David Warren Brubeck ( / ˈ b r uː b ɛ k / ; December 6, 1920 – December 5, 2012) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He is often considered one of the most important musicians in the cool jazz style. His music is known for using unusual time signatures and combining different rhythms, meters, and musical styles, such as classical, jazz, and blues.

Brubeck was born in Concord, California. He was drafted into the U.S. Army, but he avoided combat duty after performing in a Red Cross show that became popular. In the Army, he formed one of the first racially diverse musical groups. In 1951, he created the Dave Brubeck Quartet, a group that kept its name even as its members changed. The most successful group, from 1958 to 1967, included saxophonist Paul Desmond, bassist Eugene Wright, and drummer Joe Morello. A 1958 U.S. Department of State-sponsored tour inspired Brubeck’s 1959 album Time Out. Despite its unusual time signatures, Time Out became Brubeck’s best-selling album and the first jazz album to sell over one million copies. The song “Take Five,” written by Desmond in 4 time, became the best-selling jazz single ever. The quartet later released other albums with nonstandard time signatures, including “Blue Rondo à la Turk” (in 8 time) and “Unsquare Dance” (in 4 time). Brubeck continued making music until his death in 2012.

Brubeck’s music style varied from elegant to powerful, influenced by his mother’s classical training and his own improvisational skills. He used elements of atonality and fugue. He and Desmond blended West Coast jazz with the unusual time signatures found in Time Out. He also incorporated ideas from French composer Darius Milhaud, such as those in Serenade Suite and Playland-at-the-Beach. Brubeck’s mix of classical music and jazz became known as “third stream,” though he used these techniques before the term was created. John Fordham of The Guardian noted that Brubeck combined European musical ideas, complex rhythms, jazz forms, and improvisation in ways that were both expressive and easy to understand.

Brubeck received many awards during his lifetime. In 1996, he won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2008, he was inducted into the California Hall of Fame and received an honorary doctor of music degree from Berklee College of Music in 2009. His 1959 album Time Out was added to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry in 2005. The Los Angeles Times called him “one of Jazz’s first pop stars.” Brubeck did not enjoy the fame that came with his success and felt uneasy about being featured on the cover of Time before Duke Ellington.

Ancestry and early life

Brubeck's father's family was Swiss, and his original family name was Brodbeck. His mother's grandparents were from England and Germany. He was born on December 6, 1920, in Concord, California, and grew up in Ione, California. His father, Peter Howard "Pete" Brubeck, worked as a cattle rancher. His mother, Elizabeth (born Ivey), learned to play piano in England with Myra Hess and wanted to become a concert pianist. She also taught piano to earn extra money.

Brubeck did not plan to become a musician, even though his two older brothers, Henry and Howard, were already pursuing music. However, he took piano lessons from his mother. At first, he could not read music because of poor eyesight, but he pretended to understand it well enough that his difficulty was not noticed.

Brubeck planned to work on his family's ranch and enrolled at College of the Pacific in Stockton, California, in 1938 to study veterinary science. He changed his major to music after Dr. Arnold, the head of zoology, told him, "Brubeck, your mind is not here. It's across the lawn in the conservatory. Please go there. Stop wasting my time and yours." Later, Brubeck was almost expelled when a music professor found out he could not sight-read. However, other professors defended him, saying his ability to write counterpoint and harmony showed he had strong musical skills. The college agreed to let him graduate as long as he promised never to teach.

Military service

After graduating in 1942, Brubeck joined the United States Army and served in Europe with the Third Army, which was led by General George S. Patton. He volunteered to play piano at a Red Cross event, which was very successful. Because of this, Brubeck was not required to serve in combat. During his time in the military, he formed one of the first racially integrated bands in the U.S. armed forces, called "The Wolfpack." In 1944, while serving in the army, Brubeck met Paul Desmond.

After nearly four years in the army, Brubeck returned to California to study at Mills College in Oakland. He studied with composer Darius Milhaud, who advised him to learn about fugue and orchestration but not classical piano. While in the military, Brubeck had taken two lessons from Arnold Schoenberg at UCLA to learn about modernist music theory. However, their meeting did not go well because Schoenberg believed every note in a piece of music must be carefully planned, a method Brubeck disagreed with.

