Dave Brubeck, father of Cool jazz, gets orchestral with Cold War concerto

Hear the name Dave Brubeck, and the chances are that the first piece of music you’d think of would be his 1959 hit ‘Take Five’, part of the seminal jazz album Time Out that sold over a million copies and announced a new ‘Cool’ school of jazz, with Brubeck and his quartet as its Principals.

But there was more to Brubeck than the irregular rhythms of ‘Unsquare’ Dance and ‘Blue Rondo a la Turk’. Brubeck was classically trained and took inspiration from composers as diverse as JS Bach and Darius Milhaud. His prolific composing career included orchestral music and choral pieces, as well as stage works and contemporary dance scores.

On Sunday 19 October Brubeck’s genre-straddling brilliance is celebrated in in this concert by the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra with a rare performance of ‘Brandenburg Gate: Revisited’ – the title track from his 1963 album. A kind of Cold War concerto, this sepia-tinged blend of jazz quartet and classical string orchestra evokes a film noirish world, wistfully melodic but with room for agile improvised solos.

"...The subtle tension and liberation that exists between the [orchestra and jazz quartet] prevent either from overpowering the other. Likewise, spirited leads and improvisations from Brubeck and Desmond keep the elaborate piece agile and firmly rooted in jazz." - Lindsay Planer, Allmusic 

Leading British classical pianist Freddy Kempf steps into Brubeck’s shoes for this performance, showcasing his versality alongside a Czech trio of drums, bass and alto saxophone. Dennis Russell Davies, a close collaborator not only with Dave Brubeck and Keith Jarrett back in the day, is in charge, so he’s the ideal conductor in this unique opportunity to relive an atmospheric moment in musical history.

George Gershwin was another jazz giant fascinated by the cross-genre possibilities of orchestras. His Variations on I Got Rhythm for piano and orchestra is a sprightly example of the composer at his witty and tuneful best.

The rest of this programme offers the chance to hear a great Czech orchestra performing music that’s in its blood. Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony, arguably his greatest, is a compelling blend of raw emotions and taut rhythmic energy. As in all of Dvořák’s work, the traditional music of his Bohemian homeland is strongly felt throughout but stiffened with a sinewy strength of purpose. Opening the concert are the Lachian Dances by Brno’s most famous musical son. Leoš Janacek. His Lachian Dances were his first mature work but are full of the vitality and rhythmic zest of his later masterpieces.