I grew up in Nashville, which isn’t exactly a hotbed for jazz music, so I really didn’t encounter the name Dave Brubeck until we moved to Concord, CA 18 years ago. Jack, on the other hand, has been a Brubeck fan for years and has several of his albums. But until now, I’ve mostly associated Brubeck, Concord’s most famous musical son, with the Dave Brubeck Park where he once performed because I drive by this park several times a week.
Recently, I picked up The Brubeck Brothers Quartet’s TimeLine CD that was produced by Scott Petito and The Brubeck Brothers Quartet on the Blue Forest Records label and released this past March. Doing research to write this review, I discovered that almost daily I pass by places that were part of Brubeck’s life in Concord, like the hospital where he was born, the high school he graduated from and the Concord Pavilion, where he played many concerts. In fact, I practically live within site of the Pavilion. So, literally everyday I’m walking in places where Brubeck walked.
For this CD, The Brubeck Brothers Quartet is also walking in Dave’s footsteps commemorating Dave and Iola Brubeck’s 1958 tour for the U.S. State Department as official jazz ambassadors. Now, did you know that there was such a thing? Time magazine had a fascinating article about this program in December, and you can find that article online here. PBS also ran a documentary about jazz ambassadors in May, and you may be able to find a rerun. The tour included 80 concerts and 14 countries in Eurasia and was an attempt to penetrate the Iron Curtain with American culture, particularly in Europe. Dave and Iola actually developed a jazz musical that draws on their experiences with this tour, and it featured Louis Armstrong.
So Who’s in the Quartet?
Well let’s start with Chris and Dan Brubeck, Dave and Iola’s sons who couldn’t help but grow up in the family business. Dan is a talented drummer and percussionist, and Chris is a Grammy and Juno nominated composer who plays electric bass and bass trombone on the album. Both have had separate careers and accolades and have worked with multiple other artists and genres of music. And, like their father, they have been influenced by the different types of music they have encountered on their life journeys. You can sense this influence with the fresh take on their father’s music that you will hear on this CD. The Brubeck Quartet also includes Chuck Lamb on piano and Mike DeMicco on guitar, and this is the quartet’s fifth album together.
What to Expect on the CD
While it’s definitely West Coast jazz, it’s a mix of their father’s music with their own original compositions and new ideas. Of the 11 songs on this CD, 7 were written by Dave, although they have been freshly re-arranged. Still, any Brubeck fan will easily recognize these compositions and be able to relive their magic and appreciate how the brothers, like their dad, are able to incorporate new ideas of their own into their music.
There are also compelling originals by Chuck Lamb, Mike DeMicco and Chris Brubeck. There are two new songs by Chuck Lamb, and Mike DeMicco and Chris Brubeck each added a new composition.
As this is a memorial CD, it’s no surprise that one of Dave’s most well-known tunes, “Blue Rondo a la Turk” is the first track. The Brubeck Brothers Quartet’s interpretation is a little different in that it starts off with Dan playing the doumbek, a type of drum popular in the Middle East, North Africa and East Asia. Although Dave didn’t use this instrument on his recording of this song, he would have definitely heard it played by Turkish street musicians on the 1958 tour. The CD closes with “Thank You (Dziekuje),” a composition Dave was inspired to write after visiting Chopin’s house on the tour.
If you are a Brubeck fan, you won’t be surprised that this CD explores odd time signatures, but you may be surprised that it incorporates contemporary jazz, blues, and world music. It’s a CD that says the brothers are not afraid to take chances to create an inventive and interesting musical journey.
TimeLine is available online everywhere you buy CDs. You can also learn more about the album on the Brubeck Brothers Quartet’s website and on Facebook.
