FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 31, 2012
DEAR JERRY: When Dave Brubeck died, I became curious as to what you may have written about him over the years.
One thing I noticed is how you described "Take Five" as a syncopated masterpiece that turned many people into jazz fans.
Well stated, as I am one whose first jazz single purchase was "Take Five."
After that, I mainly bought albums, some of which are Fantasy label and colored plastic. How collectible are they? Is there a buying frenzy, like when Michael Jackson died? You also mentioned that "Take Five" is the most renowned tune ever in 5/4 time, a technique attributed to Dave.
I did find it interesting that none of the obituaries I read referred to that achievement.
—Caroline Kilpatrick, Honolulu
Despite being Dave's top-selling LP ever, and his only one RIAA-certified Platinum, sales of either mono or stereo copies have recently ranged from $300 to $700. Prices have indeed varied widely.
No, this activity is not comparable to the insane prices asked, and some times realized, for common Michael Jackson items (i.e., $1million for a "Thriller" album).
Though Dave's improvisational genius might have been overlooked by some, it was one of the first things the great pianist Ramsey Lewis remembered about Brubeck, in this recent telephone interview:
"I'm sad.
"Losing Dave Brubeck is like losing one of the all-time greats in jazz. Not only as a pianist, but as a composer, but most of all, as a world-class human being.
"Brubeck is one of the few musicians who could improvise and swing an unusual time signature [e.g., "Take Five" in 5/4 time: five beats to the measure].
"He started that.
"Not many of us tried it, though not many of us as successfully as Dave Brubeck.
"Dave had a sense of humor, and he could talk about whatever was on your mind.
"When you were talking to him it was as if you were the only person in the room.
"When I was in his company, it was backstage at concerts that we would perform.
"It was at the Hollywood Bowl, and we must have had 20,000 people there the night he and I played. There is where he and I really got to know each other and decided we should do some dates together.
"Dave insisted upon going on [early], although he was co-headlining, and he was senior co-headliner so he could do whatever he wanted to do. Usually, senior headliners close the show. But Dave said "no, no, I wanna open the show. I'm a couple of years older than you, Ramsey, so I choose to open the show."
"I would get to the theater or concert hall an hour and a half before I needed to be there so I could hear Dave go on and play.
"True to a jazz improviser, Dave never played the same song the same way. I have heard him several nights in a row play
"Take Five," and others, and it was a joy to sit there and hear him go off into the heavens, and improvise, and make up new ideas."
From 1951 to 1962, Fantasy issued most of their Brubeck catalog on colored vinyl. Here are those we have verified:
(1951) Red vinyl: "Dave Brubeck Trio - Distinctive Rhythm Instrumentals" (Fantasy 1)
(1951) Purple vinyl: "Dave Brubeck Trio - Distinctive Rhythm Instrumentals " (Fantasy1)
(1951) Red vinyl: "Dave Brubeck Trio - Distinctive Rhythm Instrumentals" (Fantasy 2)
(1951) Red vinyl: "Dave Brubeck Octet - Distinctive Rhythm Instrumentals" (Fantasy 3)
(1952) Red vinyl: "Dave Brubeck Trio - Distinctive Rhythm Instrumentals" (Fantasy 4)
(1952) Red vinyl: "Dave Brubeck Quartet" (Fantasy 5)
(1952) Green vinyl: "Dave Brubeck Quartet" (Fantasy 7)
(1953) Purple vinyl: "Dave Brubeck/Paul Desmond - Jazz at Storyville" (Fantasy 8)
(1953) Red vinyl: "Dave Brubeck/Paul Desmond - Jazz at Storyville" (Fantasy 8)
(1953) Red vinyl: "Dave Brubeck Quartet Featuring Paul Desmond - Jazz at the Blackhawk" (Fantasy 10)
(1953) Red vinyl: "Dave Brubeck Quartet - Jazz at Oberlin" (Fantasy 11)
(1954) Red vinyl: "Dave Brubeck Quartet - Jazz at the College of the Pacific " (Fantasy 13)
(1955) Red vinyl: "Dave Brubeck - Old Sounds from San Francisco" (Fantasy 16)
(1955) Purple vinyl: "Dave Brubeck - Old Sounds from San Francisco" (Fantasy 16)
(1955) Purple vinyl: "Paul and Dave Jazz Interwoven" (Fantasy 20)
(1955) Green vinyl: "Paul and Dave Jazz Interwoven" (Fantasy 20)
The above Fantasy LPs are all 10-inch discs. Those below are 12-inch.
(1956) Red vinyl: "Dave Brubeck Trio" (Fantasy 204)
(1956) Red vinyl: "Dave Brubeck Quartet Featuring Paul Desmond - Jazz at the Blackhawk" (Fantasy 210)
(1956) Red vinyl: "Dave Brubeck Quartet - Jazz at the College of the Pacific " (Fantasy 223)
(1956) Red vinyl: "Brubeck/Desmond - Jazz at the College of the Pacific " (Fantasy 229)
(1956) Red vinyl: "Dave Brubeck Quartet" (Fantasy 230)
(1957) Red vinyl: "Dave Brubeck Octet" (Fantasy 239)
(1957) Red vinyl: "Brubeck/Desmond - Jazz at Storyville" (Fantasy 240)
(1957) Red vinyl: "Dave Brubeck Quartet - Jazz at Oberlin" (Fantasy 245)
(1957) Red vinyl: "Dave Brubeck/Paul Desmond - At Wilshire-Ebell" (Fantasy 3249)
(1961) Red vinyl: "Dave Brubeck/Paul Desmond - Two Knights at the Blackhawk " (Fantasy 3298)
(1962) Red vinyl: "Brubeck/Tjader - The Dave Brubeck Trio" (Fantasy 3331, mono)
(1962) Red vinyl: "Brubeck/Tjader 2 - The Dave Brubeck Trio" (Fantasy 3332, mono)
(1962) Blue vinyl: "Brubeck/Tjader - The Dave Brubeck Trio" (Fantasy 8073, stereo)
(1962) Blue vinyl: "Brubeck/Tjader 2 - The Dave Brubeck Trio" (Fantasy 8074, stereo)
IZ ZAT SO? According to internationally acclaimed NPR (National Public Radio), the best-selling jazz single ever is "Take Five."
Jerry Osborne answers as many questions as possible through this column. Write Jerry at: Box 255, Port Townsend, WA 98368 E-mail: jpo@olympus.net Visit his Web site: www.jerryosborne.com.
All values quoted in this column are for near-mint condition.
Copyright 2012 Osborne Enterprises- Reprinted By Exclusive Permission
