Dave Brubeck in India

It goes without saying that Dave Brubeck is an icon of Jazz, a legendary pianist who shaped so much of the music that we all love today by bringing the genre into the mainstream and also being one of the first to bring Jazz into the country.

As part of The President's Special International Program, an initiative which was made by the US congress to show American Culture to the world, Brubeck travelled all over the world including India. The Dave Brubeck quartet comprising of bassist Eugene Wright, drummer Joe Morello, alto saxophonist Paul Desmond and Of Course piano legend Brubeck himself played an extensive six city tour in Rajkot, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai in 1958.

Brubeck’s Indian voyage is filled with so many stories that have now gone on to become urban legends. The most famous one of course being the one about his Piano getting ruined due to the heat in Mumbai. To make amends, Dave went to the local music store to find a substitute, set his eyes on a Bösendorfer, (an Austrian piano company) and as soon as he made his selection “several porters came in put the piano on their heads and carried it through the streets to the venue.” They were walking in perfect rhythm, Marching together to create history.

His trip like any other, would also have him collaborate with some of the finest musicians in the country many of whom he would have a deep admiration for, such as Sitar legend Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan and Mridangam maestro Palani Subramania Pilai. These along with his other travels all over the world would influence him to create his magnum opus Time out, which was the first jazz album  to sell a million copies, reach no.2 on the billboard charts and gives us a timeless classic like Take 5.An Iconic jazz standard loved almost universally by critics and aficionados alike. 

Needless to say, Dave’s performance had a profound impact on India as well, enthralling audiences wherever he went, creating a sense of euphoria and excitement among music lovers in the country. This was probably the first time that they had seen an International Jazz legend perform. His performance paved the way for more legends to come to India like the great Duke Ellington and eventually lead to the formation of India’s first Jazz festival the legendary Jazz Yatra.

 In recent years legends like the Ahmad Jamal trio, Sonny Rollins Dave Weckl and Wayne Krantz have all played in this country. Smaller acts from all over the world play frequently in Jazz clubs like The Piano Man in Delhi as well. The scene is thriving with a lot of young people taking interest too. A lot has changed over the years, and we owe probably a lot, if not all to the ambassador of cool Jazz himself.

Read more: Jethro Tull In India

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