Died On This Date (December 5, 2012) Dave Brubeck / Renowned Jazz Pianist
themusicsover Dave Brubeck
December 6, 1920 – December 5, 2012
Dave Brubeck was a highly influential jazz pianist who, over the course of a career that spanned some 70 years, achieved pop star status thanks in part to his Top 25 hit single, “Take Five.” The album from which that song came, 1959’s Time Out, was the first jazz album to sell over 1 million copies and is still the best-selling jazz album in history. Born into a musical family in Concord, California, Brubeck was just four when he began taking piano lessons, and by his teens, he was already playing in a local dance band. When it came time to head off to college, Brubeck fully intended on a career in veterinary medicine, but when one of his professors caught one of his sets at a local club, he advised Brubeck to change his focus to music. He did just that, and after graduating with a degree in music, he served in WWII where he played in Red Cross shows for the soldiers. After the war, Brubeck formed the Dave Brubeck Quartet and went on to have a storied career with roughly 125 albums to his name. He continued performing well into the 2000s, and along the way was recognized with a National Medal of Arts, the Kennedy Center Honor, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, a Smithsonian Medal, numerous honorary degrees, and even a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Dave Brubeck was one day shy of 92 when he passed away on December 5, 2012.
What You Should Own
Joe Morello was a world renowned jazz drummer who is perhaps best remembered for his 12-year run with the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, Morello had a birth defect that partially impaired his vision, so he tended to spend much of his free time participating in indoor activities . He took up the violin first and soon found himself as a featured soloist in the Boston Symphony Orchestra. At the age of 15, he switched over to the drums and eventually moved to New York City to further his career. It was there he began playing with the likes of 