Customer Reviews

Jazz Collection

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If I had to list three jazz artists who should be remembered for bold innovation and the talent of reinventing (and constantly outdoing) themsevles, I would list Coletrane, Davis, and Brubeck. The first two names, to jazz officianados, should seem obvious. But Brubeck might raise some eyebrows here; for some reason, he never commanded the respect from 'jazzers' that the other two did. Well, this compilation of Brubeck's Columbia Records career should erase all doubt! Each track finds the quartet finding a new 'sound' to make their own. In terms of ability to reinvent and push boundaries, Brubeck should NOT be overlooked!

This 2 CD set spans about 25 years of Brubeck's career - from "Jazz at Oberlin" to Brubeck's several meetings with Gerry Mulligan. The format is chronological and as such, illustrates brilliantly Brubeck and his band's evolution. And for those who've not gotten past the enigma that is "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo a la Turk," (yes, those beauties are here!) get ready to catch a glimpse of some really wonderful jazz. From the out-and-out quirky ("Unsquare Dance") to the soulfully beautiful ("Fujiyama") this set is full of tracks that shine, but shine in different ways.

One thing that always strikes me is that through all the variation in Brubeck's music (from polyrythmic bossa novas and 5/4 meditations to duets with Charles Mingus and revamps of Disney tunes), Brubeck's quartet is one of the tightest I have ever heard in all my listening years. The combination of Brubeck's stocatto and meandering style, Paul Desmond's "West Coast cool" behind-the-beat sax playing, and Morello's ultra tight drum work compliment each other amazingly. No matter what style they are playing, these players are tight individually and as a group and are always having fun!

But I digress. If Brubeck is not in your collection, he should be and this CD will offer a great starting point. If Brubeck IS in your collection, this compilation is a great way to chart the progression of this inventive quartet's career.

It must be hard to sift through Dave Brubeck's many recordings and come up with a two-disc "best of" compilation... what do you include? What must you leave out? The folks who put this set together did a pretty good job, presenting the essence of Brubeck's sound and musical innovations.

This set includes the classic "Take Five", as well as Dave performing with jazz legends Louis Armstrong and Charles Mingus. My favorite track? "History of a Boy Scout", from the now-out-of-print "Jazz Impressions of the USA" album. Good jazz music doesn't just sound neat; it paints a picture in your imagination. It represents life. This performance definitely paints a picture that matches its title.

I own Take Five and have always enjoyed it, so I bought this CD as I wanted to further explore Brubeck's music. The CD contains 28 songs spanning Brubeck's career with Columbia from 1954 to 1970 for a good price. As a collection, I rate this album a 5 as it contains a strong overview of Brubeck's many albums for Columbia and the many moods of Brubeck as a pianist. As music, I give it a 3 because I found Brubeck's style to be slightly homogenous after awhile. I'm no jazz aficionado and admire the man, but after an hour of music the songs tend to blend into one another. The exceptions are the Take Five songs and his duet with Mingus. Still if you love Brubeck or want an introduction to his copious output, this is a great place to start.

This collection not only contains many of Brubeck's key works, but also highlights his collaborations with other great jazz artists. It's a wonderful cross-section of classic Jazz. Put it in your auto CD case for those long drives.

This is a wonderful CD. It contains well known favorites like Unsquare Dance and super jazz renditions of songs like My Favorite Things. I can't begin to describe how wonderful this CD really is.