The Dave Brubeck Quartet ‎– At Newport 1956 & 1959

The most famous incarnation of the Dave Brubeck Quartet was formed in 1957. Drummer Joe Dodge left the group in 1956 to spend more time with his wife and children and was replaced by Joe Morello. Bassist Norman Bates also left the group the following year for the comforts of home and family, and Brubeck chose Eugene Wright to take his place on bass. With Morello and Wright in the fold, the “Classic Quartet” was born. Although Brubeck and Desmond played with several musicians over the years, this new group of Brubeck, Desmond, Wright and MorelloN would gain worldwide celebrity andtour the globe with their music.
The present CD, containing two long out of print concerts by the Brubeck Quartet at the celebrated Newport Jazz Festival, marks the transition of the group. The first performance, recorded on July 6, 1956, has Joe Dodge on drums and Norman Bates on bass, while the second, taped on July 5, 1959, has Joe Morello on drums and Eugene Wright on bass.
As a bonus, this release also includes two obscure tracks from a radio broadcast taped during a concert in Hannover, during a 1958 “goodwill” international tour organized by the U.S. State Department. The tour included concerts in England, Germany, Scotland, Denmark, Belgium,Holland, Turkey, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq.