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The Dave Brubeck Quartet
LP: Live from the Northwest, 1959 - 2023 Record Store Day Release
Recorded: April 4, 1959 at The Multnomah Hotel and April 5, 1959 at Clark College.
Released: November 24th, 2023 - RSD Black Friday
Limited to 3500 Copies

Side 1
When The Saints Go Marching In 0:00
Basin Street Blues 6:37
The Lonesome Road 13:09

Brubeck Editions is thrilled to announce the release of The Dave Brubeck Quartet, Live From The Northwest, 1959. This collection of recordings from two electrifying concerts is a celebration of the iconic quartet’s singular sound and stellar output in the 1950’s. The legendary Mr. Brubeck’s pianistic refrains dance with alto saxophonist Paul Desmond’s fluid melodic invention, and the steadfast rhythm section made up of bassist Eugene Wright and drummer Joe Morello offers the perfect balance of support and rhythmic invention.

In early April 1959, sound engineer Wally Heider packed his Ampex 350-2 tape recorder in his station wagon and headed to Portland, Oregon to create some of the very first high-quality remote recordings of the classic Dave Brubeck Quartet. Audiences were falling in love with the group because of their fresh sound, their incomparable musicianship, and an astonishing proclivity to improvise contrapuntal passages spontaneously. This was just months before the rhythmic invention and hallmark sound of the quartet’s historic Time Out took the world by storm. The rhythmic innovation and unprecedented success of Time Out, recorded only four months later, eclipsed the Quartet’s signature mastery of spontaneous counterpoint that had fascinated their audience in the 50’s; but on Live from the Northwest, 1959, their unprecedented skills are gloriously evident. What Wally Heider captures on this release are two performances that embody the very sound of the Dave Brubeck Quartet that audiences first fell in love with – lightning in a bottle.

Recorded on April 4, 1959 at the historic Multnomah Hotel in Portland and on April 5th in the auditorium at nearby Clark College, The Dave Brubeck Quartet, Live from the Northwest, 1959 features all four band members in peak form. The Multnomah tapes put you in the “best seat in the house” vibe of an intimate late ‘50’s jazz venue and invites you to absorb the environment and the marvelous music. The Clark College tracks are brilliantly played and presented in pristine concert hall acoustics. It is a testament to Heider’s engineering skills that there is a wonderful sonic quality that unifies the soundscape of the two venues.

“When The Saints Go Marching In”, the album’s first track, will be the first single scheduled for digital release on October 13, 2023. This is the only known recording of this jazz anthem by the “classic” Quartet. Darius Brubeck describes this track as “a master class in rhythm section unanimity with solos that cruise joyfully at a fast tempo.” Dave Brubeck plays with a light and nimble touch that evokes Count Basie. You can hear him inviting Paul back in for the final “head out” before they burst into a Bach-like impromptu duet that dances around the chord changes. Gene and Joe provide the solid foundation which enables Paul and Dave to let their ideas soar. As Matt Brubeck observes “one hopes bassists will note how much variation there is in Wright’s walking lines. Even with relatively short forms such as “Saints” and “Basin Street,” Wright is constantly improvising, rarely repeating himself.”

“Basin Street Blues” you can hear that the Quartet is in that special state-of-mind where the solos are relaxed and exploratory. Chris Brubeck says “Paul’s solo is grounded in a more traditional approach but you hear him pushing the harmonic envelope during his excursions. Dave is singing along with his solos, achieving a musical unity between his imagination and his fingers, which I know from having played hundreds of performances with him, is a rare place for him to be as a performer. On this stage, on this night, he and the band are deep in The Zone.”

The elegant acoustics of the auditorium provide an invitation for the Quartet to play their sensitive and sparse arrangement of “The Lonesome Road.” Music at its core is an art form where the performers are telling a story to engage the audience. Upon hearing this performance, Darius wrote: “The development is like Beethoven would have done it, the story-arc is there right through growth, a busy life and the funeral march towards the end and the ending itself.”

The Dave Brubeck Quartet, Live From The Northwest, 1959 affords listeners the experience of enjoying the “best seat in the house” at two exceptional performances by Brubeck’s iconic Quartet during the very height of its synergy and exploration. Recording Legend Wally Heider captures the Quartet at the peak of their swinging, contrapuntal era

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