1998 · Album
Brubeck & Rushing
Recorded 1960 · Columbia · Personnel: Dave Brubeck (piano), Paul Desmond (alto saxophone), Jimmy Rushing (vocals)
When Brubeck Met the Blues Singer
Rushing sounds rejuvenated by the fresh setting, his voice fitting perfectly behind Brubeck's restless quartet.
Jimmy Rushing was a swing and blues vocalist from another era — a man who had sung in big bands and knew every standard in the book. By 1960, when he stepped into the studio with Dave Brubeck, Paul Desmond, and the rest of the quartet, there was no guarantee the pairing would work. Brubeck was the modernist, the pianist chasing odd meters and cool sophistication. Rushing was old-school, a vocalist built for warmth and groove. What happened instead was surprisingly natural. The quartet didn't dominate or complicate Rushing's material. They stepped back. Desmond's alto and Brubeck's piano gave him space to breathe, to let his phrasing land the way it always had. The standards on this record came from Rushing's world, not Brubeck's, and that mattered. The fresh setting didn't require Rushing to adapt; it let him sound like himself in new company. Scott Yanow's review at AllMusic captured it best — the entire meeting is very relaxed and refreshing, the kind of session where nobody has anything to prove. This is a solid find for listeners who want to hear what happens when a great singer gets paired with musicians smart enough to listen. It won't change your life, but it's a reminder that the best collaborations often happen when players step out of their lane and trust each other.
Who's playing
Eugene Wrightdouble bass
Dave Brubeckpiano
Paul Desmondalto saxophone
Joe Morellodrums
Jimmy Rushingperformer
Where next?
More by Jimmy Rushing
All 17 albums →
The musicians on this record
Take Ten 1963
Paul Desmond
plays alto saxophone here
plays alto saxophone here
A Dave Brubeck Christmas 1996
Dave Brubeck
plays piano here
plays piano here
