The Dave Brubeck Quartet

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The quartet in 1959 during the Time Out sessions. From left to right: Joe Morello, Paul Desmond, Dave Brubeck, Eugene Wright.

The Dave Brubeck Quartet was a jazz quartet, founded in 1951 by Dave Brubeck; featuring Paul Desmond on saxophone, and Brubeck on piano^[1]. They took up a long residency at San Francisco's Blackhawk nightclub and gained great popularity touring college campuses, releasing a series of albums with such titles as Jazz at Oberlin, Jazz Goes to College, and Jazz Goes to Junior College.

Dave Brubeck Quartet in 1967.

By 1958, after a handful of different drummers and bassists, the "Classic Quartet" — so-called because it remained as such virtually consistently until the group dissolved — had been assembled; consisting of Brubeck, Desmond, Joe Morello on drums, and Eugene Wright on bass^[1]. In 1959, the Dave Brubeck Quartet released Time Out, an album their label was enthusiastic about but nonetheless hesitant to release. The album contained all original compositions, almost none of which were in common time. Nonetheless, on the strength of these unusual time signatures (the album included "Take Five", "Blue Rondo à la Turk", and "Pick Up Sticks"), it quickly went platinum. The quartet followed up its success with several more albums in the same vein, including Time Further Out (1961), Time in Outer Space, and Time Changes. These albums were also known for using contemporary paintings as cover art, featuring the work of Neil Fujita on Time Out, Joan Miró on Time Further Out, Franz Kline on Time in Outer Space, and Sam Francis on Time Changes. A high point for the group was their classic 1963 live album At Carnegie Hall, described by critic Richard Palmer as "arguably Dave Brubeck's greatest concert".

The Dave Brubeck Quartet broke up in 1967, except for a 25th anniversary reunion in 1976^[1].

[edit] Members

Main lineups:

(1951-1956)

(1956-1958) Transitional quartet - enter Joe Morello

(1958-1967) Classic quartet - enter Eugene Wright

Dave Brubeck - piano
Paul Desmond - alto saxophone
Eugene Wright - double bass (also credited "Gene Wright")
Joe Morello - drums

And after the breakup:

(1968-1972) Quartet as "The Dave Brubeck Trio & Gerry Mulligan"

Dave Brubeck - piano
Gerry Mulligan - baritone saxophone (almost permanent member)
Jack Six - double bass
Alan Dawson - drums

Paul Desmond - alto saxophone (October 1972 quintet for We're All Together Again)

(1972-1976) As "The Darius Brubeck Ensemble" - with his three sons and one guest

Dave Brubeck - piano
Darius Brubeck - piano, electric piano
Chris Brubeck - bass trombone, electric upright bass, electric fretless bass
Dan Brubeck - drums (also credited "Daniel Brubeck")

Paul Desmond - alto saxophone (guest soloist on some concerts)
Gerry Mulligan - baritone saxophone (guest soloist on some concerts)

(1976-1976) Classic quartet reunion - 25th anniversary

Dave Brubeck - piano
Paul Desmond - alto saxophone
Eugene Wright - double bass (also credited "Gene Wright")
Joe Morello - drums

(1977-2006) As "The New Brubeck Quartet" - with his three sons and varying guests

Dave Brubeck - piano
Darius Brubeck - piano, electric piano
Chris Brubeck - bass trombone, electric upright bass, electric fretless bass
Dan Brubeck - drums (also credited "Daniel Brubeck")

Matthew Brubeck - cello (guest on a few sets)
Bill Smith - clarinet (guest, such as 1987's Moscow Nights and In Moscow)
Bobby Militello - alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, flute (guest, such as 1993's Late Night Brubeck)
Jack Six - double bass (guest on some sets)
Randy Jones - drums (guest on some sets)