Time ouT wiTh In sync with his loving wife, Iola, Pacific’s own jazz legend keeps pushing musical boundaries 18 fall 2009 HIsTorIc phoTos coUrtesy of the Brubeck collEction, HolT-AtherTon Special collEctions, UnIvErsity of the PAcIfIc LibrAry. coPyrIght DAvE Brubeck. 1938 1941 1945 During his college days, Brubeck often Dave and Iola met at University of the Drafted into the Army following graduation, played with local jazz and dance bands in Pacific and began a lifetime partnership. Brubeck served in Europe and formed one the surrounding communities. of the armed forces first integrated bands, “The Wolf Pack.” By Michael G. Mooney There are significant moments in time see how important this voice of freedom dive for a meal; and those soft and warm, when the paths of individuals converge. has been to the world.” moisture-filled Gulf breezes blow lazily. Barack obama was 10 years old when Like a sponge, as Dave will tell you, jazz “Retreat?” snorted Brubeck. “with all his father took him to see Dave Brubeck ’42, has soaked up the best of human creativity. the work i have to get done?” who was performing with his sons in “Jazz has been a real force in the world,” As usual, the forward-thinking Brubeck concert with the honolulu Symphony he said. “i have such great hope that things was struggling to find enough time in the orchestra. it was billed as a “father and are going to get better and better as we day to complete his pending projects, so he son” concert. The year was 1971. obama exchange music and culture.” could move on to the next batch. has written that it was the last time he ever earlier this year, as Dave and iola were First, there was his choral work; the saw his father. preparing to break camp in Florida and sacred music. Some 38 years later, the paths of obama head back to their home in Connecticut, on top of that, he and iola needed to and Brubeck are about to cross again. i spent some time with them at the “Take finish packing so they could get over on Dec. 6 — Brubeck’s 89th birthday Five” bar and grill on Sanibel island. to Vero Beach and a couple of concerts — President obama will take time out As we were walking from their home, before heading to Connecticut. There, at the Kennedy Center to honor the jazz Dave Brubeck was talking about eubie they would catch their breath before legend and Pacific alumnus for his lifetime Blake, the great pianist and composer hopping on another plane, this one bound contribution to the arts. whose lifetime encompassed everything for California and the Brubeck Festival at Dave and his wife, iola ’45, have seen his from ragtime to be-bop and beyond. university of the Pacific. innovative musical expressions lead jazz in Brubeck still recalls what it felt like to shake Boxes and piles of sheet music were a new direction. They have also watched the hand of the great man. stacked everywhere. his unique musical sensibilities help shape “‘memories of You’ [written by Blake] There was that autobiography that Dave the soundtrack in the nation’s decades- was one of the first things i ever played,” and iola have been trying to finish, a book In sync with his loving wife, Iola, long struggle for peace, justice and equal Brubeck said. “it was a thrill to meet him 10 years in the making and counting. Pacific’s own jazz legend keeps opportunity. and some of the other guys, who went back Then there was the orchestral work, There’s more work to be done, of course. almost to the beginning of jazz.” “Ansel Adams: America,” a collaborative pushing musical boundaries “we need help,” Dave said. “we need The Sanibel inn resort, where Dave effort between Dave and son, Chris.i t was great teachers who will educate us. i just and iola stay during winter’s coldest days, debuted by the Stockton Symphony during hope that when people are being educated, seemingly is the ideal retreat — dolphins the Brubeck Festival in April. Six other they will be able to study jazz; so they can swim close to shore; flocks of pelicans symphony orchestras around the country pacific review 19 1946 1958 1957 out of the military, Brubeck returned to The “classic” Dave Brubeck The quartet played at colleges across college, studying with Darius Milhaud Quartet, made up of (l. to r.) Dave, the nation in the 50s and 60s. Touring (lower left) at Mills college in oakland. Paul Desmond, Eugene Wright and the south, Brubeck never succumbed to Joe Morello, would make jazz history pressure to replace his black bass player for the next 10 years. Eugene Wright, even when concerts were canceled. will perform the piece throughout