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February 2021 Newsletter

This month we take a look and a listen to Valentine's Day. Why not? There is certainly a need for more love in the world. In addition to a special playlist of love songs we chose for you, there is an amazing cartoon in the New Yorker about Paul Desmond and his unrequited love for Audrey Hepburn. During his life, Paul had a big-time "crush" on Audrey and yet they never met in person. The pictures are worth a thousand words so I won't spoil the story for you but here are some additional musical insights. The melodic theme on the first chorus of "Audrey" was a spontaneous improvisation by my father, even though it sounds pre-composed. Demonstrating again one of Dave's favorite quotes from Igor Stravinsky: "composition is selective improvisation". Years later, Dave added moving lyrics to this same tune and wrote “Lord, Lord”, which was used as the soulful centerpiece of his serious classical oratorio: The Gates of Justice.

Our entire family was deeply saddened by the loss of our longtime friend and colleague Chick Corea. He was so energetic and prolific that it was hard to believe that he was on the cusp of transitioning into his 80's. We all looked forward to many more years of his amazing creativity and we will all miss Chick — one of the most talented pianists/composers of all time.

As we mourn the recent passing of Chick Corea, we can look back nostalgically at the collaboration of Louis Armstrong and Dave and Iola Brubeck. A video produced by the Louis Armstrong House Museum celebrates the music of "The Real Ambassadors" and is only available through the end of February in honor of Black History Month. Enjoy the video (below): It is a wonderful little "film" and was shot at Louie's house in Queens, my family's house in Connecticut, and at The Django in NYC. I KNOW my parents and Louis Armstrong would have loved this. It would have warmed their hearts to know that their message of racial equality and social justice has spanned several generations of young musicians. I've been blessed to be involved with this and it is a pleasure to pass this music and the stories that go with them along to you all.

Enjoy!
-- Chris

The Real Ambassadors

Celebrating the 60th anniversary of The Real Ambassadors album recording, the Louis Armstrong House Museum and the Forum for Cultural Engagement co-produced a video concert performance with interview segments through the U.S. Embassy of Moscow. The video, co-sponsored by Brubeck Living Legacy, features performances shot in the homes of both Armstrong and Brubeck.

Top: Camille Thurman, Saxophone/Voice; Bottom: Alphonso Horne, Trumpet/Voice

Carmen McRae, Dave Brubeck and Louis Armstrong during a recording session for 'The Real Ambassadors,' Sept. 13, 1961. Photo by Jack Bradley, courtesy of the Louis Armstrong House Museum

"The Real Ambassadors" was written by Dave and Iola Brubeck about Louis Armstrong as America’s first Cultural Ambassador for the United States. This jazz musical addressed racism in America, the music business, and the power of music to bring us all together.

The full video is available to stream on Facebook throughout the month of February.

Watch the full video on Facebook

Valentine's Day Playlist

Cozy up with your loved ones this month with love songs, ballads, and more from Dave and friends. 🎶 💕

Listen on Spotify

Audrey Hepburn's Favorite Song
By Paul Rogers for The New Yorker

Paul Desmond, the original saxophonist of the Dave Brubeck Quartet, wrote a piece for Hepburn. He never knew she’d heard it.

Read the full story in The New Yorker

A Tribute to Chick Corea

The Brubeck family is saddened by the loss of American jazz composer, keyboardist, and visionary Chick Corea.

Chris Brubeck wrote in a memorial tribute:

"The world lost a true musical giant this week when Chick Corea left us. He was an extraordinary pianist who created his own, immediately recognizable style of playing that gracefully intertwined with his compositional genius."

📸 Four legendary jazz pianists — Chick Corea, Dave Brubeck, Dr. Billy Taylor, and Herbie Hancock at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY, late 1970s.

Brubeck Love Songs

Released by Columbia Legacy Records in 2000, Dave Brubeck's Love Songs album is a collection of some of his most intimate recordings.

“The strongest thing in anything in the world is love, and so when you get into the love environment onstage, that's where the real beauty is." – Dave Brubeck

Choose How You Listen

Dave Brubeck 100

Explore the Centennial
website for upcoming events,
music, and all things Brubeck.

Click here to visit!

Dave Brubeck: Unisphere From the 1964 album "Time Changes"

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