The Heart of Kwa-Zulu (compilation), Sheer Sound SSPCDE075
Pianos Out of Africa (compilation), Sheer Sound SSPCD 0438
The Best of Allen Kwela (compilation), Sheer Sound SSCD 112
2004
“Commission 2004” with Zim Ngqawana, Let Freedom Swing: A Celebration of Human Rights and Social Justice commissioned by the Lincoln Centre Jazz Orchestra, conducted by Wynton Marsalis (New York)
“Darius Brubeck - Before it’s too late”, Sheer Sound SLCD 070
Africa Straight Ahead (compilation), Heads Up CD 3079
Stokvel (compilation), Sheer Sound SSPCD 059
2003
“Still On My Mind”, Darius Brubeck & Afro Cool Concept, Sheer Sound SSCD 097
We simply played everything twice in this London recording, hoping to capture the feeling of the live gigs that we've played in the last couple of years. Some takes were edited together to include the best of both, but the immediacy of live performance remains.
Tsakwe, Baby I Don't Know and my own tunes, Monkey's Wedding and The Lion at the Bar are from my South African period teaching at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban. I believe that Blowin' in the Wind, so often heard during the Vietnam war, is still relevant and asks the significant question, "how many times?"
For Lydia is new and the standard I'll Be Seeing You is old, flavored with hints of Bach and Monk.
My thanks and appreciation to Mike, a long-time comrade in many bands and many places and to Wes and Matt for their great contribution. And, special thanks always to Catherine Brubeck, Executive Producer, Manager and wife, for conceiving of this project and making it happen.
"For Lydia and The Lion" is a double dedication, to a multi-talented and musical grand-daughter, Lydia Elmer and to Glynis Malcolm-Smith, Program Administrator at UKZN's Centre for Jazz, where she also presided over the very popular bar for 15 years with sagacity and authority.
- Darius Brubeck
October, 2008
Jazz out of the top drawer, here we hear some of Darius’ more African focused repertoire and styles of jazz. Featuring the likes of Barney Rachabane, Allen Kwela, the late great Lulu Gontsana, Victor Ntoni amongst others- a star studded cast with music equally as impressive…
ABOUT DARIUS BRUBECK:
During the 1970s, Darius Brubeck led his own groups, played with Don McLean, Larry Coryell and toured the world with Two Generations of Brubeck and The New Brubeck Quartet (Dave, Darius, Chris and Dan Brubeck) as an additional pianist and keyboardist. Several albums were recorded along the way. But his focus changed to South Africa in 1983, when he initiated the first degree course in Jazz Studies offered by an African university at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Durban, South Africa and was later appointed Director of the Centre for Jazz and Popular Music, where he remained until 2006.
For 16 years Darius Brubeck and Afro Cool Concept ( a band with South Africa’s premier alto saxophonist, Barney Rachabane, Victor Ntoni on bass and drummer Lulu Gontsana) performed all over Southern Africa and internationally. (Bongani Sokhela replaced Ntoni in 1996.) The band’s last CD, “Still On My Mind” was released in 2003 by Sheer Sound. In 2004 ‘Afro Cool’ gave concerts in Copenhagen, London and Memphis celebrating 10 years of democracy in South Africa.
Brubeck also led other groups - representing his university and South Africa and has given workshops and concerts in Europe and the UK, Turkey, Peru, Thailand and the USA. He has directed student-staff groups at five International Association of Jazz Educators conferences in the USA. “Before It’s Too Late” (with South African musicians he has worked with) was released by Sheer Sound in 2004. That year also saw the Brubeck Brothers (with Chris and Dan Brubeck) headlining at the National Arts “Joy of Jazz Festival” in Grahamstown, South Africa and Darius directing the National Youth Jazz Band (South Africa) at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Holland.
Using the band name, Gathering Forces for ‘world-music’ oriented concerts, Brubeck has played with virtuoso bansuri player, Deepak Ram and more recently, with sitarist Vivek Ram. Gathering Forces performed music he composed for the “UN World Conference Against Racism” that was broadcast worldwide in September 2001. In 2002 Kofi Annan and Heads of State attending the founding conference of the African Union danced to South African jazz played by a Brubeck led band. Brubeck and Zim Ngqawana’s composition based on speeches given by Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu was premiered by Wynton Marsalis and The Lincoln Centre Jazz Orchestra in October 2004.
