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December 28, 2005
Wednesday
 
 
Samizdata quote for the day
Johnathan Pearce (London)  Arts & Entertainment
He was controversial for other reasons, too. Brubeck's music was too optimistic for the critics' taste. There was and still is nothing cool about being an optimist. Cool, rather, is supposed to be about seeing the dark side, the essential absurdity of life, and taking pains to numb yourself against the existential angst of modern civilization. But here was modernism with a smiley face. Crazy Daddy-O.

Excerpt from a delightful piece marking jazz legend Dave Brubeck's 85th birthday. The great man is still playing live gigs decades after many of his supposed "cooler" contemporaries have faded from the scene.

Comments

The really funny part is that his most popular piece (and one of the most popular jazz songs of all time) was written in 5/4 time.

Most people don't even know what 5/4 time is.


Posted by cirby at December 28, 2005 08:19 PM

cirby, thanks. Neither do I!


Posted by Johnathan Pearce at December 28, 2005 08:25 PM

Take Five wasn't actualy in 5/4 but alternate bars of 3/4 and 2/4,the accents being ONE two three ONE two.


Posted by Peter at December 28, 2005 09:54 PM

Peter:

Nope.

I'm looking at the sheet music, and it's 5/4. It may be easier for many folks to sound it out in their heads as 3/4 + 2/4, but the real music is in the correct time signature.


Posted by cirby at December 28, 2005 11:07 PM

Sorry,It really isn't,the strong beats are exactly where they would be for alternate bars of three and two.
The syncopated rhythm in the three section is exactly analogous to a a standard Jazz waltz...note that there are no strong off beats.

It is unlikely that sheet music for a piece called Five Four would be written in three and two,they have to sell the stuff,but we had this argument when the record came out and the general consensus was that it wasn't a true 5/4.


Posted by Peter at December 29, 2005 12:39 AM

The 9/4, however, had passages of both ONE two ONE two ONE two ONE two three and ONE two three ONE two three ONE two three. I like to sing along that way.


Posted by triticale at December 29, 2005 03:36 AM

I say "Bah!" to the detractors of Brubeck! "Cool" is a canard.


Posted by Francis W. Porretto at December 29, 2005 11:35 AM
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