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BRUBECK BROTHERS QUARTET RELEASES NEW INNOVATIVE JAZZ RECORDING “CLASSIFIED”
CD INCLUDES NEW WORK BY CHRIS BRUBECK FUSING BBQ WITH GROUNDBREAKING ENSEMBLE IMANI WINDS
(Grammy-nominated Imani Winds have performed with and premiered compositions by jazz luminaries Wayne Shorter and Paquito D’Rivera)
“The music is uniformly excellent in its composition, execution, and recording quality. Once again the BBQ attains that rarefied level where music is both relaxed and expressive, and their joy in its creation is contagious. There’s nothing out there that comes close to their unique blend of inventiveness.”
All About Jazz Review of “Classified” (March 24, 2008)
Koch International Classics is pleased to announce the release of Classified, an innovative new collection of original jazz and classical compositions by the Brubeck Brothers Quartet (BBQ) featuring Grammy-nominated wind quintet Imani Winds. These two inventive forces have teamed up for this ground-breaking recording that further expands the boundaries of jazz/classical crossover as never before. Classified is Chris Brubeck’s fourth recording on the Koch label and is the follow up to the Brubeck Brother Quartet’s highly acclaimed 2007 chart-topping recording Intuition.
2008 Grammy winner David Balakrishnan (Turtle Island String Quartet Founder) describes Classified as “an absorbing and evocative collection of original jazz compositions… At the centerpiece of this recording is Chris Brubeck’s ingenious composition “Vignettes For Nonet” featuring the Imani Winds.” They enjoy a reputation for collaborating with revered jazz artists such as Wayne Shorter and Paquito d’Rivera, and now the Brubeck Brothers Quartet.
This CD marks the BBQ recording debut of Chuck Lamb. Two of Mr. Lamb’s compositions are included on this CD, the atmospheric “Cool on the Coast,” and “Heyoke,” which features dynamic interplay between the drums and the piano. Guitarist Mike DeMicco contributed “Eclipse,” a solo vehicle which culminates in a sizzling drum solo played with cluster sticks; and “Good Question” - - a melodious tune in ¾ with an ending that fades on a polyrhythmic groove.
Chris wrote the beautiful ballad with a last-set-of-the-night-vibe -- “Friends Beyond Time” and also “Dance of the Shadows” - a 5/4 Bossa with compositional contributions from drummer Dan Brubeck who recently has been exposed to many interesting rhythmic patterns on his travels in South America. Dan also brought the intriguing 7/4 beat underlying “7th Sense” to the BBQ, then Mike and Chuck came up with the angular melodies that float over the unusual rhythmic bed.
With its lively 9/8 time signature and its classical structure, Blue Rondo became a fitting encore for concerts that featured Vignettes and a “salute” to Chris and Dan’s musical lineage. Among Dave Brubeck’s many contributions to Jazz were his early collaborations with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic. It has taken nearly half a century but the classical music scene has grown to recognize and respect that an accomplished Jazz group is another valid form of Chamber music with the extra dimension of improvisation.
About the Brubeck Brothers Quartet:
(Chris Brubeck, bass and bass trombone; Dan Brubeck, drums; Chuck Lamb, piano; and Mike DeMicco, guitar)
The Brubeck Brothers Quartet’s debut Koch recording, Intuition, impressed the national jazz media and spent several weeks in the top ten radio charts while earning enthusiastic reviews. “Intuition was measure for measure one of the hardest swinging sets of the year.” (Philadelphia Inquirer) According to The Boston Globe, Intuition succeeded in “bringing a new spirit to straight-ahead jazz.” The group’s creativity, technique and improvisation can be heard in their uncompromising music, which reflects their dedication to melody, rhythm, culture and the spontaneous spirit of jazz. “Intuition is a treat: the compositions are fresh, melodic and memorable, and are rendered with sublime expertise and considerable joy… This recording lives up to the full possibilities of originality: crisply recorded, organically paced and beautifully played, it's a unique and sparkling delight” (Judith Schlesinger, All About Jazz)
Last year Goodsounds wrote “Chris & Dan have developed into two of jazz’s most distinctive instrumentalists.” In addition to Chris’s impressive reputation as a player, he is an accomplished and respected composer and producer in both the jazz and classical idioms. His concerto for three violins “Interplay” featuring Regina Carter, Eileen Ivers and Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg tore down the house and won Chris the ASCAP Deems Taylor Award. Beyond the accolades Intuition received, Chris’s Koch orchestral cd, Convergence, also earned glowing reviews:… a composer with a real flair for lyrical melody--a 21st Century Lenny Bernstein.” (John von Rhein - Chicago Tribune) In a recent performance by Chris as trombone soloist playing his Prague Concerto, Don Heckman of the L.A. Times wrote: “The concerto was a powerful showcase for the instrument’s too rarely heard capacity to embrace a full range of expression --- from dark toned intimacy to tear-down-the-house exuberance.”
Drummer Dan Brubeck is the rhythmic force of the Brubeck Brothers Quartet. “He’s a crisp, active drummer playing rhythms with accuracy as well as joy. His solos are masterful – both well-planned and surprising, accurate and exuberant.” Stereophile
Guitarist and composer Mike DeMicco grew up in the arts colony of Woodstock, New York immersed in blues, jazz and rock music. “DeMicco’s guitar is the perfect blend of soul, polish and technique.” JazzTimes
Chuck Lamb, pianist and composer, co-founded the group Dry Jack which was cited in the Rolling Stone History of Music as a premiere, cutting-edge jazz group. “A very proficient pianist and an expert soloist … his original compositions are varied and exuberant; his work is exemplary.” DownBeat
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