Dave Brubeck - The Essential (CD)

The Essential Dave Brubeck--a two-disc set--is additionally notable for the man who selected all of its material: Dave Brubeck. The 31 tracks draw from 24 albums, spanning 53 years (1949-2002). There are studio and live recordings, groundbreaking performances (Brubeck leading his early quartets, which helped set the tone for West Coast cool), solo piano items, and many examples of his importance as a composer (including, among other things, the lilting "In Your Own Sweet Way" and the harmonically challenging "The Duke.") Plus there are special guest cameos by Tony Bennett, Carmen McRae, Jimmy Rushing, Gerry Mulligan--and jazz's once and future king, Louis Armstrong.