Listen up

With the passing of Dave Brubeck yesterday, I would like to do a double-shot post and present this smoking hot version of his standard Take Five. Please, please please, pay particular attention to the vintage 1964 clip as it shows very clearly the one single trait that separates great musicians from the merely good, (or in my case the occasionally wretched and mostly horrid), that of LISTENING. Watch as drummer Joe Morello keeps constant eye contact with the band, and then, in turn Dave does a 180 swivel to enjoy Joe's sizzling solo. The quartet maintains a subtle vibe (in titular 5/4 time), allowing bandmates to artistically and seamlessly stretch into their interpretation of the piece, a soulful exploration of, yes, the power of passion. Take Five. Where speed and cadence converge in a graceful and elegant jazzy harmonic. Thank you Dave. We may have lost the hard drive but the memory of your music will last forever at the cellular level.