the year, ‘what crazy man wrote all this stuff!’” course, but we were impressed. Dave played a celebration of America’s beauty captured Crazy man, indeed. only a few jobs with the big bands. he so exquisitely by the great photographer. Trumpeter Deck hogin still remembers preferred combos, where he could be more Also performed at the Brubeck Festival the night in 1942 when Dave sat in on himself and do what he wanted to do.” was “earth is our mother,” a choral and piano with the Tut Lombardo Big Band Brubeck, Newell and hogin played a orchestral work written by Dave and iola. at the California Ballroom in modesto. At variety of clubs in and around Stockton And don’t forget the “P” word — the time, the 87-year-old hogin was a fresh- and modesto, long-forgotten places like practicing. faced 20-year-old sitting down the line in Frenchie’s and Peewee’s. By 1940, Johnson Practicing? Tut’s trumpet section. had enrolled as music major at Pacific. Dave had been “wood-shedding” the “our regular piano player couldn’t make Brubeck had started his studies there a songs of the “Time out” album, which his the gig,” hogin recalled. “So Tut called couple of years earlier. quartet performed at the Brubeck Festival. up Dave and he came down and played. intending to work with his father on their Dave didn’t know at the time that a nasty The stuff he played was so far out, none of ranch, Brubeck originally enrolled at Pacific flu-like bug would keep him from attending us understood it. his chords weren’t just to study veterinary science. his zoology the festival to perform the ground-breaking a little bit different; they were a lot-a-bit professor finally told him, “Brubeck, your recording. Dave’s son Darius took his place different. he was playing stuff like Duke mind is not on cutting up frogs. Go across at the keyboard. This year’s festival marked ellington did. it was really remarkable.” the lawn to the Conservatory because that’s the first time that all the pieces from “Time Dave’s unusual approach practically where your mind is. it’s not in the lab.” he out” had been played live since it was stopped the band in its tracks that night. did, and it changed his life. recorded in 1959. of course, that wasn’t the first time such Brubeck was the one music student, “There are songs from that album we a thing had happened. Johnson said, that everybody wanted to sit always play,” Brubeck said at the time, “like Back in the late 1930s and early ’40s, next to them in class, especially music theory. ‘Take Five’ and ‘Blue Rondo a la Turk.’ before Newell Johnson became an educator, “if Dave didn’t show up for class,” But there are other songs — ‘Pick up he played trumpet with Dave. They met for Johnson said, “you were out of luck. And Sticks’ and ‘everybody’s Jumping’ —which the first time in 1938. that wasn’t only me; the whole class felt that we haven’t done in 50 years.” “i remember those far-out chords,” said way. his ideas were always fresh.” “Boy, there are some tough things in that Johnson. “we sat in awe of him. we didn’t Dave had a unique approach to “stacking” album,” he continued. “Sometimes, i wonder, understand everything he was doing, of chords, or would introduce two or three 20 fall 2009 1958 1959 1962 The Dave Brubeck Quartet The experimental album “Time out” Dave and Iola’s musical traveled to Poland, Afghanistan, Pakistan, included all original tunes that explored “The real Ambassadors” addressed ceylon, India, Iran, Iraq and Turkey on unusual time signatures. “Take five” civil rights and other issues and premiered the first tour organized by the state became the best-selling jazz single of all at the Monterey Jazz festival with Department to advance the interests and time. In 2005 the album was entered into louis Armstrong and carmen Mccrae. values of the U.s. through cultural the library of congress national diplomacy. The tour had a profound recording registry and was inducted into influence on Dave and his music. the grammy Hall of fame in 2009. melodies simultaneously in the same song or “i was a terrible student,” Brubeck approach and applauded him for it. play in two different keys at the same time. said. “i would get an ‘A’ in ideas and an “Duke ellington was telling people By the time hogin graduated from ‘F’ in spelling.” to listen to me,” Brubeck said. “willis Pacific afterw orld war II ended, Brubeck Brubeck didn’t let his poor spelling skills, James, an African-American musicologist was already was making a name for himself however, stop his musical experimentation, defended me (saying) ‘Dave Brubeck is on in jazz.