Atlantic, 1972)
Dave Brubeck Quartet featuring Gerry Mulligan, Last Set at Newport (Atlantic, 1971)
Dave Brubeck Trio Plus Gerry Mulligan, Live at the Berlin Philharmonie (Columbia, 1971)
Dave Brubeck Quartet, Buried Treasures (Columbia, 1967)
Dave Brubeck Quartet, Time In (Columbia, 1965)
Dave Brubeck Quartet, Jazz Impressions of Japan (Columbia, 1964)
Dave Brubeck Quartet, At Carnegie Hall (Columbia, 1963)
Dave and Iola Brubeck and Louis Armstrong, The Real Ambassadors (Columbia, 1962)
Dave Brubeck Quartet, Countdown: Time in Outer Space (Columbia, 1961)
Dave Brubeck Quartet, Time Further Out (Columbia, 1961)
Dave Brubeck Quartet, Bernstein Plays Brubeck Plays Bernstein (Columbia, 1959)
Dave Brubeck Quartet, Gone with the Wind (Columbia, 1959)
Dave Brubeck Quartet, Time Out (Columbia, 1959)
Dave Brubeck, Brubeck Plays Brubeck (Columbia, 1956)
Dave Brubeck Quartet, Jazz Goes to College (Columbia, 1954)
Dave Brubeck Quartet, Jazz at Oberlin (Fantasy, 1953)
Dave Brubeck Quartet, Jazz at the College of the Pacific (Fantasy, 1953)
Brubeck/Desmond, Jazz at Storyville (Fantasy, 1952)
Dave Brubeck Octet (Fantasy, 1946)