Darius Brubeck
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David Darius Brubeck (born June 14, 1947) is an American jazz pianist, author, and educator. He is the son of jazz pianist
Dave Brubeck David Warren Brubeck (; December 6, 1920 – December 5, 2012) was an American jazz pianist and composer. Often regarded as a foremost exponent of cool jazz, Brubeck's work is characterized by unusual time signatures and superimposing contrasti ...
with whom he worked professionally in the 1970s, while also performing in his own bands, the Darius Brubeck Ensemble and Gathering Forces. In 1983, Brubeck joined the staff of the University of Natal (now
University of KwaZulu-Natal The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN; , ) is a public research university with five campuses in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. It was formed on 1 January 2004 after the merger between the University of Natal and the University ...
) in
Durban Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South ...
, South Africa, as a lecturer in Music with a mission to introduce jazz studies. Brubeck and his wife, Catherine, co-authored a memoir of their time in South Africa between 1983 and 2006 titled ''Playing the Changes: Jazz at an African University and on the Road'', published by University of KwaZulu-Natal Press (2023). The international edition was published by the University of Illinois Press (2024). The couple resides in
Rye, East Sussex Rye is a town and civil parish in the Rother District, Rother district of East Sussex, England, from the sea at the confluence of three rivers: the River Rother (Eastern), Rother, the River Tillingham, Tillingham and the River Brede, Brede. An ...
, in the south of England. Currently, Darius leads the Darius Brubeck Quartet— Dave O'Higgins, sax; Matt Ridley, bass; Wesley Gibbens, drums—based in London and Brubecks Play Brubeck, featuring his brothers
Chris Chris is a short form of various names including Christopher, Christian, Christina, and Christine. Chris is also used as a name in its own right, however it is not as common. People with the given name * Chris Abani (born 1966), Nigerian autho ...
(bass and trombone) and Dan (drums). A documentary film by Michiel ten Kleij (Red Cloak Films) titled ''Playing the Changes: Tracking Darius Brubeck'' was completed in 2023.


Early life and education

Brubeck was born on June 14, 1947, in
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
, California. to father
Dave Dave may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver * ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the 1993 film * ''Dave'' (TV series), a 2020 American comedy series * ...
and mother Iola (née Whitlock) Brubeck. Darius was named after his father's teacher and mentor, French composer
Darius Milhaud Darius Milhaud (, ; 4 September 1892 – 22 June 1974) was a French composer, conductor, and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as ''The Group of Six''—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His composition ...
. The family moved from
Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...
to
Wilton, Connecticut Wilton is a New England town, town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the town population was 18,503. The town is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, Wester ...
, in 1960, and Darius graduated from Wilton High School in 1965. Darius had five siblings—Michael (d. 2009),
Christopher Christopher is the English language, English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek language, Greek name Χριστόφορος (''Christophoros'' or ''Christoforos''). The constituent parts are Χριστός (''Christós''), "Jesus ...
, Catherine, Daniel, and Matthew—three of whom grew up to be professional musicians. Darius majored in
ethnomusicology Ethnomusicology is the multidisciplinary study of music in its cultural context. The discipline investigates social, cognitive, biological, comparative, and other dimensions. Ethnomusicologists study music as a reflection of culture and investiga ...
and the
history of religion The history of religion is the written record of human religious feelings, thoughts, and ideas. This period of religious history begins with the invention of writing about 5,200 years ago (3200 BCE). The Prehistoric religion, prehistory of reli ...
at
Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut, United States. It was founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the Methodi ...
, graduating
cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sout ...
in 1969. Brubeck was awarded an
MPhil A Master of Philosophy (MPhil or PhM; Latin ' or ') is a postgraduate degree. The name of the degree is most often abbreviated MPhil (or, at times, as PhM in other countries). MPhil are awarded to postgraduate students after completing at least ...
from the
University of Nottingham The University of Nottingham is a public research university in Nottingham, England. It was founded as University College Nottingham in 1881, and was granted a royal charter in 1948. Nottingham's main campus (University Park Campus, Nottingh ...
in 2003.


