Dave Brubeck (1920-2012)

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Dave Brubeck, famed jazz pianist and composer, died today at the age of 91.

I must admit, I'm no great fan of jazz, though I respect and admire it, and Brubeck's progressive jazz, while entertaining, has never really been my thing (though I do have Time Out on CD and like it a lot).

But still. There's no denying his talent, nor his stature in American music.

And you knew this was coming, right? Here's his most famous piece of music, "Take Five," the long version with extended piano and drum solos, performed in Belgium in 1964.

The Dave Brubeck Quartet here is Brubeck on piano, Eugene Wright on bass, Joe Morello on drums, and Paul Desmond, Brubeck's long-time collaborator and the writer of "Take Five," on alto sax.

I can't speak to the technicalities the way Richard can, he being a talented saxophonist and all, but to me it's a damn fine piece of music.