Remembering the Great 5/4 of Jazz
by Odin odin@aflx.com — Read all 3,869 poems by Odin odin@aflx.com
Like Pavarotti, Bernstein, even ‘ol Blue Eyes and Ella, there are some musical icons worth remembering. But this is one…yes, this is one who’ll forever stay on that list, continuing to catch my ear whenever he plays. (Image by content.time.com)
Sunday, October 8, 2017
Remembering the Great 5/4 of Jazz
He’s gone.
Or is he?
Dave Brubeck,
The hands that bequeathed a human,
The soul that knew music
More than himself.
Hands that could carve emotions,
Most were slow to feel,
But the wise sensed epiphany then,
Now.
Just as Bach knew innovation,
As Mozart new audience desire,
The Dave knew the beat,
The sound,
The creation,
The inordinate rhythms,
‘til the ‘50s gave his sound its birth,
So came this man
From a cattle ranch childhood
With an urban mission to revolutionize
Sound that was foreign,
Until the Brubeck/Desmond hook-up
Left audiences wide-eyed,
Open eared.
Whoa!
So many were slow to hear.
So few knew.
So countless were the 5/4 discoveries.
So goes history.
We'll continue to miss not only Dave,
But the gentle smack in the face
That said, “Hey, there IS more to music than…
Rest in peace, my friend.
doG...You continue to be missed.
I have found progressive jazz, like hip-hop, more like listening to street traffic rather than coherent music. One Chicago group that played in our college in Northwestern Wisconsin, had a flat tire on the way so arrived about two hours late. They played about three numbers, and getting no response from the audience, pulled up stakes and left the stage. Never saw performers do that before.
So, while I did hear his music, I didn't know or love Dave Brubeck. I know the others you mentioned much better. Different strokes for different folks.
Ron
Love ya!
Jane