In this ETV Classic gem from the tape vault, Marian McPartland welcomes her audience and introduces Dave Brubeck to enthusiastic applause! Brubeck talks briefly about the new things happening in his life, then the duo on their facing pianos launches into Brubeck’s “In Your Own Sweet Way.”
The cameras pan in and out on Brubeck’s and McPartland’s hands and the duo reminisces about times and tunes played at the Hickory House in the 1950’s. Their conversation is dotted with a veritable who is who of individuals such as Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Louie Armstrong, Leonard Bernstein among others as well as notable places where they performed. Among other tunes played during the concert were ed “All My Love”, “The Duke”, “Summer Song”, and “Dziękuję” which he wrote as a thank you to the people of Poland during a tour behind the Iron Curtain in 1958.
Dave Brubeck requests that Marian play a solo on her composition “Twilight World”. Afterwards, Dave Brubeck plays a tune for Marian McPartland, and she does an off tempo riff on it. Then they both jump back into the tune and the audience ends with bravos. Marian presents her tune “An Improvised Portrait of Brubeck” which he encourages her to write down. He notes that he has been working on symphonies, and he played his Mass to Hope in in Vienna, Munich, and Berlin. He presented it at Candlestick Park in San Francisco in front of 72,000 people when Pope John Paul II was there. Brubeck talks about the octet of arrangements that had been lost in a flood in Australia, and notes that it is in the process of being reconstructed.
Brubeck and McPartland continue their banter, and he regales the audience with stories about playing with Leonard Bernstein and learning the ropes for playing at Carnegie Hall. At one point, Brubeck describes juggling playing at the Philharmonic and playing at Birdland and changing into tuxedos in cab during intermission and rush to Carnegie Hall and then back to the nightclub.
McPartland and Brubeck conclude their performance with “ Gone With The Wind.”
We will present a full collection featuring Marian McPartland - including the premiere of Marian McPartland's "A Portrait for Rachel Carson" performed with the USC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Donald Portnoy - on Monday, April 28 on ETV Classics! Be sure to join us then!
Side Notes:
- Dave Brubeck died December 5, 2012 (age 91 years) and Marian McPartland died August 20, 2013 (age 95 years).
- Dave Brubeck Quartet: Debut In The Netherlands 1958: The Lost Recordings.
- It Began With Brubeck.
- Dave Brubeck Remembers Joe Morello.
