The Essential Dave Brubeck

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
Dave Brubeck is a member of that charmed circle of improvising artists whose popularity is commensurate with his musical accomplishments. He has for nearly half a century been a major figure as pianist, composer, and leader of perhaps the most widely known and well-traveled quartet in the history of jazz. THE ESSENTIAL DAVE BRUBECK provides the ideal survey course in Brubeck Time with 31 tracks from 24 albums, spanning 53 years!

The Essential Dave Brubeck, Music, Dave Brubeck, Bop, Cool, Jazz, Jazz Music, Pop, Vocal Jazz, West Coast Jazz
The Essential Dave Brubeck
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • " Not essential " Dave Brubeck
  • Essential, perhaps, but hardly adequate
  • Spectacular collection of Brubeck's work - definitely worth checking out for a Jazz newbie
  • A wonderful introduction to an entire world.
  • " Masterful ... "
 The Essential Dave Brubeck
Dave Brubeck
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Time Out
  2. The Dave Brubeck Quartet at Carnegie Hall
  3. Dave Brubeck - Greatest Hits
  4. Jazz at Oberlin
  5. Kind of Blue

ASIN: B00008NGAF
Release Date: 2003-03-25

Tracks:

  1. Indiana
  2. Perdido
  3. Take The 'A' Train
  4. Le Souk
  5. Audrey
  6. The Duke
  7. In Your Own Sweet Way
  8. Weep No More
  9. Some Day My Prince Will Come
  10. Tangerine
  11. Brandenburg Gate
  12. Three To Get Ready
  13. Blue Rondo A La Turk
  14. There'll Be Some Changes Made

Tracks:

  1. Take Five
  2. Maria
  3. It's A Raggy Waltz
  4. Unsquare Dance
  5. Kathy's Waltz
  6. Travelin' Blues
  7. Summer Song
  8. That Old Black Magic
  9. Bossa Nova U.S.A.
  10. Autumn In Washington Square
  11. Theme From 'Mr. Broadway'
  12. La Paloma Azul
  13. Recuerdo
  14. Caravan
  15. Stardust
  16. Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?
  17. Love For Sale

Album Description

Dave Brubeck is a member of that charmed circle of improvising artists whose popularity is commensurate with his musical accomplishments. He has for nearly half a century been a major figure as pianist, composer, and leader of perhaps the most widely known and well-traveled quartet in the history of jazz. THE ESSENTIAL DAVE BRUBECK provides the ideal survey course in Brubeck Time with 31 tracks from 24 albums, spanning 53 years!

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars " Not essential " Dave Brubeck.......2007-05-30

This " essential Dave Brubeck " tracks were selected by Dave Brubeck himself,therin lies the problem with this cd.
The true genius behind the band was Paul Desmond with his wonderful compositions and beautiful sax playing. Tony Morello is to my mind the best drummer I have ever heard. I enjoy Wright on bass too.All this is on disc 2
I can only describe Brubecks's playing as plodding, mainly on disc 1. He is a brilliant at comping,and good at writing, but as a soloist he is not up to par with his band mates.This is of course in my view, as many would disagree.
I rate disc number 1 as zero and disc number 2 as five, so I gave the average as three.
I have just thrown out disc 1, as I have never gotten to like it, even after many listening attempts.

4 out of 5 stars Essential, perhaps, but hardly adequate.......2005-12-10

Brubeck's greatest popularity occurred during his association with Columbia Records, and this collection certainly documents some of the commercial and artistic highlights of this productive period. Particularly heartening is the inclusion of three tracks from the "Brubeck Plays Brubeck" solo piano album, including his exceptional improvisation on "In Your Own Sweet Way," an original that subsequently became a jazz standard. Still, this sampler does not include enough of the early work to dispell three widely held misconceptions: 1. that Brubeck and Desmond (or Brubeck and any other soloist) would regain the extraordinary chemistry of the 1950's quartet; 2. that the studio sessions, beginning with "Time Out," were equal if not superior to the earlier college concert dates; 3. that Brubeck's later experiments with time signatures represented an advance over his earlier adventurousness with melody, harmony, meter.

