by Hans Schroeder

A day short of 92 years. That’s how long you were with us on this planet, Dave. And in those 92 years, you contributed immeasurably to what is now a rich and vibrant culture of intellect and progress.

As a young man, you rose to the patriotic duty asked of you by your country. While military service may not have been a job you volunteered for, it was a job you accepted as did so many thousands of other US citizens during those years of potentially dire consequences. And it was while you were serving that you found the inspiration you needed to give us your greatest achievement. I sometimes wonder what music would be like today had you not heard those Turkish soldiers improvising together in 15/16 and 9/8 time.

Time Out has become a staple, not only for jazz, but for music as a whole. Few artists have been able to present a challenging new idea and have it be so widely accepted and beloved. More often than not, progressive artists receive all their praise and acclaim posthumously, while the critics that were their contemporaries attack their art with scorn and disapproval. You were able to break new ground, and did so in a way that inspired musicians and listeners the world over. Not many composers have written a jazz tune that becomes a national phenomenon.

“Blue Rondo A La Turk” is a brilliant piece, as is “Kathy’s Waltz,” and Paul Desmond’s “Take Five.” Time Out rightfully holds its place atop a podium of seminal jazz records alongside the likes of Kind of Blue and Somethin’ Else. You created a wondrous marriage of art, entertainment, and intellect that has provided generation after generation with intrigue and joy.

It’s not only your contributions to creativity that has made your time on earth such a gift. You also made brilliant philanthropic efforts to emphasize the value of education. Jazz is very much a self-sustaining society. We take young people who are willing and eager, and we teach them about jazz. We teach them about jazz history, and the importance of remembering our nation’s roots. We teach them about compositional theory so new generations of writers can provide us with pleasure and innovation. We share our knowledge of improvisation so young musicians can partake in the moving and other-worldly experience that is spontaneous collaboration. And we then fade to the distance as we watch the people we’ve taught and trained pay the collective knowledge forward to the next generation.

You founded the Brubeck Institute, a highly prestigious jazz school that has helped shape some of the most brilliant of minds into what they are today. Through selfless dedication, you realized that jazz was bigger than what you could create alone, and offered the rewards of your success so future musicians could belong to that same echelon of elite theorists and musicians. By placing such immense value in education, you are one of the people who have lifted jazz to the high platform of art and academia that it deservedly sits on.

You gave us joy, and entertainment. You gave us progress, and inspiration. You gave us knowledge, experience, and passion. And you gave us all this with grace, charm, and nobility. You asked for no praise, and turned that which you did receive into a stunning momentum shared by creators and consumers alike.

While your departure is certainly a sad one, you’ve left behind a vast legacy that will be celebrated until civilization no longer walks the earth.

So thank you, Dave. Thank you for your imagination, and for your brilliance. Thank you for your devotion, and thank you for your work.

Although I’m writing this with the knowledge that you will never have the chance to read it, I take comfort in knowing that you felt the appreciation that numerous generations have kept for you.

Sincerely,

A fan