Remembering Dave Brubeck

by ChickCorea on December 5, 2012

Chick with Dave Brubeck, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White, 2009
Chick with Dave Brubeck

I would like to send warm thoughts and personal condolences from my wife and myself to Iola Brubeck and all the Brubeck family. It’s a great loss to suddenly not have Dave with us in physical form. Of course the legacy of innovation and amazing creativity that he has left for us is the spiritual treasure that will only grow in value as time advances.

I have the highest admiration for Dave, who has been an inspiration to me and my music for a lifetime. He might never know how much his encouragement of me and my music has meant to me – but this is the truth. Gayle and I treasure the friendship that we had with him and have with his amazing wife Iola.

Gary Burton and I recorded his gorgeous ballad “Strange Meadowlark” on our Hot House recording and sent a copy to him which I believe he listened to and enjoyed. I’m happy for that last opportunity to pay tribute to a mentor, a master artist and a dear friend.

Has anyone ever noticed that Dave was among the first “fusion music” composers? Well I think he was, with his 1959 masterpiece Time Out. And he never stopped creating, touring, recording and performing for his whole long and wonderfully creative life.

Dave, we send you our love and admiration.

Chick & Gayle Corea

PG
Chick's acclaim as one of the most revelatory composers and pianists of the last 50 years rests on the awesome diversity of his work. There's hardly a branch of modern music that Chick hasn't shaped in some way, from acoustic and electric jazz to avant-garde and full-orchestra classical. His musical voice is completely distinct, and yet always purely adventurous.

Chick has blogged 27 posts here.

Tagged as: Dave Brubeck

Facebook comments:

  • http://twitter.com/scoharr Scott Harrell

    Nice tribute, Chick. Who doesn’t love Time Out – or Carnegie Hall – or Jazz Impressions of Japan! My first forays into keyboard-based polyrhythms and modal harmonics. Thanks for the reminder of the importance of an icon who was like a kindly, generous professor, but with swing, through and through.nTorch to you – (and Herbie).nThanks,nScott Harrell

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/POGMD4LOHSAV7B7EDHFXUB5JT4 Christopher

    A truly amazing life an american treasure for all time.u00a0 Dave Brubeck touched the lives of so many people musically.u00a0 His contribution was and is enormous beyond measure.u00a0 We love you and will never forgot you.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/U4VJEMGKZD4BNGGTLW45N4AJ3U Gerrie

    I love your word about Dave Brubeck. I listened to the “Time-Out”-album and you are right, this is some sort of fushion. He was a great composer and we will miss him.

  • CarlosEduardoCortes

    VERY touching words.nnOne of the reasons why Dave Brubeck was such au00a0magnificent and resourceful composer is that he was a pupil of Darius Milhaud at the Mills College, in 1946. Darius Milhaud had workedu00a0asu00a0French Cultural Attache in the French Embassy in Rio de Janeiro during the 20′s and was somewhat influenced byu00a0Brazilian music and rhythms. Milhaud’s composition “Saudades do Brasil” is a good example.nnIt means that Dave Brubeck was indirectly exposed to Brazilian music earlier than anyone else in the USA.

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