Neither Brubeck nor Desmond ever played with more in-the-moment inspired inventiveness than on their live 1950's dates. The excitement ensuing from their empathy with one another as well as their reactiveness to the palpable encouragement of their audiences was a singular moment in jazz history. In fact, during the 1950's they were to small-group modern jazz and its adherents what the Benny Goodman Big Band had been to attentive young listeners in the 1930s. The "Essential Dave Brubeck" provides only four examples from this fertile period, barely enough to whet the appetite. Moreover, the selections appear to be more abitrary than representative of this highly-charged edition of the quartet at its very best.

If you really want the essential Brubeck, be sure to supplement this collection with the '63 Carnegie Hall Concert but also with the earlier "Jazz at Oberlin" and "Jazz Goes to College." If the superior heat, intensity, and risk-taking extemporaneousness of these sessions recommend them over the later, more tepid, recordings, look next for "Jazz at the College of the Pacific, Volumes 1 and 2."

5 out of 5 stars Spectacular collection of Brubeck's work - definitely worth checking out for a Jazz newbie.......2005-08-04

I used to have an older Dave Brubeck Greatest Hits package, but it came out in 1966. Brubeck started in the 50's I believe, and is still out there touring and making records in the 21st centry. Amazing given that man's age. But it's the longevity that made me want this package.

This collection came out in 2003 and covers his entire career. It has the signature stuff from Time Out, as well as numerous tracks. The sticker on the CD says "covers 53 years, 31 tracks, 24 albums". It is quite a wide selection of material. Now Brubeck has an absolute avalanche of recorded material, so for someone that only had one album (Time Out) and one 36 year old greatest hits album, this career spanning 2 CD retrospective is perfect. Over so many years and so many record labels, I'm sure there were some rights issues with all this, and I'm glad they were overcome.

I'm sure some Brubeck purists will say that it's not worthy, that one should buy the albums and all that, but he has SO MANY albums, it's extremely daunting to a Brubeck newbie, so this was a prefect choice, and I have to say I really enjoy this collection. I think you will too (unless of course you already own all of this stuff).

4 out of 5 stars A wonderful introduction to an entire world........2005-06-07

I am the sort of person that likes and appreciates all sorts of music, but doesn't know much about any particular genre. I purchased this album in hopes of expanding my modest jazz collection, and I have been very pleased. It contained just enough of the known to make the introduction of the unknown quite enjoyable. The recordings are a representative sample of various periods in Brubeck's career, providing the listener with a diverse collection of complex, high-quality music. The tracks (particularly the newer recordings) have a full, rich sound, and the cd comes with an informative booklet that helped me know more about Brubeck and jazz in general. I have given this collection four stars because (as a collection, and not a true album) it is only natural that not every song from every era appeals equally, but I suspect that both jazz lovers and jazz novices (like me) will enjoy these discs.

5 out of 5 stars " Masterful ... ".......2004-05-09

One of the finest, most sophisticated, and artistic [collection of] jazz-music cuts ever put together. Impressive !
(I listen to most types of music, not just jazz).
Essential Collection
Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
  • The Dave Brubeck 4 Tet meets the law of diminishing returns.
 Essential Collection
Dave Brubeck
Manufacturer: West End
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Cool JazzCool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
JazzJazz | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000N4SM6C
Release Date: 2007-04-17

Tracks:

  1. Audrey
  2. Jeepers Creepers
  3. Fine Romance
  4. Stompin, For Mili
  5. Brother Can You Spare a Dime?
  6. Keepin' out of Mischief Now
  7. Pennies from Heaven
  8. Why Do I Love You?
  9. When I Was Young
  10. In Your Own Street Way
  11. One Moment Worth Years
  12. Duke
  13. Two-Part Contention
  14. Swing Bells
  15. Walkin' Line
  16. Waltz
  17. Weep No More

Tracks:

  1. In Your Own Sweet Way
  2. Two-Part Contention
  3. Take the "A" Train
  4. I'm in a Dancing Mood
  5. Balcony Rock
  6. Out of Nowhere
  7. Souk
  8. Take the "A" Train
  9. Song Is You
  10. Don't Worry 'Bout Me
  11. I Want to Be Happy

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars The Dave Brubeck 4 Tet meets the law of diminishing returns........2007-05-04

IMPORT ALERT!!!

