Genre: jazz
Rating: 3 stars ***
Title: Darius Brubeck & Friends
Company: Tiger Lily
Catalog: TL
14004
Year: 1976
Country/State: US
Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+
Comments: cut out hole top right corner
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 5715
Price: $50.00
Tax loss labels were renown for issuing virtually anything they could get their hands on and this 1976 obscurity by the song of jazz legend Dave Brubeck served as pretty good evidence of that statement.
The source material for most of 1977's "Darius Brubeck & Friends" was apparently Brubeck's 1971 debut "Chaplin's Back" (Paramount catalog PAS 6026).
Note I said most. I've never heard the original album, but a comparison of the track listings shows there were a couple of discrepancies. The Paramount release reflected 11 selections while this version had ten. Missing in action was a song entitled 'Toy Waltz'. Another selection on the original LP 'Song Trieste' was also missing; replaced by 'Weeping Scene' (which may have been the same song with an altered title). Finally the original LP reflected an effort entitled 'Tango Bitterness' which appeared on the Tiger Lily set as 'Tango'.
You might also laugh to learn that Paramount actually floated a single off the original LP:
- 1971's 'Smile' b/w 'Theme from Limelight' (Paramount catalog number PAA-0148)
So much for the history. What's this one actually sound like? Well first off the album truly reflected music that had been written by silent movie actor Charlie Chaplin. Personally I didn't even know the late comedian wrote music, though I wasn't surprised given he seemed to handle virtually everything in his films. The concept of a tribute to the actor certainly struck me as kind of a strange idea, but I own other oddball records and guess what ... these ten tracks were surprisingly good. Keyboardist Brubeck and company took the original melodies giving them some punchy arrangements that put most jazz-rock practioneers to shame. There were a surprisingly number of standout performances, including the lone vocal ('Weeping Willows' - imagine Leon Redbone if the man could actually sing), the fuzz guitar and sax propelled 'The Chase', the fragile ballad 'Tango', and (I kid you not) the funky 'Theme from Limelight'. Not an album I expected to like, nor one that most rock and roll fans will want anything to do with, but this was a true surprise to me.
"Darius
Brubeck & Friends" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Smile (instrumental) (Turner - Parsons - Charlie Chaplin) - 3:34
2.) Theme from the Great Dictator (instrumental) (Charlie Chaplin) - 5:48
3.) The Chase (instrumental) - 0:58
4.) Weeping Willows (Charlie Chaplin) - 3:27
(side
2)
1.) Alone (Charlie Chaplin) - 0:22
2.) Theme from Limelight (Charlie Chaplin) - 3:41
3.) Tango (Charlie Chaplin) - 5:52
4.) Beautiful Wonderful Eyes (Charlie Chaplin) - 5:07
5.) Weeping Scene (Charlie Chaplin) - 1:24
6.) Smile/Eternally (Charlie Chaplin) - 6:04
Brubeck ended up emigrating to South Africa where he became a mainstay in the country's jazz scene, as well as an anti-Apartheid activist. He has a nice web site at:
http://www.brubeckmusic.com/darius.html