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Brubeck Brothers at Newport
Earlier this month the Brubeck Brothers Quartet appeared again at the Newport Jazz Festival. What a great audience!! It is such a rewarding experience to be a continuing part of the tradition of this annual gathering of the jazz tribe. These were real die-hard jazz fans because they came out to witness the music being created despite some really nasty weather. The deluge actually brought our audience closer together, both physically and metaphorically as they focused on the music we were playing and stood shoulder to shoulder in the “Harbor Stage” tent to avoid a direct hit from the torrent. We performed original tunes from our Classified CD that ran the gamut from “up and powerful” to a contemplative ballad featuring our pianist, Chuck Lamb. The intelligent audience embraced it all. Mike DeMicco had the most dangerous gig, his fingers flying off the wet electric guitar strings while his pedals sizzled and popped on the puddled stage. Hey, the show most go on, and the crowd showed that they were in our corner all the way. It is as if they realized that when you see the water splashing off Dan’s cymbals, or the rain water drizzling out my trombone bell, good energy was needed to push the musicians to play at the top of their game despite the elements. Thankfully there was a a great and dedicated crew who worked tirelessly to retie tarps that were being blown off the back of the stage by gale-force winds. Rain was blowing in horizontally on all the equipment and giant squeegies were furiously being pushed around stage to try to reduce the puddles.
We had rehearsed a few days before with a special guest for our set, our “old man,” Dave. His Doctor reminded him, “If you are going to play Newport at age 90, don’t do anything crazy!” It was a tough decision but Dave and George Wein (the Newport Festival impresario who started the festival way back in the 50s) decided it was too much to ask my father to go out and play a piano in something that at the moment resembled a hurricane. So Dave didn’t attempt the slippery stairs, the watery stage and the guaranteed soaking. I announced to the audience that it was too much to ask and they all seemed to agree with a warm round of applause that acknowledged it indeed would have been crazy for Dave to get rained on for a half hour at his age. We saluted our father by playing two of his most famous tunes, Blue Rondo a la Turk and Take Five. Dan brought the audience to its feet for the 3rd time of our set.
Then we got to partake in the other great aspect of playing at a Jazz Festival, greeting old friends, and listening to great new talent. We caught some of the innovative music made by Miguel Zenon’s group, which included an assortment of woodwinds surrounding a jazz quartet. I met Miguel when we played with him 2 years ago at the Kennedy Center Honors — he is a fantastic sax player. We also heard Esperanza Spalding who set the record business on its collective head by winning the Grammy for best new artist award (beating out Justin Bieber and the kind of artists that sell millions of CDs). She is a great bass player and singer with a real effervescent personality that radiates through her music which was unquestionably Jazz. Newport is also a time for family reunions, both in the immediate sense and in the terms of the big jazz family that puts these kinds of Festivals on all over the world. Dan and I became part of that family when we were kids in the 50’s and now we are meeting grandchildren from the tribal elders. What a tradition, what a memorable weekend. Jazz lives on, rain or shine!!!
…Chris
Soggy Musicians!
Commissioning Clubs -- A "Win-Win" for All!
A few months ago I was in Alaska with The Anchorage Symphony Orchestra. Why? The superficial answer is because the ASO was playing the concerto I composed called “Travels in Time for Three.” But if you dig a little deeper the reason I was up there is because Anchorage has a couple of very special things going for it. My contention is that Alaska’s geographical isolation breeds innovation.
The excellent conductor and music director up there, Randall Craig Fleischer, has an unusual passion for promoting contemporary music, including a healthy dose of world premieres. After a rousing performance, in a cheering full house, I was struck by the kind of audience I was seeing. They were NOT mostly 70 and up. What a rare and refreshing sight! Urban professionals, 25-50, young families, people on “dates,” high school kids who are probably budding musicians, regular Joes, and well behaved children, and of course some well behaved grandparents too! Somehow in Alaska, the orchestra is not simply an institution for the elder, elite, upper- economic crust of the citizens of Anchorage. Ponder this: I discovered that the ASO discounts tickets for children and seniors by 50%! Despite this policy, not a sea of gray hair, but that hefty discount is a big help to families who want to expose their kids to the arts without breaking the bank! The patrons involved with the orchestra are not sons and daughters of cultured blue bloods. (Perhaps you can argue that Alaska has such a unique frontier history and attitude that there is no blue-blood tradition in their freewheeling society.) This orchestra’s demographic base is so inclusive that it reflects a deeper, more democratically rooted cultural institution. This attitude fosters a zeal for the arts from a broader spectrum of its citizens.
