Brubek....

[WCGreen]

Funny, he was West Coast Jazz but when I listen to this song, I hear and feel Greenwich Village with Kerouac and Ginsberg and Shakespeare in the Park...

Blue Rondo A La Turk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc34Uj8wlmE


Or the cool of a smokey jazz club....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwNrmYRiX_o


A true American Master....

[Lionel Mandrake]

1. Brubeck

I used to have LPs with these tunes, back in the day. I am old and opinionated and somewhat knowledgeable about jazz. Here is what I think about these two tunes.

The first tune (Blue Rondo A La Turk) is not to everyone's liking. It starts with a two-minute section in straight eighth notes, which is not improvised and not bluesy. It's a nice composition, but it doesn't sound like jazz. The middle section alternates straight and swing eighth notes in a truly irritating way before settling down to a 12 bar blues, for over three minutes, in which Brubeck quotes the theme of the first section repeatedly, but Paul Desmond does not. The last section recapitulates the first section for about a minute, as if we needed reminding.

The second tune (Take Five) has more integrity. It is bluesy and swings throughout. In other words, it sounds like jazz despite the unusual 5/4 rhythm.

[WCGreen]

2. I just like the feel of Blue Rondo....

[Lionel Mandrake]

3. Maybe you like the 9/8 rhythm,

which is authentically Turkish.

[MilesColtrane]

4. He deserves props for popularizing instrumental jazz for an audience that wouldn't otherwise bother

with it.

He was a better band leader and composer than improviser.

He was smart enough to hire Paul Desmond, despite that fact that he was a junkie. That says a lot.