Telarc
2005
London Flat, London Sharp
About This Album
Dave Brubeck mixes old and new compositions in these outstanding studio sessions recorded in early 2004. The pianist not only composes a formidable output of inventive new works on a regular basis, but he maintains a distinctive sound at the piano, one that grows even more adventurous over time. "London Flat, London Sharp" is a typical new composition from his later years. When alto saxophonist Bobby Militello first heard it, he wasn't sure he could play it, as Brubeck's left hand moves chromatically down the scale in flats as his right simultaneously moves up in sharps at a brisk tempo. But Militello, like any musician who has worked regularly with the pianist, responded to the challenge and turns in a blistering performance, with the support of Michael Moore (one of the very best all-around bassists), longtime Brubeck drummer Randy Jones (whose tenure as Brubeck's drummer exceeded 24 years at the time of these sessions), and the composer; it has since become a part of the quartet's concert repertoire. "To Sit and Dream" is an excerpt from a commissioned work ("Hold Fast to Dreams") in which Brubeck set the poems of Langston Hughes to music. Beginning as a lush, deliberate solo, it quickly turns into a wailing number.
Track List (try tracks 1 and 5)

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