Career


Early music career (1970s – early 1980s)

While an undergraduate at Wesleyan, Brubeck worked on ''Christopher's Movie Matinee'' for the
National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; ) is a Canadian public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary films, animation, web documentaries, and altern ...
; he is credited for composing music and performing on the screen. As a keyboardist and pianist in the 1970s and early 1980s, Brubeck led the Darius Brubeck Ensemble and Gathering Forces and performed his original music. During that time, he also crossed America as a sideman with
Don McLean Donald McLean III (born October 2, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Known as the "American Troubadour" or "King of the Trail", he is best known for his 1971 hit "American Pie (song), American Pie", an eight-and-a-half-minut ...
and recorded two albums with guitarist
Larry Coryell Larry Coryell (born Lorenz Albert Van DeLinder III; April 2, 1943 – February 19, 2017) was an American jazz guitarist, widely considered the "godfather of fusion". Alongside Gábor Szabó, he was a pioneer in melding jazz, country and rock ...
. He toured the world and recorded as a member of Two Generations of Brubeck and the New Brubeck Quartet, both led by his father.


Academic career (1983 – present)

In 1983, Brubeck and his South African wife, Catherine, moved to
Durban Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South ...
to join the music Department at the University of Natal (renamed
University of KwaZulu-Natal The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN; , ) is a public research university with five campuses in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. It was formed on 1 January 2004 after the merger between the University of Natal and the University ...
in 2004). There, he initiated the first degree course in Jazz Studies offered by an African university. In 1989, he was appointed as professor of Jazz Studies and director of the Centre for Jazz and Popular Music, where he taught until 2005. From 1999 to 2000, Brubeck was a Visiting Fellow at the
University of Nottingham The University of Nottingham is a public research university in Nottingham, England. It was founded as University College Nottingham in 1881, and was granted a royal charter in 1948. Nottingham's main campus (University Park Campus, Nottingh ...
, where he earned an M.Phil degree and wrote a chapter ("1959: The Beginning of Beyond") in ''The Cambridge Companion to Jazz'' (2003). After moving to London in 2005, Brubeck taught courses at the
Guildhall School of Music and Drama The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a music school, music and drama school located in the City of London, England. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz al ...
and
Brunel University Brunel University of London (BUL) is a public research university located in the Uxbridge area of London, England. It is named after Isambard Kingdom Brunel, a Victorian engineer and pioneer of the Industrial Revolution. It became a university ...
. Appointed as a Fulbright Senior Specialist in Jazz Studies in 2007, he taught at
Yıldız Technical University Yıldız Technical University ( Turkish: ''Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi'', often simply referred to as YTU or Yıldız) is a prominent public technical university dedicated to engineering and natural sciences, as well as social sciences recentl ...
in
Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
and subsequently at the Gheorghe Dima Music Academy in
Cluj-Napoca Cluj-Napoca ( ; ), or simply Cluj ( , ), is a city in northwestern Romania. It is the second-most populous city in the country and the seat of Cluj County. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest (), Budapest () and Belgrade ( ...
,
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
, in 2010. Brubeck has received six Outstanding Service to Jazz Education awards from the
International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE), formerly a not-for-profit corporation based in Manhattan, Kansas, was a volunteer-run organization that, among other things, allocated student scholarships through its approved festivals program. ...
in 1988, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2005, and 2006. He regularly contributes papers to conferences related to jazz studies and retains an academic affiliation of Honorary Professor with the University of KwaZulu-Natal.


Jazz in South Africa (1980s – early 2000s)


University bands in South Africa

Brubeck formed five student/staff bands that officially represented the University of Natal (KwaZulu-Natal) and South Africa at
International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE), formerly a not-for-profit corporation based in Manhattan, Kansas, was a volunteer-run organization that, among other things, allocated student scholarships through its approved festivals program. ...
and other international conferences and festivals. The first, the Jazzanians, was formed in 1988 and was the first multi-racial student jazz band from a South African university. The publicity resulting from their appearance at the National Association of Jazz Educators Conference in Detroit and on American TV helped further jazz education in South Africa. The album ''The Jazzanians: We Have Waited Too Long'' (2024) was recorded in Durban in 1988. The album was re-mastered in 2024 for Ubuntu Music. The NU Jazz Connection (1992) which performed at the IAJE Conference in Miami also made an album, ''African Tributes'' for B&W Music.