According to his son, Chris Brubeck, a twelve-tone musical pattern appears in The Light in the Wilderness, Brubeck’s first oratorio. In this work, the twelve disciples of Jesus are introduced, each singing unique notes. The piece is described as dramatic, especially when Judas sings the word "Repent" using a high, tense, and dissonant note.

Jack Sheedy owned Coronet Records, a San Francisco-based company that had previously recorded local Dixieland bands. This Coronet Records is different from a similar company based in New York during the late 1950s and another based in Australia. In 1949, Sheedy agreed to record Brubeck’s octet and later his trio. However, Sheedy struggled financially and in 1949 gave his recordings to his record stamping company, Circle Record Company, which was owned by Max and Sol Weiss. The Weiss brothers later renamed their business Fantasy Records.

Brubeck’s first recordings sold well, and he recorded new music for Fantasy Records. Soon, the company was shipping 40,000 to 50,000 copies of Brubeck’s records each quarter, which brought the company a strong profit.

Career

In 1951, Brubeck formed the Dave Brubeck Quartet, with Paul Desmond playing the alto saxophone. The group performed regularly at San Francisco's Black Hawk nightclub and gained popularity by touring college campuses. They recorded several live albums during this time.

The first of these albums, Jazz at Oberlin, was recorded in March 1953 at Finney Chapel on the campus of Oberlin College. Brubeck's performance helped make jazz music more respected at Oberlin, and the album is considered one of the earliest examples of cool jazz. Later that year, Brubeck returned to College of the Pacific to record Jazz at the College of the Pacific.

After the release of Jazz at the College of the Pacific, Brubeck signed with Fantasy Records, believing he would own part of the company. He worked for the label as an artist and repertoire promoter, helping the Weiss brothers sign other jazz musicians, including Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, and Red Norvo. When he learned the deal only gave him half ownership of his recordings, Brubeck left Fantasy Records and signed with Columbia Records instead.

In June 1954, Brubeck released Jazz Goes to College, featuring bassist Bob Bates and drummer Joe Dodge. The album included music from the quartet's performances at Oberlin College, the University of Michigan, and the University of Cincinnati. Seven songs were on the album, two of which were written by Brubeck and Desmond. The opening song, "Balcony Rock," was noted for its unusual timing and tonal patterns, which Brubeck later explored further.

Brubeck appeared on the cover of Time magazine in November 1954, becoming the second jazz musician to be featured, after Louis Armstrong in 1949. Brubeck felt this recognition was embarrassing, as he believed Duke Ellington deserved it more and thought he was chosen because he was white. When Ellington visited Brubeck's hotel room to show him the magazine cover, Brubeck said, "It should have been you."

Early bassists for the group included Ron Crotty, Bob Bates, and Norman Bates. Later, Lloyd Davis and Joe Dodge played drums. In 1956, Brubeck hired drummer Joe Morello, who had previously worked with pianist Marian McPartland. Morello's skills allowed the group to experiment with complex rhythms.

In 1958, African-American bassist Eugene Wright joined the group for a Department of State tour of Europe and Asia. The quartet visited Poland, Turkey, India, Ceylon, Pakistan, Iran, and Iraq. In Poland, they gave 13 concerts and met with local musicians and citizens. Wright became a permanent member in 1959, completing the "classic era" of the quartet. Brubeck supported Wright's inclusion and canceled concerts or television appearances when club owners or producers opposed having an integrated band. In 1960, he canceled a 25-city college tour in the American South because 22 schools refused to let Wright perform.

In 1959, the Dave Brubeck Quartet recorded Time Out. The album included songs written by the quartet's members and used unusual time signatures, which were rare in jazz. Columbia Records was excited about the album but hesitated to release it. The president of Columbia Records, Goddard Lieberson, agreed to release Time Out only if the quartet also recorded a more traditional album, Gone with the Wind, to cover the risk of Time Out failing commercially.

Time Out was released in December 1959 with cover art by S. Neil Fujita. Critics initially gave it negative reviews, but the album quickly became popular and sold over a million copies. It reached number two on the Billboard 200 and was the first jazz album to achieve gold status. The song "Take Five" became a jazz standard, even though it used a rare 5/4 time signature.

Following Time Out, the quartet released several albums with similar styles, including Time Further Out: Miro Reflections (1961), Countdown—Time in Outer Space (1962), Time Changes (1963), and Time In (1966). These albums used unusual time signatures and featured artwork by artists like Joan Miró, Franz Kline, and Sam Francis.

