Talk:Dave Brubeck

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Contents 1 Laetare Award 2 Mills College? Impossible! 3 Head Injury? 4 Wolf Pack 5 Technofile? 6 Wrong time signature

[edit] Laetare Award

Brubeck was just named as the 2006 recipient of the University of Notre Dame's Laetare Award. The award is very prestigious among American Catholics. I can't quite decide how to enter it into the article. Anyone want to take that up? More info is in the Indianapolis Star. John of New Yawk 10:19, 28 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Mills College? Impossible!

This entry claims that Brubeck studied at Mills College. While this claim seems sensible in one respect - Mills College in Oakland is near to Concord, where the entry says he was born - it is absurd in a more important one: Mills is an all-women's school!

There was a brief controversy in the 90s when it was proposed that men be allowed, and this proposal was then rejected.

If it is somehow true that Brubeck studied there while not enrolled (or something), it should be noted.

Mills undergraduate is woman only, the graduate program is currently, at least, co-ed. Hyacinth 22:15, 28 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Hello, In reguards to the Mills college comments. This segment is taken right out of the book - It's About Time, The Dave Brubeck Story written by Fred M. Hall in 1996. Published by The University of Arkansas Press - Fayetteville - Chapter Four - Time for New Beginning. Page 32 paragraph 1. "In 1946, Mills College in Oakland, California, was an all-female school, modeled on Vassar and Radcliffe in the East. It had an advanced faculty and a pronounced affinity for exploring he arts and, in particular, music's new meanings for a postwar world. At war's end, with the flood of returning servicemen, the college opened its doors to a few male music students. Among them, in the fall of 1946 and spring of 1947 were Dave Brubeck, Bill Smith, Jack Weeks, Dave Van Kriedt, and Dick Collins. . .". I hope this rectifies any question if he attended the Mills College. Thanks for the site. - Joe Kennedy

[edit] Head Injury?

I remember hearing that Dave Brubeck when he was young dove into a pool and hit his head, and had some coordination problems after than with his fingers, resulting in his distinctive playing style. Does anyone know anything about this? I thought I heard it on the Ken Burns Jazz series. --Theloniouszen 02:10, 7 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Sometime around 1950, he had a serious swimming accident (dived into a sand bar). Dave claims he still feels pain in his back, neck & fingers.
However... imo it had little to do with his distinctive playing style. I'm sure it affected his playing, but Dave already had a distinctive style driven by thought more than technique. It also couldn't have hampered him too much, since he went on to make a great many recordings with no sign of a lack of fluidity. ¦ Reisio 01:28, 2005 Jun 20 (UTC)

I remember in the Ken Burns Jazz series, it mention that after Brubeck's injury, he didn't have the same mobility in his fingers anymore, which is why he played so many block chords. However, I've done some googling and couldn't find any online corroboration. --Arcadian 15:05, 18 July 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Wolf Pack

Burns' series also mentions his Army band, the Wolf Pack; the article doesn't. Include it? Trekphiler 08:29, 30 December 2005 (UTC)

Yes please. -User:Lommer | ^talk 06:09, 31 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Technofile?

Maybe it's my browser, but I'm getting a weird overlap between the music lines & the text. Can somebody fix? Trekphiler 08:30, 30 December 2005 (UTC)

what is your browser? I can't replicate... -User:Lommer | ^talk 06:11, 31 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Wrong time signature

The article says that Blue Rondo is in 9/8. The bulk of the piece is in 7/8, which, beyond being a brilliant piece of writing, is its biggest claim to fame. --Rod

It is a brilliant piece of writing, but the "head" of the piece is actually in 9/8. What gives it such a unique sound is that the bars are usually subdivided into three groups of 2, with a final grouping of 3 beats (2+2+2+3=9), with the exception coming near the end of the "head", when Brubeck launches into the ascending/descending chord figures that introduces the solo section. The liner notes for "Time Out" corroborates this. On the other hand, though, Brubeck's "Unsquare Dance" is in 7/8. Perhaps you were confusing the two?

It's definitely in 9/8, try counting it again ;) 70.29.29.158 17:00, 17 June 2006 (UTC)