Recording of the Week, Dave Brubeck - Lullabies

It’s not often we cover an artist with such a legacy for a recording of the week, but Dave Brubeck no doubt needs no introduction. The American pianist, who sadly passed away in 2012, has dozens of recordings to his name from his seventy-year career. He could be gentle or jaunty, his style a melding of his mother’s classical training and his own affinity for the more modern style of jazz. Of course widely known for his massively popular recordings ‘Take Five’ or ‘Blue Rondo a la Turk’ from his album Time Out - although the first is often erroneously credited to Brubeck rather than his saxophonist Paul Desmond - Brubeck’s legacy is that of one of the most popular jazz musicians of his time, much to his discomfort; he would even express his unease at being featured on the cover of Time before Duke Ellington was. He would continue to play throughout his life, right up to the year of his passing at 91. A new recording from the late pianist is not something I’d expect to hear in 2020, but this was in fact recorded back in 2010. Lullabies features takes on well-known children’s songs, as well as a handful of jazz standards, and a selection of originals. These originals, in fact, were written with his grandchildren in mind; a final gift to his family in the form of a studio recording.

Taking cues from his later life’s work, Brubeck eschews the jazz quartet for solo piano, much like on albums like 2000’s fittingly titled One Alone or 2006’s Indian Summer. The album is bookended by the Brahms Lullaby, a gentle mood setter for the rest of the record, before going into ‘When It’s Sleepy Time Down South’, a favourite of singer Louis Armstrong, both given suitably drowsy rearrangements with Brubeck’s softened touch. Another fitting tune for the atmosphere on Lullabies is ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’, which is treated to some juicy reharmonisation, as too is ‘Londonderry Air’. The Brubeck originals also make for some enjoyable listening, too; the pentatonic flavour and quick trills of the ‘Koto Song’ evokes the Japanese stringed instrument it shares its name with, a particular standout from the latter half of the album.

As much as Lullabies is definitely something more accessible as far as jazz goes, there’s plenty to appreciate in the aforementioned tasteful reharmonisations Brubeck brings to these well-known tunes, though folks looking for something a little more challenging probably ought to give this one a miss. It seems like there’s plenty more unheard Brubeck to come, too, with the founding of Brubeck Editions this year to mark the pianist’s centenary. The first of these recordings, Time OutTakes, is out soon, and it seems there’s more to come from the Brubeck family vaults. But as the final new recording from one of jazz’s biggest names, Brubeck’s final statement is a touching farewell.