This is a two CD set comprising 4 albums.

Disc 1 is from the 1955 album Brubeck Time and you may view the track list by following the link.

Disc 1 is also from the 1956 album Brubeck Plays Brubeck and you may view the track list by following the link.

Disc 2 includes the first four cuts from the 1956 album Dave Brubeck and Jay & Kai at Newport. This should not be considered a replacement for the Dave and Jay or Kai since cuts from the concert are missing while the ones extant have a fade out on the crowd applause and the first track is minus Dave's intro.

Disc 2 ends with Jazz Goes to College.

My rating has nothing to do with musicianship, but once again misplaced production values. Fortunately this CD can be purchased "used" though it was released only three months ago. Please don't pay $31.00 for this travesty.

My rating on second thought should be zero since the U.K. producers make no attempt to tell you that the aforementioned albums are what is contained therein. Luckily for you I recognized them immediately. If only the listing would have given me this information I would not have ordered the item.

LET THE BUYER BEWARE!!!
Essential Jazz
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Essential Jazz
    Dave Brubeck
    Manufacturer: Tristar
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    Cool JazzCool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
    ASIN: B0000020EO
    Release Date: 1996-02-27
    Essential Jazz
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		Essential Jazz
      Dave Brubeck Quartet
      Manufacturer: Sony
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      Cool JazzCool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
      JazzJazz | Imports | Stores | Music
      ASIN: B0000259HE

      Tracks:

      1. Three To Get Ready
      2. Basin Street Blues
      3. Tonight
      4. Pennies From Heaven
      5. Take the "A" Train
      6. Kathy's Waltz
      7. Swanee Rive
      8. Duke
      9. Estrellita
      10. Take Five
      The Essential Dave Brubeck
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        		The Essential Dave Brubeck
        Dave Brubeck
        Manufacturer: Sony
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

        Bebop GeneralBebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
        Cool JazzCool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
        Vocal Jazz GeneralVocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
        MusicalsMusicals | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
        ASIN: B000091L7X
        Release Date: 2003-06-02

        Tracks:

        1. Indiana [Mono Version]
        2. Perdido [Mono Version][Live]
        3. Take the "A" Train [Mono Version][Live]
        4. Souk [Mono Version][Live]
        5. Audrey [Mono Version]
        6. Duke [Mono Version][Live]
        7. In Your Own Sweet Way [Mono Version]
        8. Weep No More [Mono Version]
        9. Some Day My Prince Will Come [From Snow White and the Seven ...]
        10. Tangerine [Live]
        11. Brandenburg Gate
        12. Three to Get Ready
        13. Blue Rondo a la Turk
        14. There'll Be Some Changes Made

        Tracks:

        1. Take Five
        2. Maria [From West Side Story]
        3. It's a Raggy Waltz
        4. Unsquare Dance
        5. Kathy's Waltz [Instrumental]
        6. Travelin' Blues [Live]
        7. Summer Song
        8. That Old Black Magic
        9. Bossa Nova U.S.A.
        10. Autumn in Washington Square
        11. Theme from "Mr. Broadway"
        12. Paloma Azul (The Blue Dove) [Live]
        13. Recuerdo
        14. Caravan [Live]
        15. Stardust
        16. Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
        17. Love for Sale [From the New Yorkers][Live]

        Music:

        1. The Essential George Gershwin [Limited Edition]
        2. The First Minute of a New Day
        3. The Girl in the Other Room [Enhanced] [Hybrid SACD] [SACD]
        4. The Great Summit: The Master Takes [Original recording remastered]
        5. The Hi-De-Ho Man: 1930-1933
        6. The Hottest New Group in Jazz
        7. The Silver Collection: The Astrud Gilberto Album
        8. The Ultimate Rat Pack Collection: Live & Swingin (CD & DVD) [Enhanced] [Live]
        9. The Very Best of Miki Howard
        10. This Time It's Love

        Music

        Music