Praise from Jazzwise
Kevin Le Gendre praises a “barnstorming set” in his review for Jazzwise of the December performance at Union Chapel, London. Read the full article
Le Gendre writes:
With knowingly humorous intent Darius Brubeck asks a packed audience to make a request. Leading a British quartet the American pianist has just played several beloved pieces from Time Out, the landmark 1959 by his late father Dave Brubeck but the song has been teasingly omitted. As several members of the audience shout ‘Take Five’ the anthem status of the track is put into sharp focus for the simple reason that it has irresistibly endured over the decades, and Darius, a genial presence on stage who bears a striking resemblance to his father, knows full well he has a duty to give the people what they want. The thinking is justified because the rendition is excellent – double bassist Matt Ridley and drummer Wesley Gibbens have the familiar 5/4 beat well nailed while saxophonist Dave O’Higgins handles the sauntering melody well, the contrast of his tenor to Paul Desmond’s alto as enjoyable as it is perceptible.
Although the lighter sound of the smaller reed created magic in so much of Brubeck’s music the pianist also gelled effectively with Jerry Bergonzi’s tenor and Gerry Mulligan’s baritone, making the point that a heavier, bulkier frontline instrument could also be ‘cool.’ In any case the song is relevant to the release of Time Outtakes, a newly released cd of previously unheard versions of tracks from said album that provide a fascinating insight into Brubeck’s process. ‘Blue Rondo A La Turk’ and ‘Three To Get Ready’ are crowd pleasers from the repertoire, and hearing them on stage as opposed to on record, with a slightly looser feel underlines the inherent appeal of the music. As important as the metric ingenuity is, be it a sprightly 9/8 for the former or the odd-even back and forth of 3/4 and 4/4 for the latter, the compositions have melodies that are as joyous as they are sensitive. All the tricks with time are not a replacement to good tunes, but rather an enhancement of them.
Although Darius, as the second set makes clear, is fully committed to his father’s legacy, he is also a composer in his own right and his material took the spotlight in the first half of the concert. He has proved to be a consistent writer and bandleader in a career that stretches back to the 1970s and his originals such as the rousing, ecologically-minded ‘Earth Rise’ and the irreverent ‘Brexit Blues’ display an assured command of the core principles of jazz, as the tunes swing assuredly on tasteful chords that elicit focused improvisations from the leader, and Ridley who plays a lengthy, expansive introduction on the latter. The sense of playfulness is pushed further on the classical-R&B hybrid ‘Prelude And Funque’, which is toughened up by rollicking backbeats. But a highlight of the evening is the gorgeous, wistful cover of ‘Nomali’, a gem by Hugh Masekela, lion of South Africa. Brubeck did substantial jazz education work in the country, and his band Jazzanians released music on Ubuntu, the label founded by the late Martin Hummel, to whom the piece is dedicated. The year began with his funeral and now ends with an informal memorial.