The bandleader’s early years and his rise from obscurity are closely examined, but the main focus of the story is inevitably the 10-year lifespan of Brubeck’s classic quartet, in which he and the alto saxophonist Paul Desmond, his long-term musical partner (and the composer of “Take Five”), were joined by the bassist Eugene Wright and the drummer Joe Morello. That earned him no points from the jazz purists, but their scepticism did not deter him from writing his own orchestral and choral pieces, some of them on sacred themes, later in life. I would have to seen more about Brubeck's life and his music without the technical terms this book took. The author's access to Brubeck, his family, and various band members, helps him build an accurate picture of the jazz scene and their part in it, and of how they helped fight to desegregate the US, one concert hall at a time.

and] fittingly, for a Brubeck biography, this is also a multifarious work; adventurous with narrative and structure. Without it, "Ode to a Cowboy" would have been a pleasant enough riding-bareback-through-the-prairies theme; with it came depth and variety.But in bar 8 a sudden jolt-at exactly the midpoint of his sixteen bar structure- as this most minor of melodies was parked on a major chord; and when the melody repeated, it rebounded from this correspondingly distant vantage point, far outside F minor. In Dave Brubeck: A Life in Time, Clark provides us with a thoughtful, thorough, and long-overdue biography of an extraordinary man whose influence continues to inform and inspire musicians today. This book] is that rare beast: an uncompromisingly analytical study that absorbs and entertains, illuminating both its subject and his social context. Woven throughout are cameo appearances from a host of unlikely figures from Sting, Ray Manzarek of The Doors, and Keith Emerson, to John Cage, Leonard Bernstein, Harry Partch, and Edgard Varese.

Each chapter explores a different theme or aspect of Brubeck’s life and music, illuminating the core of his artistry and genius. To my delight, Clark shows appreciation for all eras of Brubeck’s sixty-ish years in the public eye. The books featured on this site are aimed primarily at readers aged 13 or above and therefore you must be 13 years or over to sign up to our newsletter. sax, interaction with Charlie Parker; and including the early Octet, which had a strong alignment with the chromatic ideas of Milhaud etc.In 1954 the pianist Dave Brubeck became the first jazz musician of the postwar generation to be featured on the cover of Time magazine, infuriating those who felt that this white middle-class Californian had no business taking the limelight from Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie or Thelonious Monk, the true pioneers of an essentially African American music. Author Clark appears to be a devoted fan, but he often lapses into hipper-than-thou prose and wildly jumps back-and-forth through a few decades in a single chapter. I bought "Time Out"when first released,and his "Carnegie Hall Concert" 6 months ago [probably his best record ever], and that was about it! Clark reveals that the musicians were subject to an unusual set of printed “principles and aims” in which Brubeck detailed their individual roles and responsibilities with a bracing and slightly alarming clarity.

I have been interested in jazz and collected jazz records for 60 years and have read many books on the subject in that time.To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Brubeck opened up as never before, disclosing his unique approach to jazz; the heady days of his ‘classic’ quartet in the 1950s-60s; hanging out with Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, and Miles Davis; and the many controversies that had dogged his 66-year-long career.