The Dave Brubeck Quartet



While we've heard a lot about Dave Brubeck, no one seems to realize that three other distinguished musicians were behind that name: Joe Morello, Eugene Wright, and Paul Desmond. They were one of the most cohesive jazz quartets to ever exist.

Dave and Morello would sometime jam on drums and piano while Eugene Wright comped on base with Paul Desmond cooling his heels until just the right moment, and then he would come in like a cool breeze on a hot Summers night, and that's just the way those lilting notes from his alto sounded, light and cool like a breeze.

The bass man, Eugene Wright was the unsung hero in the group, but not to this aficionado; that "boom boom boom" in the background was the foundation of the quartets sound, it set the tempo.

Joe Morello was one of the most unique drummers ever, no other drummer could quite duplicate the accents and emphasis he placed on unusual times such as 9/8, 5/4, 3/4, and 6/4 which were inspired by Eurasian folk music; as a matter of fact "Jazz Impressions of Eurasia" is one of my favorite CD's, check it out.

I will always cherish memories associated with the sound of "The Dave Brubeck Quartet".
orpheus10
Paul Desmond was always my favorite. Paul did many of his own recordings. Frankly, without Paul, Dave would not have had the fame he got.
I think MANY people realize there were three other great musicians in that group.
He experimented with time. He had a big hit with 'Time Out'. He was popular with the college crowd. He tried to merge Jazz and Classical music, with very limited success. At one time his quartet consisted of himself and his three sons.

I looked him up in the Music Guide. I have never seen the word 'Classic' used so often to describe so many recordings by the same person. A novice would assume everything he did was a "classic'.

Take away 'Time Out' and Desmond, and what do you have left? A lot of his 'fame' was 'political'. From all I have read and heard, he was a throughly nice guy. A Gentleman.

My latest Jazz acquisition:

In Copenhagen: Sweets & Lockjaw.

Cheers
What is even more remarkable about Joe Morello is that he was only partly sighted. I saw Paul Desmond perform in the early 1970s. I saw Brubeck perform in the late 1960s. These were two of the most memorable performances I have ever attended.