EDIT: I neglected to mention that the album mentioned below comes not with one, but two (!) liner essays, both written by Brubeck. The first has apparently passed into use in art and theatre schools as an introduction to improvisation, and the second is Brubeck gloating over this fact in a very smug tone.

Dave Brubeck - Brubeck Plays Brubeck

This solo piano album by Dave Brubeck is certainly interesting - not a perfect album by any means, but there's enough insight into the genius that is Brubeck to make it worthwhile.

Brubeck has often been needled by critics for trying - and failing - to be classical about jazz. I feel that these critics kind of miss the point - firstly, in Brubeck's own words in the liner notes of this album, there's nothing wrong with that: jazz was originally a hybrid music anyway. Secondly, I think they miss the partly tongue-in-cheek humour that characterises Brubeck's playing : he has no grandiose ideas about unifying the dual traditions of classical music and jazz; rather his oddly classical quotes and phrases have a sort of manic quality, a kind of fuck you to both his classically-trained past and the army of bud powell imitators surrounding him. Brubeck knew that jazz wasn't in the idiom but in the improvisation, and legitimately conjectured that he could play whatever the hell he wanted as long as he could swing. And he could swing the legs off a table.

That said, the album does have its weak moments. Brubeck's compositions are, I feel, rather overshadowed by his improvisational prowess. Some of the numbers feel a bit weak melody-wise. 'Walkin' Line' especially seems unsatisfying in the melody department, and other tracks do have their awkward bits where you can feel Brubeck's characteristic humour cracking a little. Despite this, however, the tunes 'In Your Own Sweet Way' and 'The Duke' have become jazz standards, the former covered by Miles Davis only a few months before.

These are just first impressions however. How the album ages, i guess we'll only know later.

adam