Artist: Dave Brubeck Album: Dave Brubeck / Paul Desmond

Year: 1990
Duration: 0:0-1

A Critical Review of Dave Brubeck/Paul Desmond Album

Jazz music has always been an acquired taste, but Dave Brubeck has always been one of the primary masters of converting the masses. Indeed, there are many other jazz musicians out there, but when it comes to legendary reception and memorable hits, it’s hard to pick one that tops Dave Brubeck. Amongst his many collaborations, one of the finest albums worth reviewing is the Dave Brubeck / Paul Desmond album. This album, composed and performed by Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond, deserves a critical review to explore its music genre, highlight the best songs and its most innovative parts and critique the album.

A Brief History of Dave Brubeck

Born in December 1920 in Concord, California, Dave Brubeck was a renowned jazz pianist and composer. He was known to fuse classical music and jazz with various time signatures in his compositions that he performed with his quartets. Brubeck was also familiar to mix several Afro-Eurasian rhythms in his music pieces during the time the world was experiencing a cultural exchange. As a result of his excellence in music, Brubeck received several awards, including a Kennedy Center Honors Award in 2009.

Music Genre of the Album

Dave Brubeck / Paul Desmond album is classified as cool jazz. Cool jazz is a relatively unknown genre of jazz music that emerged in the 1950s. It comprises complex composition and arrangement, an understated rhythm section, and a more linear development of the themes for instruments. This genre of jazz is more subtle and restrained and was uniquely different from the bebop jazz genre of that period.

The Best Songs of the Album

The album features ingenious songs that have critical acclaim and legendary status. The most popular songs on the album include Take Five, Blue Rondo, and Everybody's Jumpin'. Take Five is a legendary song on the album, with sharp piano chords, syncopated drums, and a smooth saxophone melody. This song propelled the album towards legendary status and breathed new life into the cool jazz genre.

The most innovative parts of the album

The album is notable for the delicacy of the instrumental combinations of both artists. Dave Brubeck, with his ever-so-astonishing piano prowess, delicately creates harmonies that complement Paul Desmond's smooth saxophone playing. Additionally, the unique use of time signatures in the songs of this album makes it renowned with the 5/4 time signature on Take Five. This unique signature gave the song a different and unconventional rhythm that added a certain freshness to the jazz music of that period.

The album is notable for the delicacy of the instrumental combinations of both artists. Dave Brubeck, with his ever-so-astonishing piano prowess, delicately creates harmonies that complement Paul Desmond's smooth saxophone playing. Additionally, the unique use of time signatures in the songs of this album makes it renowned with the 5/4 time signature on Take Five. This unique signature gave the song a different and unconventional rhythm that added a certain freshness to the jazz music of that period.

Critique of the Album

The Dave Brubeck/Paul Desmond album is an excellent album. However, in the jazz genre, it can come off as too mellow and laid back compared to other substantial jazz compositions during that period. Additionally, there is little spaciousness in the sound of the album. The production can sound thin and dated with a limited range. Although there were no vocal artists on the album, it would have been interesting to hear how the album would sound with additional vocal singing.

Conclusion

The Dave Brubeck / Paul Desmond album is a remarkable album that established Dave Brubeck as an all-time classic jazz musician. Though not a record-breaking jazz piece, the album has an understated calm that can be a good background music at any time. It's fascinating how a small time signature change in Take Five could transform a typical jazz song into a legendary jazz song that is still celebrated today. Overall, the album is a must-listen for every Jazz enthusiast and an excellent example of the cool jazz genre.