Concerts with the London Symphony Orchestra honoring his father have featured four of Darius’ arrangements and his composition for the 80th birthday celebrations in 2000 can be heard on “Dave Brubeck – Live with the LSO”. In 2005, the Rockefeller Foundation awarded Darius a residency as a composer at the Bellagio Study and Conference Center in Italy and currently Brubeck is a Fulbright Senior Specialist and the Africa/Middle East Representative on the Executive Board of IAJE.
Performances in 2006 include appearances with the Brubeck Brothers as well as with London, US and South African based musicians. He is leading a ‘rolling reunion’ band at the Cape Town International Jazz festival in March 2007.
Review by Eric Allen in Jazz Rendez-Vous What is it about South Africa that entices great jazz musicians/teachers to our fair shores apart for the huge jazz talent base that the country has. Well, two of the musicians on this album fell in love with the country and found their future life partners on visits to the country. In which order I’m not sure, however many South African musicians have benefited immensely since both Darius Brubeck and Mike Rossi found themselves in the enveloping and welcoming embrace of our fair land. Hundreds of past and current students who have gone on the greater musical heights will attest to their dedication. For this album, the band played everything twice to kind of get into the groove to tried to get a live performance sound, which they certainly have done.
Gosh, things really happen when one retires from a long outstanding and fulfilling teaching career that contributed to key changes in the face of jazz education in South Africa today. No peace for the wicked as the saying goes Darius along with his wife and partner Cathy have also just started their own label, Gathering Forces with For Lydia and The Lion being their first release.
This good news leads one to believe that there will be much more coming from this hugely unsung musician, piano player, teacher, composer and band leader, much of the time overshadowed by his incredible father, Dave. This has not stifled Darius' own creative voice, with the freedom of "retirement" to hand he again has proved to be an equal to his father. With the addition of the talented, experienced and long-standing friend and colleague Prof. Mike Rossi, another successful American transplant to our sunny shores. He is the woodwinds teacher at University of Cape Town and with his expertise takes the album to another level balancing experience with the youth of Matt Ridley and Wesley Gibbens.
A favourite track on For Lydia and The Lion is Abdullah Ibrahim's ode to his son,
Jon to Darius: Bonsoir from Times SQ NYC Darius, Sounding real good there, thanks for the get-back, good man! How's it going? Everything's A-OK here..hitting gigs and I'm on the radio every morning on KYOURADIO 1550 AM HammondCast Show. Yes it's a pity about the IAJE bankruptcy, I was surprised as hell to hear that not long after I was at the Toronto IAJE. Here's some of my historic IAJE pics: http://community-4. webtv. net/HammondsBolero/IAJE2004Picturesby/ If you ever come to New York be sure to contact me for a Starbucks. I saw your Dad play here at the Harlem for Jazz Foundation of America's "Great Night in Harlem" May 29th, he was great! Keep up the great work Darius, all the best, Jon *Member AFM Local 802, Local 6 / ASCAP Publisher http://ascap. com/network/audioportraits/Jon_Hammond_Rent/ .. JON HAMMOND Band returns to JAZZKELLER FRANKFURT featuring Hungarian Tenor Sax Star TONY LAKATOS on the romantic song "Besame Mucho" with HEINZ LICHIUS-drums, JOE BERGER-guitar and JON HAMMOND on new XK-1 Hammond Organ at annual "Musikmesse Warm Up Party" http://www1. alcatel-lucent. com/theworldisalwayson/jon. html "The FINGERS...are The SINGERS!"™ NYC
Thanks for the friend request Darius! If you haven’t already, please feel free to click on the banner below to check out TuneCore and let us know if we can be of any help.
Hi, I just wanted to let you know that my new album Afrikan Machinery is out now on Tzadik Records. Check out some of the tracks on my profile! You can buy the CD here, here, or here. It's also available on iTunes.
Best Wishes, Lukas Ligeti
Hello Darius, thank you so much for accepting my request! My second visit to Athens was with Lulu Gontsala in the nineties...now it is wonderful to meet you! I wish you peace & happiness. Louise
hi. thanks for add. i listened to you and your father playing since a child. my dad used to play piano. i live in rio de janeiro and i saw in Boston the DB quartet..s 25 birthday concert at the synphonie ( i forgot how you spell it...hehehe...my inglish is gone!!) hall,good luck to you! bye
Thanks for adding me! We met at the Spice of Life this year when you had to leave half way through and receive the award for your father at the BBC. Great gig! Thanks for the music.
Hi Darius Thanks for your comments coming from you I am flattered indeed. I love the vibrant South African influence in your music. Can you recommend some great SA guitarists to listen to as I love that sound. Thanks again Anto
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