As part of the
Jazz Moods series from Sony, pianist and composer
Dave Brubeck is spotlighted on 11 tracks recorded for the label between 1955 and 1960. These sessions highlight the widely accepted jazz/pop combination achieved through tracks like "Take Five," "Audrey," and "Strange Meadow Lark," along with live versions of "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "The Duke." The pianist, along with the graceful and brilliant alto saxophonist
Paul Desmond, employed a winning formula that combined straight-ahead jazz while exploring current trends in popular music, such as the Broadway standards "Some Day My Prince Will Come," "Tonight," and "I Feel Pretty." The one complaint with this compilation is the omission of
Brubeck's classic composition "Blue Rondo a la Turk." ~ Al Campbell