As Dave Brubeck walked off stage last Sunday night he placed his hand on the shoulder of saxophonist Bobby Militello and disappeared behind the curtain. A moment earlier he bid farewell to the Knoxville audience with two words — “We’re beat.”
It was fitting, too, that there was no encore. No need for one. For over two hours, The Dave Brubeck Quartet streamed rich melodies and complex rhythms from the stage of The Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville and they were at the top of their game.
Last year, I made an indulgent decision to purchase season tickets to the jazz series at The Tennessee Theatre. Built in 1929, this historic theatre on Gay Street has been closed for renovations for more than a year.
Prior to the closing, I had experienced incredible performances by Herbie Hancock, Wynton Marsalis and others in this auditorium. So when a glossy brochure announcing the opening arrived in the mail offering a chance to see a lineup of jazz legends, my credit card never knew what hit it, especially when the opening show featured The Dave Brubeck Quartet
Dave Brubeck is a living legend and continues to inspire jazz fans and students of all ages. What’s even more impressive is the fact that he continues to so at age 85.
A composer and musician, he was influenced from travels in Iran, Pakistan and other Eastern countries. His composition of these diverse scales and unusual tempos merged on a landmark 1959 recording called “Take Five” – the first ever million selling jazz single. Written in 5/4 time, this song is now a standard and one of the most recognizable jazz tunes of all time with its Do wah do wah da-da meter.
Another distinction of “Take Five” and early Brubeck recordings is the silky tone of Paul Desmond on saxophone. Most instrumentalists mention his name along with Brubeck and there was a question in my mind as to what this concert would sound like without the original sidemen, but I walked away convinced that Brubeck continues to create memorable music.
He was cautious as he approached the piano. However, the moment he placed his hands on the Steinway, his imagination and musical genius was strikingly hypnotic. Their first song “Pennies from Heaven” was a joyful rendition of this classic song performed by everyone from Billie Holiday to Bernadette Peters, and whatever concerns I had about the saxophonist were immediately forgotten when Bobby Militello began to play.
Militello’s intelligent and soulful statements were masterful and it was hard not to be distracted by the moments where he seemed to pay homage to everyone from Charlie Parker (whirring along a continuum of notes) to Coltrane, where Bobby seemed to deliver notes that existed beyond the instrument. His final notes were met with immediate applause as he stepped to the side.
Brubeck also exchanged complex solos with bassist Michael Moore. Along with Gary West on drums, this rhythm section was light, aggressive and determined to swing or plod away at an eccentric tempo. It was especially enjoyable to see light-hearted joking among the players too. Many times Dave would look up from the piano, smile at the soloist and lay down a musical obstacle course of meter and scale that never disrupted their focus.
After performing for close to twenty minutes, Brubeck carefully rose from the piano and told a few stories about life on the road. They had played Asheville the night before and visited Stockholm, Berlin and Japan in the past few months.
Evidently there is a new CD coming out, too. As he introduced the song “London Flat, London Sharp,” he described experiences in London that shaped the song and mentioned the tune would be on a new recording in the next couple of months.
At intermission it was amusing to watch the patrons who seemed amazed at the surroundings in the Tennessee Theatre, and rightfully so. There isn’t one point of reference in the auditorium that is not a work of fine art. From colorful and ornate woodcarvings to the iridescent blue ceiling, this auditorium celebrates live performance like no other.
In the second set, Brubeck’s music became increasingly complex with time signatures jumping to 7/4 time and others. The concert rallied to the final two songs — audience favorites including “Take Five” and “Blue Rondo.”
As a musician, Brubeck’s music has inspired me, but after this performance, I’m even more overwhelmed by the new music we heard on stage. Some things actually do get better with age and I can’t wait to get the new recording.
As for the Tennessee Theatre, don’t delay — buy any tickets for this season. The Alison Kraus show sold out and I’m sure Elvis Costello, Buddy Guy and Wynton Marsalis are just about gone. So stay alert and don’t miss out on great cultural shows that frequent this elegant and mesmerizing stage in the heart of Knoxville.
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David Cate is director of new media for the GoTriCities Network.