Exquisite production - panning and zooming from story to music - the combination of Brubeck's stories and music clips (happily, not always specific to the story) - provide an all encompassing FEEL of the man's life, beyond the facts. You start imagining his music room, his breakfast, the views out his windows, the colors he likes - it's crazy because there is none of that actually in the piece. Fishko, the interviewer is easy company -almost like a niece or a daughter- a friendly unobtrusive nudge, keeping the forward motion, a succint host. The music to word ratio never drags and there are beautiful nuggets - like Miles Davis famous version of Brubeck's In Your Own Sweet Way - and then Brubeck playing it unaccompanied at home...the display of personality, musical individuality is stunning and handled with great subtlety. Then there's history: Brubeck quietly talks about spreading the idea of freedom through jazz. It's pretty inspiring. He wonders why arts and music programs are being cut in schools today while during the depression, when bread was scarce, music was the last thing they'd ever take away. good question.
It's an hour that works on a lot of levels.
Review of An Hour With Dave Brubeck
[redacted]
Posted on July 02, 2004 at 06:29 AM
Exquisite production - panning and zooming from story to music - the combination of Brubeck's stories and music clips (happily, not always specific to the story) - provide an all encompassing FEEL of the man's life, beyond the facts. You start imagining his music room, his breakfast, the views out his windows, the colors he likes - it's crazy because there is none of that actually in the piece. Fishko, the interviewer is easy company -almost like a niece or a daughter- a friendly unobtrusive nudge, keeping the forward motion, a succint host. The music to word ratio never drags and there are beautiful nuggets - like Miles Davis famous version of Brubeck's In Your Own Sweet Way - and then Brubeck playing it unaccompanied at home...the display of personality, musical individuality is stunning and handled with great subtlety. Then there's history: Brubeck quietly talks about spreading the idea of freedom through jazz. It's pretty inspiring. He wonders why arts and music programs are being cut in schools today while during the depression, when bread was scarce, music was the last thing they'd ever take away. good question.
It's an hour that works on a lot of levels.