Search - Dave Brubeck :: Quartet

The Quartet Live on 3 labels

Skylark Poems | of a summer | 09/08/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dave Brubeck was on contract to Columbia in the 60s. QED this is a 1996 Delta reissue of a LaserLight 1989 reissue (albeit with two bonus tracks from the mid 70s when his kids were traveling extensively with him) of a 1961 Europa Jazz LP. If anyone has actually listened to Castilian Drums on the album "Time Further Out," they would know the mispelled lead track is not it. In reality this is "Cassandra" which can also be heard on "London Flat, London Sharp" in addition to others. At least Europa did the spelling correctly if the track name incorrectly.



Europa/LaserLight/Delta's 5th track, "Summer Song," which can be heard on half a dozen Brubeck albums is actually "Softly, William, Softly" which can be heard on Brubeck's Time In. Rip-offs tend to copy each other rather than doing their own legwork. It has been stated elsewhere that the origins of this album are a personal recorder at ringside. I must admit to having done this at a Moody Blues concert back in the day. If you remember the quality of recorders from the 60s you would say with me...not. That being said, the final two tracks with Darius, Chris and Dan do not have the same fidelity. More likely this is a bootleg of unknown (Dave probably knows) complicity.



All aside...I love this album featuring some dynamite performances, though the piano could have used a better tuning, starring:



Dave Brubeck (piano)

Paul Desmond (alto sax)

Eugene Wright (bass)

Joe Morello (drums)

Darius, Dan and Chris Brubeck on tracks 7-8 + Bill Smith (clarinet track 8)



Revised Track list



Cassandra

Three to get Ready

St Louis Blues

Forty Days

Softly, William, Softly

Some Day My Prince Will Come

Brandenburg Gate

In Your Own Sweet Way"