On a sunny February day, The Brubeck Brothers brought their long-running quartet to KNKX's Seattle studios for an exclusive session honoring the music of their father Dave Brubeck. They were in town for shows at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley.

Bassist (and trombonist) Chris Brubeck co-leads the band with his brother Dan Brubeck on drums. Mike DiMicco and Chuck Lamb handle guitar and piano. All four have considerable experience playing with Dave, who passed away in 2012, and honored the jazz giant with spirited performances of three of his compositions.

Chris and Dan's other two brothers are also musicians. The two were very inspired by The Dave Brubeck Quartet’s rhythm section. Dan recalled watching drummer Joe Morello as a child.

"I still to this day wonder how he did what he did," he laughed.

Chris added that Eugene Wright was a "meat-and-potatoes bass player." He studied Wright's technical and harmonic style, and how the bass player can adjust to the other musicians on the band stand.

"I always think of the bass player as being a supporting character, and Gene was that in Dave's group."

This exciting quartet performance began with “Blue Rondo à la Turk.” Chris announced the song joking that “it makes no sense that this tune would become popular all over the world, but it is!”

The tricky time signature, in 9/8, was no problem for this experienced quartet.

“We’ve heard it all of our lives,” Chris said, adding that it was an easy warm up song for this group.

Another composition that grew out of Dave’s famous 1958 US State Department tour around the world, the band played “Since Love Had Its Way.”

Chris explained to the studio audience that the tour had been directed by “that great jazz hippie President Eisenhower to say that America’s a great place."

"You can hear the basis of constitutional freedom in jazz – everyone has a voice, there’s a dialogue," he continued.

Dave and his wife Iola wrote a musical, The Real Ambassadors, about how jazz musicians like Dizzy Gillespie and Louis Armstrong were the most famous Americans in the world. The musical will be onstage at New York City's Lincoln Center in April.

“They were representing America in the best possible way,” Chris said.

The quartet’s final song was another example of the international reach of jazz. Inspired by a group of African musicians of multiple nationalities organized by the eldest Brubeck brother, Darius, “The Jazzanians” was written by Dave to honor one of the continent’s earliest jazz ensembles.

The bouncing composition featured Dan's drumming, busily exploring all aspects of his instrument. His solo, accompanied by Chris’ bass, was pure Brubeck – literally.

Both brothers expressed their delight in keeping their father’s music alive. They have recorded several of their own albums, but the family has also been busy unearthing previously unreleased recordings from the pianist and composer in recent years.

Released in 2023, Live from the Northwest, 1959 is a recording of Brubeck quartet performances in Portland, Oregon that precede the group’s best-selling album Time Out from later that year.

As the enthusiastic KNKX studio session audience poured out their appreciation, this set was a celebration of four talented jazz musicians and the music of Dave Brubeck. It’s certainly alive and well in the hands of the Brubeck Brothers Quartet.

Musicians:

• Chris Brubeck - bass
• Dan Brubeck - drums
• Mike DiMicco - guitar
• Chuck Lamb - piano

Songs:

1. Blue Rondo A La Turk (Dave Brubeck)
2. Since Love Had Its Way (Dave Brubeck & Iola Brubeck)
3. Jazzanians (Dave Brubeck)