At Carnegie Hall is a jazz album by The Dave Brubeck Quartet, released in 1963 (see 1963 in music); it was recorded at the famed Carnegie Hall in New York City. It was described by critic Richard Palmer as "arguably Dave Brubeck's greatest concert" and a "truly majestic record that should be in every serious collection"; for Don Mather it is "one of the all time great live jazz performances". [1]

Ironically, originally expectations for the concert and album were low. Not only was drummer Joe Morello recovering from a case of the flu at the time, but New York had been suffering from a newspaper strike, and the group was worried that the attendance would be sparse.

The worries were groundless; the group, whose long history together had by then made them extraordinarily close-knit, turned in a sparkling performance that has become a classic. It featured a remarkable level of co-ordination among the members of the group, at the same time as they display a relaxed yet powerful virtuosity. The latter was especially displayed in their numerous extended, yet still melodious, solo improvisations.

High points include a particularly swinging rendition of For All We Know, and a memorable, powerful, and fascinating drum solo on Castilian Drums. The highlight of the concert is a remarkable rendition of the Brubeck classic Blue Rondo a la Turk, which starts off at a seemingly impossible pace, yet later builds in intensity as the tempo first slows for some intense solos, and then doubles again for a thrilling climax.

The album is somewhat unusual because it contains the complete concert; the producer, Teo Macero, noted that "not a note or a phrase of the musical part of the progam has been deleted". The only change was to move It's a Raggy Waltz, originally heard after Eleven-Four, to a later position; this was done to allow the concert to fit onto two LP records.

The liner notes (by George Simon, jazz critic for the New York Herald Tribune) include extensive comments by Brubeck on each selection.

Several songs recorded during the show, including the memorable Blue Rondo a la Turk and Take Five, were later re-released on Adventures in Time (1972) and The Great Concerts ... Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Carnegie Hall (1988).

Track listings

1. "St. Louis Blues" (W. C. Handy) - 11:52
2. "Bossa Nova U.S.A." (D. Brubeck) - 7:21
3. "For All We Know" (S. Lewis - J. F. Coots) - 9:38
4. "Pennies From Heaven" (J. Burke - A. Johnston) - 10:15
5. "Southern Scene (Briar Bush)" (D. Brubeck) - 7:12
6. "Three To Get Ready" (D. Brubeck) - 6:40

1. "Eleven-Four" (P. Desmond) - 3:44
2. "King For a Day" (I. Brubeck - D. Brubeck) - 6:15
3. "Castilian Drums (Parts I and II)" (D. Brubeck) - 14:14
4. "It's a Raggy Waltz" (D. Brubeck) - 6:47
5. "Blue Rondo a la Turk" (D. Brubeck) - 12:40
6. "Take Five" (P. Desmond) - 7:15

Personnel

• Dave Brubeck - Piano
• Paul Desmond - Alto saxophone
• Gene Wright - Double bass
• Joe Morello - Drums

Personnel - Production

• Teo Macero - Producer, Liner Notes
• Peter Rachtman - Concert Producer
• George T. Simon - Liner Notes

External links

• Review in All About Jazz