Jazz Musician. His career spanned almost all of American jazz since World War II. He formed "The Dave Brubeck Quartet" in 1951 and was the first modern jazz musician to be pictured on the cover of Time magazine on Nov. 8, 1954. He helped define the swinging, smoky rhythms of 1950s and `60s club jazz. The seminal album 'Time Out' featuring 'Take Five', released by the quartet in 1959, was the first ever million-selling jazz LP, and is still among the best-selling jazz albums of all time. After service in World War II and study at Mills College in Oakland, California, he formed an octet that played his originals and standards by other composers. Their groundbreaking album 'Dave Brubeck Octet' was recorded in 1946. The group evolved into the Quartet, which played colleges and universities. Their first album, 'Jazz at Oberlin', was recorded live at Oberlin College in Ohio in 1953. He disbanded the Quartet at the end of 1967 which allowed him more time to compose the longer, extended orchestral and choral works that were occupying his attention. In later years Brubeck composed music for operas, ballet, even a contemporary mass. Among awards he received throughout his career were the Connecticut Arts Award, the National Medal of Arts Award, National Endowment for the Arts, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, the BBC Jazz Lifetime Achievement Award and the Benjamin Franklin Award for Public Diplomacy. In 2008 he was inducted into California Hall of Fame and was a Kennedy Centre Honouree in 2009. Brubeck died of heart failure one day before his 92nd birthday.

Jazz Musician. His career spanned almost all of American jazz since World War II. He formed "The Dave Brubeck Quartet" in 1951 and was the first modern jazz musician to be pictured on the cover of Time magazine on Nov. 8, 1954. He helped define the swinging, smoky rhythms of 1950s and `60s club jazz. The seminal album 'Time Out' featuring 'Take Five', released by the quartet in 1959, was the first ever million-selling jazz LP, and is still among the best-selling jazz albums of all time. After service in World War II and study at Mills College in Oakland, California, he formed an octet that played his originals and standards by other composers. Their groundbreaking album 'Dave Brubeck Octet' was recorded in 1946. The group evolved into the Quartet, which played colleges and universities. Their first album, 'Jazz at Oberlin', was recorded live at Oberlin College in Ohio in 1953. He disbanded the Quartet at the end of 1967 which allowed him more time to compose the longer, extended orchestral and choral works that were occupying his attention. In later years Brubeck composed music for operas, ballet, even a contemporary mass. Among awards he received throughout his career were the Connecticut Arts Award, the National Medal of Arts Award, National Endowment for the Arts, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, the BBC Jazz Lifetime Achievement Award and the Benjamin Franklin Award for Public Diplomacy. In 2008 he was inducted into California Hall of Fame and was a Kennedy Centre Honouree in 2009. Brubeck died of heart failure one day before his 92nd birthday.

Bio by: Louis du Mort