Where do I start when discussing important my music influences? Some of my earliest musical memories are listening to the first Monkees album, the first couple US Beatles albums…looking back, my parents could be pretty hip! But does my playing reflect the influences of Mike Nesmith, George Harrison, or Paul McCartney? I wish. This brings me to Dave Brubeck.
In 1973, I was in Junior High, and Dave Brubeck was touring with a band that included his three sons, Darius, Chris and Dan. Also known as “Two Generations of Brubeck.” In the great Brubeck tradition, they were appearing at Ohio Wesleyan University in my hometown of Delaware, Ohio. I was taking piano lessons from a professor at OWU, Dr. Charles Keller, who will be the subject of a future “influence” blog post. A generous man of eclectic tastes, he passed on to me, a budding young musician, a sense of musical restlessness and love of diverse musical styles. To him (and me), the musical world wasn’t black and white, or gray even, but full of magic and color. But I digress.
So, among other music genres, Dr. Keller introduced me to jazz. We would discuss everything from Ragtime to Fusion. So when I found out Dave Brubeck was coming to town, I was so there! Now here is where my memory is unclear, and admittedly, possibly faulty. But I am sure that for some reason, I went to this concert alone. No parents, no big brother, just me. Weird. I distinctly remember being on the steps to go into University Hall, waiting for the doors to open, packed in with a throng of OWU students (no assigned seating in Gray Chapel). I was even offered a joint…I did not imbibe. Why my parents would send me there alone is beyond me. How I got there, and how I got home, no idea. (Maybe I did imbibe….) So the doors open, and I wander into Gray Chapel and somewhat nervously (I was just a kid!), I look for a seat. I find one, right in the front row, about 5 feet from the piano on stage. What luck, I thought! I’m thinking Dr. Keller may have been sitting next to me, but this could be just a false memory.
So the show starts, and a bunch of young guys come on the stage. “Is this Dave?” I wonder. The main things I remember is that they were really, really good, and the piano player seemed to be the leader, and he may have played a Rhodes electric piano rather than the big grand piano on stage, which I remember thinking was odd at the time. I also very distinctly remember they had a tremendous harmonica player who went by the name “Madcat” (Peter “Madcat” Ruth) who was just wild. These bunch of hippies (Dave’s sons and band) on stage really made an impression on this young straight-laced musician!
There may have been a break (I think…), then the show started back up and out comes Dave Brubeck himself, and there I am, this kid, no more than 5 feet from the master himself. I didn’t know any Brubeck repertoire at the time, but a distinct memory I have carried with me is the opening number was “Unsquare Dance”, which remains my favorite Brubeck piece still today. I asked my parents for a copy of “Two Generations of Brubeck” (LP of course), and that album remains a treasured keepsake today. I collected Brubeck LPs for many years, and now have quite an extensive collection of his CDs and LPs. As I’ve learned more about the man himself, I’ve found out what a good, humble, gentleman Dave Brubeck was. I could not have asked for a better musical role model at that stage in my musical and personal development. Not just Dave Brubeck, but Dr. Keller as well.
So how did Brubeck influence my playing? I would never claim to play like him, but before I became disabled, when my mind, eyes, and hands worked better together, I would find myself tossing in various off rhythms or just playing around with rhythms, especially when directing my church choir from the piano or working on music with friends. I would also tend to favor a chordal approach to accompanying similar to Brubeck, with generous uses of 7ths, 9ths, 11ths and 13ths. Now, due to the modifications I have had to make to my playing to overcome what I have lost with my vestibular disorder, my approach is lighter, more open. Perhaps more appropriate for the person I have become.
So, although Dave Brubeck may not have been my first musical memory, he was certainly my first lasting influence. I hope you enjoy the link to “Unsquare Dance” that I have linked below. Certainly much more rock/fusion than the original! Thanks for reading!
Paul
We were also in the audience for that performance
Small world!
Paul. thanks so much for this blog, and for sharing this great memory! I never got to see Brubeck live, glad you did.
Thanks John, and thanks for subscribing! My youngest son sang in the men’s chorus when he was in college, and they performed a Brubeck men’s chorus piece. Bru was in the audience, but was too frail by that point to greet the public. My son did meet him backstage, though, and he signed my Take Five CD booklet. A very generous, good man. He, along with his bandmates, made the world a better place.