Afro Cool Concept

In 1989, Brubeck formed the Afro Cool Concept, which toured southern Africa and internationally for nearly 15 years. In 1990, they recorded ''Afro-Cool Concept: Live in New Orleans'', featuring Barney Rachabane on alto sax, Victor Ntoni on bass, and Lulu Gontsana on drums. Ntoni later moved to Johannesburg and bassist Bongani Sokhela joined the group. Brubeck, Ntoni and Gontsana backed tenor sax players Winston Mankunku Ngozi, Ezra Ngcukana, and Duke Makasi, and guitarists Allen Kwela, Johnny Fourie and Sandile Shange in Durban and at the
National Arts Festival The National Arts Festival (NAF) is an annual festival of performing arts in Makhanda, South Africa. It is the largest arts festival on the African continent and one of the largest performing arts festivals in the world by visitor numbers. The ...
in Grahamstown. In 2004, Afro Cool Concept presented concerts in England, Denmark, and the United States. In 1993, B&W Music released ''Gathering Forces 2'', an album featuring Brubeck and bansuri player Deepak Ram at the Durban International Festival of Music. The independent South African record label
Sheer Sound Sheer Sound is a South African independent record label formed in 1994 by Damon Forbes. History Sheer Sound was formed in November 1994, shortly after South African general election, 1994, South Africa's first democratic elections. The label wa ...
released Afro-Cool Concept's ''Still On My Mind'' in 2003, and Darius Brubeck albums, ''Before It’s Too Late'' (2004) and ''Tugela Rail and Other Tracks'' (2007).


Other jazz bands in South Africa

During the 1990s and early 2000s, Brubeck led a variety of ad hoc bands based in Durban, with saxophonists including Mike Rossi, Chris Merz, and Zim Ngqawana. Brubeck formed the NU Jazz Connection in 1992, which consisted of himself and Mark Kilian on keyboards; Chris Merz on saxophone; and five students: Fezile Faku on trumpet, Lex Futshane on acoustic and electric bass, S’Thembiso Ntuli on tenor sax, Sazi Dlamini on guitar, and Lulu Gontsana on drums. NU Jazz Connection toured to Peru in 1999, performing in Cuzco and Lima. In 2003, Brubeck also directed the South African National Youth Jazz Band at the
North Sea Jazz Festival The North Sea Jazz Festival is a festival held annually on the second weekend of July in the Netherlands at the Ahoy venue. The festival moved to Rotterdam in 2006 after the demolition of the Statenhal in The Hague where it was originally held. ...
in the
Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
. In 2005, he led a band of students from the
University of Cape Town The University of Cape Town (UCT) (, ) is a public university, public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1829 as the South African College, it was granted full university status in 1918, making it the oldest univer ...
and the University of KwaZulu-Natal at the IAJE Conference in Long Beach, California. He often returns to South Africa and performs with local musicians, most recently in 2023, when the NU Jazz Connection was reconvened for the launch of the Brubecks’ book at the Centre for Jazz and Popular Music on the UKZN Durban campus.


International jazz pianist and bandleader (late 2000s – present)

Brubeck has performed across the globe. Major appearances include the 2007 and 2008 Cape Town International Jazz Festival, the
Kennedy Center Honors The Kennedy Center Honors are annual honors given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to Culture of the United States, American culture. They have been presented annually since 1978, culminating each December in ...
Gala Concert in 2009, the
Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of Arts festival, arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the ...
in 2013, and
Jazz at Lincoln Center Jazz at Lincoln Center is an organization based in New York City. Part of Lincoln Center, the organization was founded in 1987 and opened at Time Warner Center (now Deutsche Bank Center) in October 2004. The organization seeks to “represent th ...
in 2014. The Darius Brubeck Quartet regularly appears at jazz festivals and concert venues in the UK, Europe, and the Middle East and are regulars at London jazz venues including Ronnie Scott's Club, PizzaExpress Jazz Club, and The Jazz Cafe. Brubecks Play Brubeck, a group featuring three Brubeck brothers and British saxophonist Dave O'Higgins, has been touring annually since 2010. In February 2023, Darius and his brothers participated in a performance of ''The Gates of Justice'', a cantata composed by their parents. The performance was part of a week-long conference, "Music and Justice", organized by the Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish Experience at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.


