Dave Brubeck - Take 5

This is the jazz song that changed my life. A kid in high school was into the retro jazz scene when everyone else was into bands like The Jam, The Police, The Cure, etc. This kid was in a grade ahead of me (or two?) and he was a part of the even cooler crowd than what I hung out with. He found out I played piano and asked me if I liked jazz. I said "sure" equating my Dad's Henry Mancini albums to jazz. But what Todd meant was bebop and beatnick jazz; coffee houses and free verse poetry type stuff - you know the whole retro 50's alternative scene pre-British invasion.

Todd gave me a recording of Brubeck's Take 5 and after a few minutes of listening, I was playing it by ear for him in the music building at Mira Loma High School. I think that impressed Todd (my playing by ear tends to impress a lot of folks - but truthfully, I've just always been able to do it! - it's not a talent I've developed, it's a gift I was given - I can't take any credit for it!)

Todd was talking about putting together a quartet and playing local coffee house gigs. I wish I would have taken him up on that. Oh well... I did end up playing in college.