Saw Brubeck Last Night - Still Got It After All These Years

[agile_one]

The Dave Brubeck Quartet came to our humble burg (Sarasota, FL) last night, and the resident jazz lovers turned out en masse to provide a full house for the master.

Dave and the boys did not disappoint - it was a memorable evening, being kept alive even now by 0's and 1's being released all in their proper order and correct time sequence from .wav files on my Dell to a GCHA and L3k's.

Dave and the quartet are no longer young - Dave celebrated his 85th birthday last year, and the rest of the present lineup (been with Brubeck since the 80's mostly) are not many days shy of 75, but, boy, can they play! I enjoyed the music and playing every bit as much as when I saw the Dave Brubeck Quartet way, way back in the day at Storyland in Boston and the Newport Jazz Festival. That was the original lineup that included Paul Desmond on sax.

The current lineup is Dave, Randy Jones on drums, Bobby Lilitello on sax (sometimes flute), and Michael Moore on bass. Each player was amazing in their own right, and the solos and interplay betwixt players were smoking. It was wonderful to see these great musicians playing music they loved, and having a terrific time doing so. During a break, my squeeze and I observed that music has kept them all young and vital, and the music they make keeps the world coming to see them.

Should the Dave Brubeck Quartet come anywhere near your town, go see them, you will not regret it.

 

[Jahn]

Oh man! I totally lost touch with that combo after I saw them last in college -and that was more than a decade ago! Glad to hear he's still doing his thing, like Les Paul (another dignitary you have to see live while you can!)

 

[Wmcmanus]

What a fabulous report, Gene. I know that you've been a fan for many years, and I'm so happy that you were able to see him play again while he and the other gents are still able. His music has always had a special place in my heart as well, and although I'm sure he'll never travel my way to play, I may just have to hunt down a show one day soon.

 

[agile_one]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jahn Snip ... Glad to hear he's still doing his thing, like Les Paul (another dignitary you have to see live while you can!)

Jahn ... great idea for people going to the NYC National in April - sneak over to Manhattan to catch Les at his weekly gig.

At the last FL meet in Tampa, we took in some live music, and it added greatly to the shared joy. I can't imagine a meet without that type of comraderie and shared fun after starting the trend down here. Actually tyrion got the ball rolling at his gig in Plantation where we did audio and HT gear at his friend's (now our friend) Oz's audio store.

Wayne: yeah, you got my wavelength, bro. Nothing like the real deal to make us realize what we are all seeking with this gear we all accumulate. Lookin' forward to some nice island vibes when we get to Cayman in May.

 

[Wmcmanus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by agile_one Wayne: yeah, you got my wavelength, bro. Nothing like the real deal to make us realize what we are all seeking with this gear we all accumulate. Lookin' forward to some nice island vibes when we get to Cayman in May.

Speaking of Island vibes, Cheryl Crow was here the other night to perform at a private (delayed) opening function at the new Ritz Carlton. They've been open for business since December 15th. It was an invitation only affair with about 800 guests (lucky dogs), most of whom were their high roller customers (you know, the ones that travel all over the world and stay at every Ritz there is).

But, and there's a BIG BUT... she played off of the back steps overlooking a courtyard, and right across the street (if you got there early like I did), you could watch the entire performance for FREE! She was standing no more than 100 feet from where I was parked, and the only thing the security people were concerned about was that nobody tried to enter their property. My guess is that there were more people outside of the Ritz's grounds than inside, and not only were we close, but we had a great viewing angle as well. She only played for about 40 minutes, but it was the best performance I've ever seen for free!

 

[Jahn]

bah the only surprise show i've seen was Living Colour playing Cult of Personality at City Hall a few years ago - i had no idea they were even still together, and i was walking by and just caught them jamming the park for free lol! great!

 

[catachresis]

Congratulations, agile_one. I've longed to see Brubeck in concert for nearly twenty-five years. It sounds like it was a great show too.

 

[Guss2]

You lucky dog Gene,I would love to see Brubeck before he's done playing.What a great experience this must have been,congratulations.Gary.