Dave Brubeck - He changed many of us.

and went to work for Beech Aircraft Corporation in Wichita. I was a country boy. It would be four months before I would wed the love of my life, Rosie. Evenings were sometimes a little lonely and I ended up in a small bar on south Washington street one evening to have a beer. On one of my first visits the bartender, attractive but more of a mother-figure, poked a jukebox button and played one of her favorites.

keep the attention of a guy like me. But when she made that jukebox selection I heard "Take Five" for the first time and it changed my outlook on music forever. Now I listen to most anything - but rap. Even some rap will catch my attention if it is not the vulgar, violent stuff. Dave Brubeck started a music revolution that converted a lot of us into listeners.

Take five and Kinda Cool are generally considered to be the top jazz albums of our day.. Yes I will miss him and the percussion.

Brubeck is a favorite of mine too. First heard him in 1952 at the Zebra lounge in Honolulu, solo piano, not yet known.

Much as I like Brubeck though, I gotta give credit where credit is due...thank Paul Desmond for "Take Five", he wrote it.

seems every pub had a one night a week three piece combo that did five takes of "Take Five" each night ... only exceeded in the set list by "Waltzing Matilda".

Still a rock-n-roll guy, but I've seen Dave Brubeck perform more often than anyone else, by a bunch. Up through 2009, I saw him almost once a year from 1983 on. Spyro Gyra is probably second on that list, and Pink Floyd third (Animals (Soldier Field), The Wall (LA), MLOR (LA Sports Arena), MLOR (LA Colliseum), Division Bell (Oakland Colliseum), Pulse (Oakland) and Roger Waters 2012 Wall tour (AT&T Park)).

Brubeck was awesome, even in his late 80's; could barely walk to the piano, but once he sat down, he played like a 20-year-old. And most of those concerts he had Bill Smith with him on clarinet (who is still with us).

scott

RonB wrote the following on 12/5/2012 7:15 PM (ET):

and went to work for Beech Aircraft Corporation in Wichita. I was a country boy. It would be four months before I would wed the love of my life, Rosie. Evenings were sometimes a little lonely and I ended up in a small bar on south Washington street one evening to have a beer. On one of my first visits the bartender, attractive but more of a mother-figure, poked a jukebox button and played one of her favorites.

keep the attention of a guy like me. But when she made that jukebox selection I heard "Take Five" for the first time and it changed my outlook on music forever. Now I listen to most anything - but rap. Even some rap will catch my attention if it is not the vulgar, violent stuff. Dave Brubeck started a music revolution that converted a lot of us into listeners.

'Time Out' was the only jazz LP I ever bought.

x2

I'm a blues and jazz lover and Take Five is one of my all time favorites. Rest in peace. May you now play with the ultimate band.

In June of 1967 I graduated from the Pittsburg State (KS) technical program and went to work for Beech Aircraft Corporation in Wichita. I was a country boy. It would be four months before I would wed the love of my life, Rosie. Evenings were sometimes a little lonely and I ended up in a small bar on south Washington street one evening to have a beer. On one of my first visits the bartender, attractive but more of a mother-figure, poked a jukebox button and played one of her favorites.

Up until then I was a rock and roll guy - there was really not much more to keep the attention of a guy like me. But when she made that jukebox selection I heard "Take Five" for the first time and it changed my outlook on music forever. Now I listen to most anything - but rap. Even some rap will catch my attention if it is not the vulgar, violent stuff. Dave Brubeck started a music revolution that converted a lot of us into listeners.

God Bless Dave and may he rest in peace.

---------------------------------------------------------------- My intro to jazz came in the summer of 1951.

Stan Kenton had an evening weekly program on the radio that summer.

Neal Hefty did the arrangements, Maynard Ferguson on trumpet.

"The Misty Miss Christy", June Christy on vocals followed later by Chris Connors.

And don't forget Coni Condoli.

By the time Brubeck and Paul Desmond hit the scene, I had been hooked on jazz BIG time.

Never picked up on Rock-N-Roll.

It just couldn't compete with Monk, Ella, Sara, Diana, Joe Williams and of course while not jazz, "The Chairman of the Board", Sinatra who had no equal.

The music wasn't (didn't have to be) played at 100 dB, and the words were legible.

Lew