Contributed by Doug Ferguson
Dave Brubeck, founder of the legendary jazz group, The Dave Brubeck Quartet, passed away six years ago this coming December 5th, 2012 at the age of 92. Hearing his name again on “Big Cabbage Radio” here in the Valley recently brought back some unforgettable memories. When I was an engineering student at Case Institute of Technology, I saw his quartet perform live at Severance Hall in Cleveland, Ohio in March of 1957. Severance Hall was the home, and still is, of the famous Cleveland Symphony.
At the time, this was a very big deal. Brubeck’s quartet was one of the biggest draws at west coast colleges in the ‘50s and Case’s student government and other colleges nearby were looking for ways to get him to Cleveland. Because of his popularity among college students, they expected a very large audience.
Severance Hall officials were approached and initially declined. After receiving assurances of promoting proper dress and behavior from the Case student government, the ruling board finally approved the history-making performance: The first jazz concert at Severance Hall!
To understand what happened at this concert and how at the time it demonstrated the generation gap between west coast jazz and the rest of the country, recall the strict behavior you follow at a classical music concert, that is: no clapping between movements. Now think about your typical jazz concert of today, lots of clapping and cheering after a solo while the group, still playing, transitions to another solo or part of the piece. Today, everyone is comfortable with each of these venues.
However, in the 1950s, jazz and classical music were two totally separate, disconnected worlds. Jazz was not in any way considered “highbrow” by many as it originated in bars and clubs. After WWII, it had become very popular in concerts at college campuses during the 1950s. There it had established a very informal atmosphere for performances as was appropriate for its roots.
On the evening of the concert, the huge old symphony hall was packed with a mix of regular symphony concertgoers and college students that had previously only been in the hall for symphony performances. No one there really knew what the rules were for jazz concerts! This was the environment in which the Dave Brubeck Quartet found itself that night in Severance Hall.
The first half of the concert went without incident with polite applause at the end of each number. Then a number came up where the very talented, but temperamental saxophonist Paul Desmond played one of his long “riffs” for which he had become famous in the jazz world. At the end of his solo, there was dead silence from the audience as the quartet transitioned to the next part of the piece. Desmond, who some had dubbed the “king of west coast cool”, looked stunned! At the end of the number, when the audience did applaud, he walked off the stage!
Brubeck immediately announced a break and when they returned from the break,
Desmond was not there, refusing to play for an audience that he thought disrespected him! Brubeck, Norman Bates the bass player and Joe Morello the drummer finished the second half of the concert as a trio!
In later jazz concerts, both the Severance audiences loosened up and the performers became more understanding of the more formal atmosphere in a concert hall. Paul Desmond went on to pen the famous “Take Five” jazz classic for the quartet. In fact, just two years before his death Brubeck performed at Severance Hall with his current quartet that included his son, in his 90th birthday celebration with the Cleveland Symphony on December 16, 2010!
However, I for one will never forget the very first jazz concert in old Severance Hall!
On the evening of the concert, the huge old symphony hall was packed with a mix of regular symphony concertgoers and college students that had previously only been in the hall for symphony performances. No one there really knew what the rules were for jazz concerts! This was the environment in which the Dave Brubeck Quartet found itself that night in Severance Hall.
The first half of the concert went without incident with polite applause at the end of each number. Then a number came up where the very talented, but temperamental saxophonist Paul Desmond played one of his long “riffs” for which he had become famous in the jazz world. At the end of his solo, there was dead silence from the audience as the quartet transitioned to the next part of the piece. Desmond, who some had dubbed the “king of west coast cool”, looked stunned! At the end of the number, when the audience did applaud, he walked off the stage!
Brubeck immediately announced a break and when they returned from the break,
Desmond was not there, refusing to play for an audience that he thought disrespected him! Brubeck, Norman Bates the bass player and Joe Morello the drummer finished the second half of the concert as a trio!
In later jazz concerts, both the Severance audiences loosened up and the performers became more understanding of the more formal atmosphere in a concert hall. Paul Desmond went on to pen the famous “Take Five” jazz classic for the quartet. In fact, just two years before his death Brubeck performed at Severance Hall with his current quartet that included his son, in his 90th birthday celebration with the Cleveland Symphony on December 16, 2010!
However, I for one will never forget the very first jazz concert in old Severance Hall!
