Tonight Only! - Dave Brubeck & Carmen McRae

 

Weep No More

Tonight Only!

The Dave Brubeck Quartet

Guest Star: Carmen McRae

Cover Photo: Columbia Record Studios - Henry Parker

Columbia Records CL 1609

Weep No More, Briar Bush, Paradiddle Joe and Strange Meadowlark were recorded in New York City on September 9, 1960. Melanctha and Tristesse were recorded December 14, and Talkin' and Walkin', Late Lament and Tonight Only on December 15

From the back cover: Tonight Only! brings together TheDave Brubeck Quartet and Carmen McRae, performing eight compositions by Dave and two members of his Quartet, saxophonist Paul Desmond and bass player Eugene Wright, an one fine jazz standard. The collaboration points up the remarkable lyric qualities of the Brubeck group, along with Carmen's uncommon talent for revealing the meaning of a song.

Dave and Carmen worked closely on the choice of the selections. Says Dave of this artistically stimulating project, "One afternoon Carmen came to our house and obligingly ran through half a dozen songs we had picked out for her to sing. I looked at my wife in amazement. We had never dreamed our songs could sound so good. Carmen has an instinctive, intuitive understanding of a lyric. She can generate an emotional impact seldom found in a popular song."

As in the Brubeck Quartet's album with Jimmy Rushing (CL 1553/CS 8385), collaboration with another superb musician produces an especially exciting program.

The first selection, Melanctha, is a blues from an opera-in-progress by Dave and Liz Blake, based on the story "Melanctha," from Gertrude Stein's book, "Three Lives." The song opens with the cries of Negro workmen calling "Melanctha! Melanctha! Melanctha!" Dave plays the verse and then the song moves into a 12-bar blues with different chord progressions.

Dave wrote Weep No More in 1945, and played and sang the song for his fellow Gls while in Europe. The tune made its first recorded appearance in the Columbia album "Brubeck Plays Brubeck" (CL 878). At Carmen's request, Dave hunted up his old sheet music and lyrics for this program.

'Talkin' and Walkin', as the name implies, makes its communication as it walks along, featuring a bass solo by composer-Quartet member Eugene Wright.

Briar Bush is a little folk sermon, with quotations from "Proverbs." The melody first appeared as the title piece in the Quartet's album, "Southern Scene" (CL 1439/CS 8253"). Lyrics were subsequently provided by Dave and his wife Lola. Carmen's remarkable performance brings this tribute from the composer: "Carmen has added even to my own understanding of the music."

Paradiddle Joe is a dialogue between Carmen and drummer Joe Morello, a driving new version of a jazz classic. This number was included at my suggestion.

Paul Desmond's composition Late Lament reflects his own sensitive lyricism. Brubeck's haunting Tristesse is the same mood, a melancholy ballad in Dave's most reflective style.

Strange Meadowlark, based on the notes of the meadowlark call, was originally an instrumental in the Quartet's lively experiments-in-rhythm album, "Time Out" (CL 1397/CS 8192*). Lyrics, by Mrs. Brubeck, explain the plight of a poor meadowlark who had to sing the blues after her mate flew south.

Dave wrote Tonight Only in collaboration with O. (for Original) Basil Johns. Dave's original Number One fan, Johns has been a devoted listener since 1946, when Dave was playing in San Francisco clubs. Original Basil Johns used to sit as close to the keyboard as possible, reacting to Dave's playing with a bewildering mixture of grunts, groans and laughs. They became fast friends. Basil, using his own tape ma- chine, was the first to record Dave. He has been present at many subsequent Brubeck recording sessions, by Dave's request, for his contagious enthusiasm helps to ease studio tension. This number is dedicated to Basil's wife. – Teo Macero

Dave Brubeck's remarkable influence on contemporary jazz is reflected in the enthusiasm his appearances arouse throughout the world. With his Quartet, Dave has appeared every- where from Carnegie Hall (with the New York Philharmonic and Leonard Bernstein in Howard Brubeck's Dia- logue for Jazz Combo and Symphony Orchestra heard on Columbia record CL 1466/CS 8257) to open-air platforms in the Middle East, and always to overflow audiences.

A consistent poll winner, both as pianist and as leader of the Quartet, Dave is also a prolific composer. He has written many of the Quartet's most popular numbers and has demon- strated his classical studies in a ballet, a string quartet, two piano works and numerous songs. As a spokesman for contemporary music Dave is as forceful a writer as he is at the keyboard.

Dave was born in Concord, California in 1920, the youngest of three sons. His mother was one of the leading piano teachers in the San Francisco area. Her three sons have distinguished themselves in the field of music, Henry, in musical education; Howard, as a composer, conductor and teacher; Dave, as a jazz pianist and composer.

Dave entered The College of the Pacific in 1938 to become a veterinarian. The Science Building and the Music Conservatory, however were closely situated on the campus; soon Brubeck was spending free hours in jam sessions with other students, or playing piano in Stockton night clubs. With the encouragement of J. Russell Bodley, a composition student of Nadia Boulanger, Dave decided to make music his career. Following graduation from The College of the Pacific in 1942 he began private lessons with the renowned French composer Darius Milhaud.

Army service interrupted his lessons. For two years Dave played with the Army Ground Forces Radio Band at Camp Haan near Riverside, California.

Dave was sent to the European theater as an infantryman. When a Red Cross entertainment unit sent out an S.O.S. for a piano player, Brubeck volunteered. This was the first step toward organizing, writing and arranging for the Wolf Pack Band, which played for thousands of soldiers on their way to and from the front lines. In 1946 he returned to Oakland to resume composition studies with Darius Milhaud at Mills College and to study piano with Fred Saatman of San Francisco. At Mills he organized an experimental jazz group known as "The 8."

It was at a concert of "The 8" that Jimmy Lyons, KNBC disc jockey, first heard Brubeck. After the concert Lyons rushed to NBC program director Paul Speegle to make known his discovery of a new jazz stylist. NBC pianist Marie Choppin beat Lyons to Speegle's office by a few minutes to announce her discovery of a new composer. Both discoveries were Dave Brubeck.

Today, thanks to his extensive Columbia record catalog, worldwide tours in 1958, appearances at concerts, jazz festivals, and clubs, Brubeck has an international following. *Stereo

Melanchtha
Weep No More
Talkin' and Walkin'
Briar Bush
Paradiddle Joe
Late Lament
Strange Meadowlark
Tristesse
Tonight Only