How did this happy oddity come about?
Roughly eight years ago, Maestro Fleischer and Sherri Reddick, the ASO’s Executive Director, introduced a wonderful idea which became a vehicle for the creation of new works for the Anchorage Symphony. For lack of a better term, they dreamed up a “commissioning club” which was dubbed Musica Nova. This new organization increased the interaction of the ASO’s most fervent supporters and evolved to become a shining example of a great idea blossoming into fruition. So far Musica Nova has sponsored eight world premieres. The participants love the opportunity to get an inside glimpse of who the composer is and what the creative process is all about.
I sometimes reflect on the fact that centuries ago we composers were economically supported and dependent on the good graces of the Church. Then the largesse of certain arts-minded royalty kept many a composer chugging along. Next, non-royal but incredibly wealthy patrons of the arts stepped in with commissions and stipends, as in the case Lobkowicz family from Prague underwriting Beethoven. These days composers get commissions from numerous sources including the orchestras themselves, or grants that exist albeit often just out of reach. What I find particularly appealing about Music Nova is that for the relatively reasonable investment of $500 per person (in tax deductible dollars) the members become sponsors and personally involved with an orchestral music commissioning project.
Maestro Fleischer brings a composer candidate and a collaboration idea to their attention. He acquaints the members of Musica Nova with the composer’s style and background and explains why this proposed commissioned project is worthy of their support. There are about 30 members in Musica Nova and this influx of specifically earmarked money allows Maestro to approach a composer with a commission offer. By the way, I have to say that composers are not total mercenaries, but the only way to get something on the front burner of your life is a deadline and a respectable fee that will help pay your mortgage for several months as you throw obsessive amounts of your time, heart, mind and soul into the creation of a new piece of music.
The members of Musica Nova have now emotionally and economically invested in the idea of this specific creative project. It is in part their ”baby” too! My first experience with Musica Nova was in 2007 when they commissioned me to write a violin concerto for the fantastic and versatile Nick Kendall. About a year and a half after the decision to fund the concerto went down, ”D Day” arrived. Nick and I flew up for the rehearsals, outreach and premiere concerts. To my surprise the whole city was wired into the event of this new piece of music hitting the planet, right there in Anchorage! One visual which I will never forget is seeing a city bus cruising down the road, (and like the opening credits of Sex & the City) sporting a horizontal billboard on the side of the bus with a flamboyant red poster advertising the world premiere of “Spontaneous Combustion” complete with a dashing picture of Nick Kendall. On a BUS! Plus there was a lot of hub-bub because about 20 well known artists from Anchorage beautifully painted, or decorated 20 violins which were put on display in galleries in the city and sold as fundraising works of art. How wonderful; now we had the musical and visual artistic communities of Anchorage working on the premiere together.
The members of Musica Nova were invited to come to a special dinner reception where Nick and I mingled for cocktails and enjoyable conversations. Then Randy Fleischer gave an enthusiastic introduction which allowed Nick and I to talk about our creative process. (This, by the way, was kind of unique since Nick came to my house for three days, we jammed together, taped our improvisations, loved and incorporated a lot of the ideas that emerged. Then Nick resumed touring with the group he plays with, Time for Three, while I got down to the work of crafting the concerto.) Since so much of the spirit of the piece came out of improvisation, Nick and I jammed on the spot to show the folks at the reception what that process was like, and what kind of chemistry we had. That demonstration spoke volumes and really fired up the commissioning corps. They were invited to the 2nd rehearsal to get a sense of how the process of improvisation transformed to the written page and how the ideas were shared with the members of the orchestra. I’ve been told that for the members of Musica Nova, probably the most important motivation that the commissioners have in joining the club is access. What is appealing to the donors is the access to the composer, musicians and to a greater understanding of the creative process. They are fascinated with the explanations composers give regarding the process he or she has taken to create the piece.In the meantime Nick had been doing days of outreach into the schools, music classes and student orchestras. I was doing radio and TV interviews with Maestro Fleischer and lectures at the library too. I’m telling you, the community was excited for this premiere to pop out the night of its maiden voyage. Thank God it was a big success, and in part it went over so damn well because the audience and the community were so invested and connected to the creation of the new work. There was such civic pride attached to this musical & cultural achievement. The night of the premiere there was a post-concert reception at the hall and the Musica Nova members were given an 11 x 17 duplicate of the score cover page (suitable for framing) individually signed by Randy, Nick and myself and personally dedicated to each member of the club.
Now leap forward 3 years in this story and that’s when I returned to Anchorage because Musica Nova commissioned me a second time. This time, like “the little engine that could,” Musica Nova seed money allowed Randy Fleischer to reach out to other orchestras to join them in a consortium commission that enabled me to write a new concerto for the group Time for Three. Randy was able to convince these other cultural institutions to climb aboard because he was armed with great reviews and an archival recording of the ASO with Nick Kendall performing the violin concerto premiere. The second commission project for Time for Three attracted The Boston Pops, The Youngstown Symphony, The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Iris Orchestra, and the orchestras from Portland, Maine, Colorado Music Festival, and Wichita, Kansas. This time around, the little Anchorage Symphony Orchestra (isolated way up in Alaska) could take pride that they helped to create a collaboration that is resonating all over the lower 48. The happy ending to this story: I’m happy to say that every audience has gone wild for this new composition, “Travels Time for Three.” Beyond the obvious talents of the musicians involved in the performance, maybe this music is going over so well because the roots of the commission were from a community of regular people.It is such a wonderful idea, such a “win, win” for the composer, the performers, and the community, that I am amazed there isn’t a commissioning club affiliated with EVERY orchestra. In this consortium scenario the new composition is heard by more audiences, each orchestra pays a lot less money to co-sponsor a world premiere, soloists involved and orchestral musicians get more work, restaurants near halls generate more business, boosting the local economy, and most importantly….. Classical Music is given another transfusion to help keep the orchestral institution alive with a shot of current culture from a living composer. I am writing this because I hope someone else with connections to the orchestral world might read this and be inspired to plant some musical seeds in another community. I can personally attest to the fact that lightning can strike twice, and an exciting new piece can pull a community together!
ChrisApril/May 2011 Newsletter
Dear Friends — Lots of various Brubeck happenings this month. Thanks for reading this newsletter - I hope we see you at one of these concerts.
Best wishes, Chris
All four excel as soloists, and while they frequently throw sparks, they never lose sight of melody or descend into mere pyrotechnics.
— Joseph Taylor for Goodsound.com
On Saturday, May 7th, at 7:30 p.m., the FOX VALLEY SYMPHONY, Appleton, WI will be presenting: Ansel Adams: AMERICA. My Friend, Maestro Brian Groner will be conducting.
See the Ansel Adams: AMERICA website for other upcoming performances.
Brubeck Brothers Gigs:
April 29 - The Seasons, Yakima, WA @ 7:30 p.m.
April 30 - w/the Spokane Symphony Orchestra, Spokane, WA @ 8:00 p.m.
May 1 - The Ellen Theater, Bozeman, MT @ 7:00 p.m.
May 13 - Broadway Center for the Arts, Tacoma, WA @ 7:30 p.m.
May 14 - Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hopkins, MN @ 7:30
May 27 - Brubeck Brothers w/the Dubrovnik Symphony, Dubrovnik, Croatia @ 8:30 p.m.
May 28 - Brubeck Brothers, Dubrovnik, Croatia @ 8:30 p.m.
May 29 - Brubeck Brothers w/the Dubrovnik Symphony, Dubrovnik, Croatia @ 8:30 p.m.
June 19 - Dave, Darius, Chris, Dan & Matthew Brubeck Father’s Day Concert at the Pavilion, Ravinia Festival, Chicago @ 7:00 p.m.
Aug. 7 - Brubeck Brothers at the Newport Jazz Festival
Dave Brubeck Weekend on SiriusXM Starting Friday, April 29th at 9:00 a.m. and running through Sunday morning, May 1st, SiriusXM Radio will be playing Dave Brubeck music exclusively, interspersed with comments and interviews by Russell Gloyd (Dave’s long-time manager), Chris Brubeck, Clint Eastwood, Ramsey Lewis, Al Jareau, Taylor Eigsti, Roberta Gambarini. Mark Ruffin from SiriusXM is a wonderful host and plays cuts from the Dave Brubeck Quartet, and other artists (including the Brubeck Brothers Quartet) playing Dave’s music. Scattered throughout the broadcast will be segments of Mark’s interview with Dave. Be sure to tune into Sirius XM, Channel 72, Real Jazz this weekend. And by the way, if you aren’t a subscriber to SiriusXM, you can enroll for a 30 day free trial at their website!
