Brubeck Plays Brubeck

This is Brubeck's only solo piano album for Columbia, his 15-plus years on the label mostly dedicated to his Quartet's output. Brubeck tells that Desmond once remarked that the group was in need of fresh material, and that they'd need to find someone who could write for them. Brubeck was indignant, reminding his cohort that he was a trained composer; he could write two tunes in a half an hour. Both these tunes are found here, and represent the beginning of the constant flow of Brubeck jazz tunes and compositions that still emerge to this day. This album is an impressive collection, representing Brubeck's compositional style that blends popular song, swing, and classical music. Nearly all of the tunes on this album found life after it, with "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "The Duke" becoming jazz standards (it appears that Miles Davis recorded these tunes before Brubeck). Mainly however, this is a strong statement of Brubeck's piano style, swinging, rooted in jazz tradition but willing to take risks in his piano adventures (including not swinging). Once faintly praised by Keith Jarrett as his first exposure to "non-virtuosic improvisation," this album shows why Brubeck and Thelonious Monk are in the same category: completely idiosyncratic, beloved and iconic, though without a "school" of followers or imitators. "In Your Own Sweet Way" is the best track for me, highlighting Brubeck's remarkable harmonic sense. "One Moment Worth Years" is also notable for its homage to Fats Waller; Brubeck can clearly stride-piano with the best of them.