Dave Brubeck In His Own

Although Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond made many rewarding recordings together, this was their only duo album; it was inspired by several duo performances on board a cruise ship. Their magical ESP is evident from start to finish. Brubeck's lyricism throughout these sessions will surprise critics who label him as "bombastic," while Desmond, known for his pure dry-toned alto sax, throws a few curves to his longtime fans.

During 1949-1951 pianist Dave Brubeck led a San Francisco-based trio with bassist Ron Crotty and Cal Tjader doubling on drums and vibes. This CD has all 24 of this group's recordings, interpretations of standards that are full of surprising moments…

For a period in 1977-78 (after the death of altoist Paul Desmond), pianist Dave Brubeck had a quartet with his sons keyboardist Darius, drummer Dan and Chris on bass and trombone. This Montreux concert features five of Dave Brubeck's originals (including "It's a Raggy Waltz" and "In Your Own Sweet Way") along with the standard "It Could Happen to You" and finds father Dave in fine form even if Desmond is clearly missed.

Dave Brubeck has long served as proof that creative jazz and popular success can go together. Although critics who had championed him when he was unknown seemed to scorn him when the Dave Brubeck Quartet became a surprise success, in reality Brubeck never watered down or altered his music in order to gain a wide audience.

In the 1950s and '60s, few American jazz artists were as influential, and fewer still were as popular, as Dave Brubeck. At a time when the cooler sounds of West Coast jazz began to dominate the public face of the music, Brubeck proved there was an audience for the style far beyond the confines of the in-crowd, and with his emphasis on unusual time signatures and adventurous tonalities, Brubeck showed that ambitious and challenging music could still be accessible.