In the early 1960s, clarinetist Bill Smith replaced Desmond on some albums. These albums focused on Smith's compositions and had a different style than other Brubeck Quartet recordings. Critic Ken Dryden noted that Smith's solos were as skilled as Desmond's. Smith and Brubeck had known each other since the 1940s and continued to collaborate until Brubeck's later years.

In 1961, Brubeck and his wife, Iola, created a jazz musical called The Real Ambassadors, inspired by their experiences during Department of State tours. The soundtrack included performances by Louis Armstrong, Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, and Carmen McRae. The musical was performed at the 1962 Monterey Jazz Festival.

At its peak in the early 1960s, the Brubeck Quartet released up to four albums each year. In addition to the College and Time series, Brubeck recorded albums based on the group's travels and local music they encountered. These included Jazz Impressions of the U.S.A. (1956), Jazz Impressions of Eurasia (1958), Jazz Impressions of Japan (1964), and Jazz Impressions of New York (1964). These albums produced Brubeck's well-known songs, such as "Summer Song" and "Theme from Mr. Broadway."

In 1961, Brubeck appeared in the British film All Night Long, which starred Patrick McGoohan and Richard Attenborough. He played himself and performed "It's a Raggy Waltz" from the Time Further Out album. He also had a brief duet with bassist Charles Mingus in "Non-Sectarian Blues."

Brubeck also worked as the program director for WJZZ-FM (now WEZN-FM) while recording for the quartet. He and his friend John E. Metts, one of the first African Americans in senior radio management, created an all-jazz radio station.

The final studio album by the Desmond/Wright/Morello quartet for Columbia Records was Anything Goes (1966), featuring songs by Cole Porter. Later, the group released concert recordings,

Personal life

In 2000, Dave Brubeck and his wife, Iola, created the Brubeck Institute at the University of the Pacific, their alma mater. The institute started as a collection of personal papers and documents from the Brubecks but later grew to offer scholarships and educational programs in jazz for students. A street near the university is named Dave Brubeck Way in his honor.

In 2008, Brubeck supported the Jazz Foundation of America, which helps protect the homes and lives of elderly jazz and blues musicians, including those who survived Hurricane Katrina. He helped the foundation by performing at its annual concert called "A Great Night in Harlem."

Brubeck married Iola Whitlock, a jazz lyricist, in September 1942. The couple remained married for 70 years until Brubeck’s death in 2012. Iola passed away in 2014 at the age of 90 in Wilton, Connecticut, due to cancer.

Brubeck and Iola had six children, including a daughter named Catherine. Four of their sons became professional musicians. Their oldest son, Darius, is a pianist, producer, educator, and performer, named after Brubeck’s teacher, Darius Milhaud. Dan is a percussionist, Chris is a multi-instrumentalist and composer, and Matthew, the youngest, is a cellist with many composing and performance credits. Another son, Michael, died in 2009. Brubeck’s children often performed with him in concerts and recordings.

Brubeck joined the Catholic Church in 1980 after completing a musical piece called "Mass To Hope," which was commissioned by Ed Murray, editor of the Catholic publication Our Sunday Visitor. He explained that he did not convert from another religion but chose to join the Catholic Church.

In 1996, Brubeck received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2006, he was honored with the Laetare Medal by the University of Notre Dame, the oldest and most respected award given to American Catholics. He performed "Travellin’ Blues" for the university’s graduating class of 2006.

Death

Brubeck died from heart failure on December 5, 2012, in Norwalk, Connecticut, the day before his 92nd birthday. He was on his way to a cardiology appointment with his son Darius. A birthday party concert had been planned for him with family and famous guests. A memorial tribute was held in May 2013. Brubeck is buried at Umpawaug Cemetery in Redding, Connecticut.

Legacy and honors

The Los Angeles Times reported that he was one of the first pop stars in jazz, though he did not always enjoy his fame. He felt uneasy, for example, when Time magazine featured him on its cover before it did so for Duke Ellington. He said, "It just bothered me." The New York Times noted that he continued to perform well into his later years. He played in 2011 and in 2010 only a month after receiving a pacemaker. A music writer for The Times, Nate Chinen, said Brubeck had changed his playing style over time, replacing a strong, forceful approach with something more light and clear. His performance at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City was described as "the picture of judicious clarity."