Playing a fundraiser for the Brubeck Institute
A couple of weeks ago, my brother Dan and I had the pleasure of playing at a fundraising event for the Brubeck Institute. The setting was highly unusual, we performed at the beautiful home of pianist David Benoit. His modern Asian influenced house sits atop a hill with gorgeous views of the Pacific below.
David is a member of the Brubeck Institute Honorary Board in addition to being the conductor of the Asian American Orchestra. He also helps to run a youth symphony and discovered that some of the classical kids were thirsty to learn more about jazz. Dan and I heard the result of his excellent coaching when a quintet from the Asian Youth Symphony Orchestra joined him to play the challenging Dave Brubeck composition “In Your Own Sweet Way.” These young musicians did a great job and we were really impressed.
David, Dan and I played a few tunes with Nick Frenay, a fantastic young trumpet player who is in his second year as a full ride scholarship student at the Brubeck Institute. We played “Kathy’s Waltz”, “Strange Meadowlark” as a trombone and trumpet feature with David, and then featured Dan on “Take Five”. The Benoit home, which seemed like it was designed for house concerts, was packed with supporters of the Asian Youth Orchestra. I said a few words about the vision of the Brubeck Institute which resides at The University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. Steve Anderson, Director of the B.I., took over describing what was going on with this group of “Brubeck Fellows.”
In case you don’t know, 5 students audition for the B. I. every couple of years. These musicians are just out of high school and the “creme de la creme” of super-talented jazz musicians. Over the last several years, The Brubeck Institute Fellows have won numerous awards in Downbeat Magazine. They are the real deal. Every year the Fellows record CDs, play at major jazz festivals like Monterey and Detroit, and take jazz into schools all over the country.
Whenever we are on the road, Dan and I always keep our ears open for great young players. In fact, we first heard Nick Frenay play in upstate New York when he was only 14 years old. We closed the evening out with a rousing rendition of “Blue Rondo a la Turk”, opened up the blues section in the middle and jammed with some pros like pianist Helen Sung and members of the Asian Youth Orchestra too. It was a blast! Everyone’s heart was in the right place, celebrating jazz and the wonderful concept of teaching, playing and passing the torch to the next generation.
- ChrisChris Brubeck in Anchorage, AK
I’m up in Anchorage, Alaska for some concerts with the group Time for Three playing the concerto I wrote for them. They will be performing “Travels in Time for Three” with The Anchorage Symphony Orchestra. Randall Fleischer who conducted the premiere and organized all the other orchestras to join in the commission, will be leading the forces. It will be a happy reunion, since he conducted the world premiere in Youngstown, Ohio.
Yesterday, Tish & I got up at 3:30 a.m. and took the 9 hour flight out of Newark. I’m happy to report I got a lot of work done on the plane. I was reading more about Teddy Roosevelt, and outlining narrative structure and researching my next composition, “Theodore Roosevelt in Cowboy Land” which premieres this October in North Dakota. My brain was so fascinated by Roosevelt’s adventures that it didn’t listen to my body screaming “my ass is killing me, my knees are up around my chin, get me out of here.” If Roosevelt could punch cows for 24 hours in the saddle, I should be able to endure 9 hours in an airplane. (Of course Roosevelt was only 5’8” and 23 years old at the time instead of my 6’5” and several years older frame.)
Anchorage brings back great memories because this is the orchestra that commissioned the violin concerto I wrote for Nick Kendall, “Spontaneous Combustion.” Again, Randall Fleischer was the conductor of that premiere and the organizing force behind it hitting the planet in the first place. He knew of Nick Kendall’s great playing and my eclectic composing style and brought us together for the concerto. That musical partnership reverberated as Nick (also a member of Time for Three) sold Zach DePue and Ranaan Meyer (also of Tf3) on the idea that I had to write a concerto for them as well. For “Travels” Tf3 also brings their great drummer, Matt Scarano. He knows the piece cold and it is great to have him on board because there are LOTS of odd and wild time signatures, and funkmeister grooves throughout. Tf3 & Matt have blown audiences away with The Boston Pops, The Youngstown, Colorado Music Festival, Indianapolis Symphony, Iris Orchestra in Memphis, Portland, etc. None of this would have happened without Randall Fleischer, who on top of being a great conductor and composer, is a persuasive organizer and can round up orchestras to make a dream project come true.
I’ll let you know how things go after the performances in a couple of days. In the meantime, Anchorage is actually warmer than Connecticut, where it is cold and snowing yet again!
Cheers!Chris
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