Music Munchers - Dave Brubeck - Greatest Hits by Dave Brubeck

Product Review
While greatest-hits CDs abound, Dave Brubeck has been one of the few modern-jazz musicians to have actually enjoyed an occasional hit record. This CD compiles material from Brubeck's Columbia recordings of the 1950s and 1960s, revealing his deft combination of modernist harmony and unusual time signatures with the immediately accessible. Whether it's his own fine song "In Your Own Sweet Way" or Stephen Foster's "Camptown Races," his homage to Duke Ellington or the Mozart-inspired "Blue Rondo," Brubeck balances his taste for innovation with traditional melodic values. The quartet with altoist Paul Desmond was Brubeck's finest instrument. Desmond's gauzy sound and fluent improvisations provided effective contrast to Brubeck's own assertive, slightly stiff piano playing, and drummer Joe Morello smoothed out the most challenging rhythms. Desmond's "Take Five" has become a jazz standard, and this once-controversial music now conveys a special period charm. --Stuart Broomer

What can you say about the best of one of the greatest jazz combos, ever? This is about as timeless as it gets. And in remastered sound, no less. I'm not necessarly a big jazz fan, but I recognize great music, whatever style. The songs are from the 1959-1964 era, and include all the classics, including among others "Take Five", which remains as fresh today as it was in 1959, "I'm in a Dancing Mood", a live version of "The Duke", and "Blue Rondo a la Turk". I marvel at the genius of Dave Brubeck. My only regret is that I never I had the opportunity to see Dave Brubeck live in concert. Oh well... meanwhile I will do with this. Essential for any serious music lover, whatever your musical preference. Comments (2) | Permalink | (Report this)