[Dixielandjazz] Brubeck & Desmond

[Stephen G Barbone]

On Jun 22, 2009, at 11:31 PM, Randy Fendrick wrote:

> Wasn't Desmond and Brubeck in the Army together during WW II, but  
> Desmond wouldn't hire Brubeck because he couldn't read music and it  
> was only later, in the real late forties, when Desmond started  
> hanging around and asking for a gig that they were able to hook up.   
> That was the story I heard.  Read the book West Coast Jazz by Ted  
> Gioia for further details.
> Great book, lost of insight
> later,

For Randy and other Brubeck fans:

See http://www.smithsonianjazz.org/oral_histories/pdf/Brubeck.pdf  for  
a transcript of the Smithsonian Oral History Jazz project with Dave  
Brubeck. It is very long, but supplies just about everything you might  
want to know about this wonderful jazz pianist, including his  
relationship with Desmond, who was wont to steal gigs from DB in those  
early days, hiring the same musicians except for DB, so Desmond could  
collect the leader fee.

In order for Brubeck to graduate from college (before Mills &  
Milhaud), he had to give his solemn word that he would never teach  
music. The dean finding out that Brubeck couldn't read music was going  
to prevent his graduation. Several music professors intervened citing  
his excellent work in theory and harmony courses and so he graduated.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband