Search - Dave Brubeck :: Once When I Was Very Young

This one's a bit mellower than I like...

William E. Adams | Midland, Texas USA | 06/26/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I love Brubeck, and some of his CD's even in his old age are just great, such as the disc titled "So What's New?" on the Telarc label from 1998. This one, however, released in 1992 by Music Masters, features different quartet members, and uses clarinet instead of saxophone to complement Dave's piano. While it is improvised, the jazz is pretty low-key this time around. The songs are ones that Dave found meaningful in his childhood, but they are not children's tunes. Several of the 11 numbers were recorded in one take with no rehearsal, and perhaps would have had more impact on me if they had been practiced a bit more. Dave's booklet notes are interesting if you are a fan, but unless you are a Brubeck "complete" collector, this effort is one that you might put well down on your list. This is nice background music, but it pales when compared to the brilliance of "Time Out" and "Time Further Out" and "Jazz Impressions of Eurasia" and "The Great Concerts." Get all those first, to get Brubeck at his best."