• Released in 1996 on Telarc, A Dave Brubeck Christmas was recorded in Stamford, CT and features solo jazz piano arrangements of both classic holiday tracks and original tunes.
• Featuring holiday favourites ‘Santa Claus Is Coming to Town’, ‘Winter Wonderland’, ‘Away in a Manger’, ‘Joy to the World’, ‘The Christmas Song’, ‘Jingle Bells’ and more.
• Plus Dave Brubeck originals ‘To Us Is Given’ and ‘Run, Run, Run to Bethlehem’.
• This new 2-LP gatefold edition is released on 180-gram vinyl with lacquers cut at 45RPM by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound.
Includes liner notes by Dave Brubeck.
Dave Brubeck (1920–2012) was born in Concord, California. He went to the College of the Pacific as a pre-med student with the aim of becoming a veterinarian, but soon changed his major to music. Upon graduation in 1942, he entered the armed services where he served under Patton in the European theater of military operations. Upon his discharge in 1946, Dave returned from Europe to study composition with the famous French composer, Darius Milhaud. With encouragement from Milhaud, Brubeck began composing and performing with an octet, which included Paul Desmond, Cal Tjader and Bill Smith. The Dave Brubeck Trio, with Cal Tjader and Ron Crotty, won both the DownBeat and Metronome awards for Best New Instrumental Group.
Following a near fatal swimming accident which incapacitated him for several months, Brubeck organized a quartet with his old friend, alto saxophonist Paul Desmond. They were an inseparable team from 1951 to 1968, selling millions of records and winning dozens of jazz polls. After the original quartet disbanded, Dave Brubeck toured and recorded with Gerry Mulligan, Alan Dawson and Jack Six; and for two years led an all-Brubeck Quartet with his sons, Darius, Dan and Chris.
Brubeck was known for his distinctive harmonic approach and daring improvisations generated excitement with both critics and fans. The Dave Brubeck Trio toured with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz and other musicians of the bop era. By 1954, his picture had appeared on the cover of Time magazine along with a feature story heralding the rebirth of jazz. In 1960, the Dave Brubeck Quartet, with Paul Desmond, Eugene Wright and Joe Morello, released their first experiment in odd-metered rhythms. The album, Time Out, and its singles, “Take Five” and “Blue Rondo a la Turk,” became the first in modern jazz to “go gold.”.
Track Listing:
Side A
1. “Homecoming” Jingle Bells
2. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
3. Joy To The World Side B
1. Away In A Manger
2. Winter Wonderland
3. O Little Town Of Bethlehem Side C
1. What Child Is This? (Greensleeves)
2. To Us Is Given
3. O Tannenbaum
4. Silent Night Side D
1. Cantos Para Pedir Las Posadas
2. Run, Run, Run To Bethlehem
3. “Farewell” Jingle Bells
4. The Christmas Song
