These performances by the Dave Brubeck quartet, here reissued on vinyl, were recorded during two residencies at New York’s Basin Street. Lover finds Joe Dodge in four while Brubeck, Paul Desmond and Bob Bates play in three. This routine was also used on Someday My Prince Will Come from the 1957 Dave Digs Disney album. Playing in different time-signatures became quite a feature after Time Out in 1959.
The obscure Fare Thee Well Annabelle was introduced by Rudy Vallee in the 1935 film Sweet Music and Brubeck has arranged it as a three-part round or canon. This form was used on Brother Can You Spare A Dime in the 1954 Brubeck Time release. In November that year Brubeck became the first jazz musician to be pictured on a Time magazine cover.
The Duke was premiered here and because Dave had studied with Darius Milhaud, the original title was The Duke Meets Darius Milhaud. Its challenging structure moves seamlessly through all 12 keys and at just over two minutes it is the shortest track. Possibly inhibited by all those modulations, the principals confine themselves to the melody, avoiding any variations.
Sometimes I’m Happy and Love Walked In feature the contrapuntal interplay that was such a notable element of the early quartet’s work. This baroque form seemed to disappear once the great Joe Morello joined the group. The need to feature him meant that Desmond was heard a little less. He wittily pointed this out on the sleeve-note for his 1963 Take Ten album: “(I’m) this saxophone player from the Dave Brubeck quartet. You can tell which one is me because when I’m not playing, which is surprisingly often, I’m leaning against the piano.”
Columbia’s CD reissue of this material has Taking A Chance On Love and Closing Time Blues which are not included here (CK1468).
Discography
(1) Lover; Little Girl Blue; (2) Fare Thee Well Annabelle; Sometimes I’m Happy; (1) The Duke; Indiana; Love Walked In (46.00)
(1) Paul Desmond (as); Dave Brubeck (p); Bob Bates (b); Joe Dodge (d). Basin Street, NYC, 23 July 1955.
(2) as (1) 12 October 1954.
WaxTime 772353
