EP 16: The Dave Brubeck Trio Featuring Gerry Mulligan – When Returning To The Old Is New And Exactly What Are The Blues Anyway?

I think when most people hit the jackpot, they go out and buy their lottery dream-home and live happily ever after. Well we know from studies that winning the lottery or striking it rich does not always end up well down the road. But you get the point. You win and you are free to do absolutely nothing. Why work when you don’t have it. However, for many if not most artists, no matter how successful they get, they don’t stop —they keep on working and keep pushing boundaries even it means more pressure and yes, more work. They do it because they have to. For them there is no alternative to their making art or playing music. Their creativity needs an outlet and they are so busy they can’t stop.

Dave Brubeck found himself in that position in 1967. He ended the very successful classic Dave Brubeck Quartet but less than a year later he has an all new quartet and was back touring and recording new material. Not only that but he started doing what he had rarely done before, he dived into the blues, the roots of all American music from jazz and rock to rap and hip-hop to country western.

And what are the blues anyway? This episode looks at exactly how the blues are defined musically.