Search - Dave Brubeck :: My Favorite Things

One Of My Favorite Brubeck Albums!

Alex Udvary | chicago, il United States | 09/24/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

""My Favorite Things" is one of Dave Brubeck's "composer albums". Brubeck fans will recall such titles as "Anything Goes" (Cole Porter), and "Angel Eyes" (Matt Denise) here the Dave Brubeck Quartet pays homage to Richard Rogers and the results, while at as satisfying as "Anything Goes", make "My Favorite Things" one of Brubeck's best albums.



We start things off with a fast tempo version of the title track, minus Paul Desmond. Brubeck at times seems as if he's about to go off-time, but never does. Brubeck fans will take note of the fact he has made a career playing around with time signitures. But Brubeck does get some good passages in. I like a lot of the chord changes and Brubeck's right hand does some nifty work.



The next track "Over and Over Again" starts off with Brubeck playing the melody, almost as a ballad and then things pick up as Desmond comes in. Wonderful interplay between Brubeck and Desmond should make you keep coming back to this one.



My favorite track on the album might be "This Can't Be Love". Brubeck plays it as a familar tempo but again gets in a lot of good passages. As does Paul Desmond.



"Circus on Parade" is one the only song on the album I wasn't familar with it. The quartet swings on it from beginning to end and the result is rather pleasing.



"My Romance" and "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World" are the same version heard on Brubeck's "Plays West Side Story". But are enjoyable to listen to but I prefer "Girl".



Overall "My Favorite Things" is a very good album that demonstrates with made the quartet so popular. Brubeck and Desmond as usual have wonderful chemistry together and the song selection is a delight. If there is one negative thing to say about the album it is that there aren't enough songs! Where are the recordings of "Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered", "Where or When", "Soon (There'll Just Be Two Of Us)", "Lady Is A Tramp" and "Loads of Love"? But we Brubeck fans will take what we can get.



Bottom-line: One of Brubeck's best albums. Desmond and Brubeck are a delight to listen to as is the song selection. Fans of Brubeck should check this out despite it being very rare.



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Highly recommended

Rene Canuto | 12/28/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I really like this CD. If you are a Brubeck fan, you should add this to your collection. My favorite songs are Why Can't I, My Romance, and My Favorite Things. This is an email from Sydney Australia.

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