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Today I’m celebrating the centenary of Dave Brubeck—born on December 6, 1920. He was an extraordinary musician, and a man of deep purpose & integrity in every sphere of his life. #TimeForever
In addition to Dave Brubeck’s well-known work as pianist & composer, he was also a civil rights activist, served his country in WWII at the Battle of the Bulge, was a global ambassador for democracy, and a family man whose marriage lasted an extraordinary 70 years. What a legacy!
Dave Brubeck’s centenary gives me a chance to point out how similar his touch and harmonic sense were to Thelonious Monk’s. Conventional wisdom tells us that Monk was prickly & avant-garde, while Brubeck was slick & commercial. But the music itself tells a different story.
In my book West Coast Jazz, I puzzled over the “accepted view” that Monk is serious and prickly, while Brubeck is a popularizer targeting a crossover audience. Really?
Dave Brubeck almost died in a 1951 swimming accident in Hawaii. After his convalescence, he had no money to get home—but cash mysteriously appeared in his bank account. Years later, during an interview I conducted with him, he finally figured out the possible source of the funds.
I'm celebrating Dave Brubeck on his centenary—so let me add one more distinction. Dave was a real cowboy, raised on a 45,000 acre ranch where his dad was manager & cattle roper. Dave told me he wanted to record jazz cowboy songs—but Sonny Rollins beat him to it with Way Out West.
