Artist: Dave Brubeck Quartet Album: Anything Goes

Year: 1965
Duration: 0:0-1

Anything Goes: A Critical Review of Dave Brubeck Quartet's Album

When it comes to legend jazz artists, Dave Brubeck is a name that is always included. He is known for pushing the boundaries of jazz music, and that is evident in his album Anything Goes. With this album, Brubeck and his quartet continue to experiment and innovate the genre, delivering an exceptional listening experience. In this blog post, we will take a closer look at Anything Goes, discussing the history of Brubeck and his music genre, the best songs of the album, the most innovative parts, and offering a critic of the album.

Dave Brubeck was a jazz pianist and composer who was popular in the 1950s and 1960s. He is best known for his experimentation with time signatures, especially the use of different time signatures within a single piece. Brubeck's musical style and compositions were very influential in the jazz scene, and his work has been recognized with various honors and awards, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996.

Anything Goes is an album that showcases Brubeck's experimentation and innovation in jazz music. The album was released in 1966 and features Brubeck on piano, Paul Desmond on alto saxophone, Eugene Wright on bass, and Joe Morello on drums.

One of the best songs on the album is Bossa Nova U.S.A. With its catchy melody and Brazilian-inspired rhythms, the song became an instant hit and was popularized in many TV shows and movies. The song's structure is distinctively unique with shifting tempos, and Brubeck and Desmond's solo improvisation during the song is exceptional.

Another great track on the album is Nomad. The song features Brubeck's signature piano riff on the chorus, and Desmond's melodic sax solo is captivating. The rhythm section of Wright and Morello provides the song's backbone, with Morello's drumming stands out in this track.

The most innovative part of the album, without any doubt, is the track Blue Rondo a la Turk. This song is built on a distinctive 9/8 time signature and features a memorable piano riff. The song was inspired by Brubeck's trip to Turkey, where he heard street musicians playing Turkish folk music. Brubeck then incorporated these elements into the composition, creating an entirely unique sound that has become one of his most recognizable pieces of music.

Despite all the exceptional tracks on the album, Anything Goes can be overindulgent at times, and some songs feel unnecessary in the grand scheme of the album. This could have been avoided if the tracks on the album were trimmed down to ensure the best songs were highlighted.

Anything Goes is an album that showcases why Dave Brubeck is regarded as one of the most innovative jazz artists of all time. His signature piano playing coupled with Paul Desmond's melodic saxophone stylings, the solid rhythm section, and the experimentation with different time signatures made for a stand-out album. While there are some missteps, the overall experience is still a must-listen for any jazz aficionado.