In The Daily Telegraph, music journalist Ivan Hewett wrote that Brubeck did not lead a tragic life like some jazz musicians. He avoided drugs and alcohol. Instead, he had a deep curiosity and determination. He added that Brubeck's work included oratorios, musicals, concertos, and hundreds of jazz compositions. Hewett called Brubeck "a quiet man of jazz who was truly a marvel."

In The Guardian, John Fordham said Brubeck's greatest achievement was blending European musical ideas, complex rhythms, jazz forms, and improvisation in ways that were both expressive and easy to understand. Brubeck's son, Chris, told The Guardian that one of his father's pieces, "Chorale," reminded him of the work of Aaron Copland, a famous American composer. He said it had a kind of honesty similar to "Appalachian Spring." Robert Christgau called Brubeck the "jazz hero of the rock and roll generation."

The Economist wrote that people found it surprising that the most popular jazz in America was being played by a man who was a family man, a relaxed Californian, and someone who preferred a quiet life. He said he would have been happy as a rancher if not for his love of performing. He believed the rhythm of jazz matched the rhythm of his heart.

While performing "Hot House" in Toronto, Chick Corea and Gary Burton honored Brubeck on the day of his death. Corea played "Strange Meadow Lark," a song from Brubeck's album Time Out.

In the United States, May 4 is sometimes called "Dave Brubeck Day." This date is written as "5/4," which refers to the time signature of Brubeck's famous song "Take Five." In 2019, a book titled Dave Brubeck's Time Out by musicologist Stephen A. Crist was published. It was the first detailed scholarly study of the album. The book includes analyses of the album's songs and information about Brubeck's career during his rise to fame.

In 1975, an asteroid named 5079 Brubeck was discovered and named after him.

Brubeck recorded five of the seven tracks for his album Jazz Goes to College in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He returned to Michigan many times, including a performance at Hill Auditorium, where he received a Distinguished Artist Award from the University of Michigan's Musical Society in 2006. In 2008, he was given a Benjamin Franklin Award for Public Diplomacy by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Rice said she grew up listening to Brubeck because her father was a fan. The U.S. State Department stated that Brubeck's work as a musician, composer, and teacher showed the best of American culture. At the ceremony, Brubeck played a short piano recital and said, "I want to thank all of you because this honor is something that I never expected. Now I am going to play a cold piano with cold hands."

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver announced in 2008 that Brubeck would be inducted into the California Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place on December 10, 2008, and he was honored alongside 11 other notable Californians.

In 2008, Brubeck received an honorary doctor of music degree from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. In 2009, he was awarded an honorary doctor of music degree from Berklee College of Music at the Monterey Jazz Festival. In 2010, he received an honorary doctor of music degree from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. The ceremony was held on the National Mall.

In 2009, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts named Brubeck a Kennedy Center Honoree for his contributions to the performing arts. The Kennedy Center Honors Gala took place on December 6, 2009, which was Brubeck's 89th birthday. The event was broadcast nationwide on CBS. President Barack Obama spoke about a 1971 concert Brubeck gave in Honolulu and said, "You can't understand America without understanding jazz, and you can't understand jazz without understanding Dave Brubeck."

In 2010, Brubeck received the Miles Davis Award at the Montreal International Jazz Festival. That same year, a documentary titled Dave Brubeck: In His Own Sweet Way was produced by Bruce Ricker and Clint Eastwood for Turner Classic Movies to celebrate Brubeck's 90th birthday.

After his death, the Concord Boulevard Park in his hometown of Concord, California, was renamed "Dave Brubeck Memorial Park" in his honor. Mayor Dan Helix said, "He will be with us forever because his music will never die."

Awards and honors received by Brubeck include:
– Connecticut Arts Award (1987)
– National Medal of Arts, National Endowment for the Arts (1994)
– DownBeat Hall of Fame (1994)
– Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1996)
– Doctor of Sacred Theology, University of Fribourg, Switzerland (2004)
– Laetare Medal, University of Notre Dame (2006)
– BBC Jazz Lifetime Achievement Award (2007)
– Benjamin Franklin Award for Public Diplomacy (2008)
– Induction into the California Hall of Fame (2008)
– Honorary Doctor of Music Degree, Eastman School of Music (2008)
– Kennedy Center Honors (2009)
– Honorary Doctor of Music Degree, George Washington University (2010)
– Honorary Fellow, Westminster Choir College, Princeton, New Jersey (2011)