Composer

Brubeck has written music for all types of ensemble, large and small. Two of his compositions, ''For Lydia'' (2013–14) and ''Tugela Rail'' (2019–20), have been included in the Royal School's international piano syllabus. In addition to writing for his own bands, Darius Brubeck's arrangements and an original composition for his father's 80th birthday can be heard on ''Dave Brubeck – Live with the LSO'' (2000). In 2004, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra commissioned a piece by Brubeck and Zim Ngqawana for "Let Freedom Swing", a setting of music to extracts from speeches by
Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( , ; born Rolihlahla Mandela; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa f ...
and
Desmond Tutu Desmond Mpilo Tutu (7 October 193126 December 2021) was a South African Anglican bishop and theologian, known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist. He was Bishop of Johannesburg from 1985 to 1986 and then Archbishop ...
. The texts were read by
Morgan Freeman Morgan Freeman (born June 1, 1937) is an American actor, producer, and narrator. In a career spanning six decades, he has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as a nomination for a Tony ...
at the premiere in New York City. In 2005, the
Rockefeller Foundation The Rockefeller Foundation is an American private foundation and philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The foundation was created by Standard Oil magnate John D. Rockefeller (" ...
awarded Brubeck a residency as a composer at the Bellagio Study and Conference Center in Italy. He is co-author with Michael Rossi of ''Odd Times: Uncommon Etudes in for Uncommon Time Signatures'', published by Advance Music in 2014.


Gathering Forces

Gathering Forces was the name of Brubeck's fusion band in the 1970s and early 1980s. He has since adopted the name for a label of self-published material. The label has released numerous albums including ''For Lydia and the Lion'' and ''Earthrise'' (2008), ''Two and Four'' (2010), ''Brubecks Play Brubeck'' (2011), ''Cathy's Summer'' (2014), ''Years Ago'' (2016), and ''The Darius Brubeck Quartet: Live in Poland'' (2019).


Discography


Awards and distinctions

* STIAS (Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study) Artist-in-Residence (2017, 2019) *
Fulbright The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States cultural exchange programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people ...
Senior Specialist (2007 – 2012), with visiting professorships in Turkey (2007) and Romania (2010) *
Rockefeller Foundation The Rockefeller Foundation is an American private foundation and philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The foundation was created by Standard Oil magnate John D. Rockefeller (" ...
– Bellagio Project Residency (2005) * International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) - ''Outstanding Service to Jazz Education'' (1988, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2005, 2006) ** Executive Board of IAJE (2006 – 08) * Berklee College of Music, Boston – Accomplishment in Contemporary Music (1998)


Bibliography (published writings)

Brubeck, Darius, & Catherine Brubeck, ''Playing the Changes: Jazz at an African University and on the Road'', UKZN Press, 2023; University of Illinois Press, 2024. Brubeck, Darius, "Better Than Perfect: Dave Brubeck and The Aesthetics of Imperfection", in A. Hamilton, L. Pearson (eds), ''The Aesthetics of Imperfection in Music and the Arts: Spontaneity, Flaws and the Unfinished'', London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2020. Rossi, Michael, & Darius Brubeck, ''Odd Times: Uncommon Etudes for Uncommon Time Signatures,'' Advance Music, 2015. Brubeck, Darius, "1959: The Beginning of Beyond", in Cooke & Horn (eds), ''The Cambridge Companion to Jazz'', Cambridge University Press, 2002. Brubeck, Darius, & Catherine Brubeck, 15 entries on South African musicians in B. Kernfeld (ed.), ''The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz'',  London: Macmillan: second edition, 2002.


References


External links


Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brubeck, Darius 1947 births 20th-century American pianists 21st-century American composers 21st-century American musicians Academic staff of the University of Natal Alumni of the University of Nottingham American expatriates in Romania American expatriates in South Africa Expatriate musicians in South Africa American expatriate musicians American expatriates in the United Kingdom American expatriates in Turkey American male jazz musicians American male pianists Dave Brubeck Quartet members Educators from California Jazz musicians from San Francisco Living people Pianists from San Francisco Wesleyan University alumni