Thursday, October 12, 2006
Take Five, Daddy-O
Sorry for not posting in a while. I’ve been trying to come up with stuff to say about the Mark Foley scandal and the recent spatter of school shootings… and found that both topics pissed me off so much that I couldn’t get three paragraphs in without turning maudlin or rambling. So those sit (including one titled "Stop Shooting Kids," see, I told you), unfinished and scattered around my desktop.
However, I did see Dave Brubeck in concert last night. Now, if you’re anything like me, you’re first reaction to that is, “Dave Brubeck is still alive?”
Yup. Eighty-five years old (almost eighty-six, he was born December 6, 1920) and performing in a church. I went to the concert with some apprehension. Time Out was released in 1959, forty-seven years ago. “Is it even possible that he still has the chops?” I wondered.
Yup. He and his quartet members walked on stage (alter, whatever) each with white hair reflecting the lights and launched into On the Sunny Side of the Street. It was fantastic. They then played a second song I didn’t recognize and Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Sounds lame, I know, but it was the best version of the song I’ve ever heard. First, the main tune was buried deep beneath Burbeck’s piano playing, almost unrecognizable. Second, the saxophonist switched to a flute (not an electric flute) for this song only. It was pretty special.
They closed with Take Five. The Rolling Stones were also playing in Chicago that night and I had the thought that I could be at Soldier Field hearing Start Me Up for the fifty-billionth time (and in 40 degree weather, it was friggin’ cold here last night) instead of listening to the Man himself play Take Five live. Trust me, I made the correct choice. I have never seen four old men with such energy and creativity than I witnessed while watching Brubeck (playing piano), his saxophonist, bassist (stand up bass), and drummer play Take Five. The drummer gave an especially lively solo. You would think Brubeck would be bored of the song after forty-seven years. But if he is, it didn’t show. I guess that’s the beauty of jazz, if you’re good you never play a song the same way twice.
My only regret is they didn’t play Blue Rondo A La Turk, my personal favorite. All told they played for forty-five minutes leading to the intermission and the end of the jazz, or so I thought.
Since 1968, Brubeck has composed 10 of what he calls Sacred Compositions, or Christian themed music for choirs and symphonies. And Jazz Quartets, as it turns out.
I wasn’t half as interested in this part of the concert, but it turned out to be quite enjoyable, if a little jarring. I say that because several of the songs were structured so the choir would sing about the poor of spirit and how the kingdom of heaven is their’s, then Brubeck and his quartet would trade fours over the basic tune the choir was singing. I’m still not sure it “worked” but I liked it. The final song they played was a Christmas tune by Brubeck and his wife. It is the coolest Christmas song I have ever heard and I need a copy. Unfortunately the title wasn’t in the program. I’ll try to find it, but if any of you know, please post it in the comments.
All told, it was an incredible night and I feel very lucky to have been able to see a jazz legend who, all eighty-five years of him, still seemed at the top of his game.
Daddy-O.
However, I did see Dave Brubeck in concert last night. Now, if you’re anything like me, you’re first reaction to that is, “Dave Brubeck is still alive?”
Yup. Eighty-five years old (almost eighty-six, he was born December 6, 1920) and performing in a church. I went to the concert with some apprehension. Time Out was released in 1959, forty-seven years ago. “Is it even possible that he still has the chops?” I wondered.
Yup. He and his quartet members walked on stage (alter, whatever) each with white hair reflecting the lights and launched into On the Sunny Side of the Street. It was fantastic. They then played a second song I didn’t recognize and Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Sounds lame, I know, but it was the best version of the song I’ve ever heard. First, the main tune was buried deep beneath Burbeck’s piano playing, almost unrecognizable. Second, the saxophonist switched to a flute (not an electric flute) for this song only. It was pretty special.
They closed with Take Five. The Rolling Stones were also playing in Chicago that night and I had the thought that I could be at Soldier Field hearing Start Me Up for the fifty-billionth time (and in 40 degree weather, it was friggin’ cold here last night) instead of listening to the Man himself play Take Five live. Trust me, I made the correct choice. I have never seen four old men with such energy and creativity than I witnessed while watching Brubeck (playing piano), his saxophonist, bassist (stand up bass), and drummer play Take Five. The drummer gave an especially lively solo. You would think Brubeck would be bored of the song after forty-seven years. But if he is, it didn’t show. I guess that’s the beauty of jazz, if you’re good you never play a song the same way twice.
My only regret is they didn’t play Blue Rondo A La Turk, my personal favorite. All told they played for forty-five minutes leading to the intermission and the end of the jazz, or so I thought.
Since 1968, Brubeck has composed 10 of what he calls Sacred Compositions, or Christian themed music for choirs and symphonies. And Jazz Quartets, as it turns out.
I wasn’t half as interested in this part of the concert, but it turned out to be quite enjoyable, if a little jarring. I say that because several of the songs were structured so the choir would sing about the poor of spirit and how the kingdom of heaven is their’s, then Brubeck and his quartet would trade fours over the basic tune the choir was singing. I’m still not sure it “worked” but I liked it. The final song they played was a Christmas tune by Brubeck and his wife. It is the coolest Christmas song I have ever heard and I need a copy. Unfortunately the title wasn’t in the program. I’ll try to find it, but if any of you know, please post it in the comments.
All told, it was an incredible night and I feel very lucky to have been able to see a jazz legend who, all eighty-five years of him, still seemed at the top of his game.
Daddy-O.
