CD REVIEW: Dave Brubeck Quartet - Jazz At The College Of The Pacific

I grew up in a musical household, and I credit my vast musical taste to the education that was given to me by my parents growing up. My mother introduced me to the folk side of things with groups like Peter, Paul, & Mary, and the softer side with James Taylor. My father on the other hand, has long been known to have a sense of humor. Some of us that have been subjected to more than our share might question how funny his jokes really are, but then again, we've heard them so many times over the years. He introduced me to the comedy of Jonathan Winters, and Bill Cosby, and planted the most important seed, with the rock and roll groups that he introduced to my ears. It was via his turntable, that I heard my first taste of The Beach Boys, and their Brit buddies, The Beatles. Adding to the list of important music figures that were introduced to me by my dad, he also introduced me to the music of Dave Brubeck, and the all-important easy Brubeck primer tune, "Take Five".

By that time, I was discovering people like Bruce Springsteen, and didn't take much interest in Brubeck, but always kept my ear to the ground to keep my dad in tune with the latest goings-on in Brubeck territory. And many years after that, I had the chance to deliver the ultimate Father's Day gift in the early 90's: Front row tickets for Dad and I to attend a rare concert in Cleveland from Brubeck, which was being held at a popular local outdoor venue, Nautica Stage. As it would happen, on the day of the show, it began to pour rain. The concert was moved indoors into a small intimate room, and before I knew it, our front row seats were literally about 15 feet away from Brubeck's piano bench! What a classic experience it was for both him, and I on that rainy summer afternoon in Cleveland, and it is definitely one that he and I still talk about frequently. I was converted to Brubeck "fan" status on that day, and continue to marvel at the genius work that Brubeck continues to do, even now.

One of the finer albums in the Brubeck catalog, Jazz At The College Of The Pacific, has just been fully remastered and reissued by Fantasy Records. Brubeck was one of the first signings to Fantasy Records in 1949, and as his recordings began to sell, the label would later record artists like Gerry Mulligan and Chet Taylor, and comic Lenny Bruce. Jazz At The College Of The Pacific captures a homecoming gig by Brubeck, who began his musical journey while attending the school. Brubeck has had many different lineups over the years, including Jack Six on bass, who had one of the coolest names for an entertainer in my book, Gerry Mulligan, and his Quartet lineup for this particular album, featured collaborator Paul Desmond on saxaphone. Desmond is probably one of the most loved players who have collaborated with Brubeck over the years. Indeed, my dad's eyes got a magical look when we first listened to some of Brubeck and Desmond's material, as he explained to me just why Paul Desmond's playing was so special and key to the Brubeck sound. Indeed, Brubeck and Desmond had a certain magic together, and you can witness a good piece of that when listening to this release.

Article Author: Matt Wardlaw

As a lifetime music fan, Matt Wardlaw has been lucky to work in a number of fields that pay him to do jobs related to the music that he loves. These jobs include 13 years (and counting) in Cleveland radio, and five years working for a Cleveland based radio syndication company. …

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