36 Comments
User's avatar
Angus Bishop's avatar

I always loved his solo on this live version of 40 Days: https://youtu.be/4AV1TPO3zuI?si=RSCtAZIVmT-UD-Uc

Todd Mason's avatar

("Progressive jazz dept."---though most people would suggest the most successful DBQ, with Paul Desmond, Joe Morello and Gene Wright, are more properly considered primarily a Third Stream jazz band.)

Rich Trott's avatar

He takes a solo, of sorts, starting at 3:00 or so in on the Carnegie Hall version of "Take Five". It is the kind of solo that is fodder for his detractors, perhaps. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVLIcbUL64M

Rich Trott's avatar

Oh, from the same record, he solos in 5 in "Castillian Drums" (which I guess is "Castilian Blues" on other records, so a lot of people have already mentioned it, but honest, it's listed as "Castilian Drums" on the Carnegie Hall record).

Todd Mason's avatar

It’s brief, but “World’s Fair” on the TIME CHANGES album is a 7/4 composition with a bit of soloing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxrjlyuMYYU

Todd Mason's avatar

"Castillian Drums" and "Castillian Blues" also appear as tracks on the studio album COUNTDOWN: TIME IN OUTER SPACE, with "Drums" as a looser Joe Morello-showcase variation on "Blues" as well.

Chris Norris's avatar

Does the noodly head in "Unsquare Dance" count as improvisation?

Todd Mason's avatar

Brubeck took his Christianity seriously, and one can tell that "40 Days" was close to his heart. (First studio version on the last Morello/Wright studio album in the "Time" sequence, TIME IN.)

Todd Mason's avatar

https://archive.org/details/time-changes/04-+World's+Fair.mp3 should be avoided, sadly, since only one channel of the stereo recording was posted.(Some 7/4 improv, briefly.)

ETHAN IVERSON's avatar

deep Brubeck listeners here! Thanks very much

David Springfield's avatar

Brubeck does take a solo on Take Five on the Live at Carnegie Hall album. Starts at 3:00: https://youtu.be/sy77iur-4_s?si=MZ1DUTYHw73hYiZt

Sam Schaefer's avatar

Lovely live performance of Take 5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tT9Eh8wNMkw

Stephen Maki's avatar

Castilian Blues

Unsquare Dance

Adam rea's avatar

If I’m not mistaken, Brubek always adds two extra bars (of ebmin) at the end of IN YOUR OWN SWEET WAY. Obviously making the 34 bar tune to be felt as 2 giant bars of 17 whole note beats, which are further subdivided as bars of 5+5+7

ETHAN IVERSON's avatar

oh of course! (makes note) thanks for insight!

DJpeterDE's avatar

Brubeck does improvise on Take Five on "25th Anniversary Reunion" I believe

DJpeterDE's avatar

Far More Blue (don't recall if DB solos)

He Done Her Wrong (Frankie and Johnny in 5 -- again not sure DB solos)

Countdown (arguably in 5, conceivably in 10)

Castilian Blues

I actually can't think of any 7s!

ETHAN IVERSON's avatar

OMG "Countdown" does actually have a couple of non-boogie "blowing choruses" I TOTALLY forgot that. Not too good though. Still counts

Todd Mason's avatar

It is a "looser" track than one might expect on a DBQ studio album at that point, but I'm still fond of it.

David Sanford's avatar

That's not improvisation at the start of "Unsquare Dance", is it?

ETHAN IVERSON's avatar

no. Or barely. I rule this a no. Obviously, Morello does take a solo though

ETHAN IVERSON's avatar

and Hi! David

james's avatar

blue turk a la rondo is in 9/8 i think.. the only soloing was in the 4/4 section of the song..

ETHAN IVERSON's avatar

exactly. Brubeck improvises in 4/4 on "Blue Rondo"

ETHAN IVERSON's avatar

Brubeck does not improvise on "Take Five," at least on the famous studio version heard on TIME OUT

Songletter's avatar

He does improvise on many live versions of Take Five

ETHAN IVERSON's avatar

REALLY? I have to research this

Todd Mason's avatar

Frequently recorded. How not, with a piece that would be Required at concerts for the rest of his life. (First time I saw his then-current quartet, in a 1980s Honolulu concert, the current touring quartet had just finished their version of "Take Five", and a man in the row in front of my father and myself, no kidding, turned to his companion and said, "I wonder when they'll play 'Take Five'"...).

User's avatar
Comment deleted
7h
Comment deleted
ETHAN IVERSON's avatar

Surely "It's a Raggy Waltz" is in…3?? I learned it as a kid.