Men of Musical Genius Monday: Dave Brubeck

Taking the ol' blog on a bit of a different course today, and giving the man I consider to be the greatest jazz legend alive today his due (thanks to my friend Kevin for the suggestion a few weeks back).

Dave Brubeck, even as he’s pushing 90, simply exudes cool. Nothing against the rambling improvisational brilliance of Davis and Coltrane, but when it comes to making tightly constructed, ingenious jazz compositions, Brubeck is king. His most famous album, Time Out, clocks in at just under 40 minutes, yet is still one of the best jazz albums of all time for my money.... and what's more, the entire thing is done in odd meter.

On a more personal note, I had the privilege to see Dave Brubeck in concert here at MSU last fall, dragging along my roommate who laughed at the fact that the event was sponsored by a cardiac center—thanks, Steve. When Brubeck came out on stage to introduce himself at the mic, I was worried Steve’s jokes might have been well grounded: he sounded old, worn out, decrepit. I couldn't imagine how he was going to make it through the evening. Then he sat down at the piano, and the years just seemed to melt away... incredible.

Oh, and did I mention we share a birthday? If you needed any more confirmation of the man's greatness, there it is.

The track du jour is Blue Rondo A La Turk... incidentally, if a film is ever made about my life, I want this to be the music in whatever scene has me teetering on the brink of insanity.

Dave Brubeck- Blue Rondo A La Turk