- London Flat, London Sharp
- To Sit and Dream
- The Time of Our Madness
- Unisphere
- Steps to Peace
- Forty Days
- Cassandra
- Yes, We All Have Our Cross to Bear
- Mr. Fats
- Ballad of the Rhine.
Dave Brubeck – Piano
Bobby Militello – Alto & Flute
Michael Moore – Double Bass
Randy Jones – Drums
Dave Brubeck has become one
of the all time jazz legends, right from the
Quartets inception in the early 50,s; he always
was something special. What is amazing is
that he has just got better and better and
this album recorded in 2004, when he was over
80, I would rate as his best ever.
Bobby Militello is a different
player type of player to Paul Desmond. Desmond
was the epitome of ‘cool’, always seeming
to have plenty of time to weave his gorgeous
improvisations. Militello is power player,
if Charlie Parker was still with us I can
imagine that he would play in a similar style.
After hearing this record and the Quartet
in concert, I am convinced that he is the
ideal partner for Brubeck.
In the earlier Quartet records
with Desmond, Brubeck seemed to me to get
over excited at times and try to play too
much. In this latest Quartet he is very sure
footed and a joy to listen to.
The tracks are all Brubeck
compositions, they all contain the Brubeck
flair for melody and all have that ‘sound
good on first hearing quality’ that is lacking
on so many of the current own composition
albums. Most of those albums are by people
with no flair for composition, who don’t want
to pay royalties so that they can play some
decent tunes! Some of the tunes have very
complex sequences, the title track is a good
example, but the musicians are all well up
to the challenge and manage them with ease.
Dave’s own piano playing is in a class of
it’s own, I have never heard him play better
and he is well supported by the remainder
of the rhythm section.
Bobby Militello is not a
musician that I know a lot about, but on this
showing he is as good an alto player as you
will here on today’s jazz scene and his empathy
with Brubeck’s piano playing is entire.
Whether you have been a Brubeck
fan in the past or not, buy this record. If
you like jazz music, you will like this, you
will be hearing jazz master craftsmen at work!
Don Mather
CD Reviews
TELARC JAZZ CD-83625
