Ensemble's performance pays tribute to two jazz icons

The Whitefish Theatre Company is thrilled to present the Dan Brubeck Quartet, an award-winning, jazz ensemble that is paying tribute to Dan’s late parents, Dave and Iola Brubeck. With their brilliantly realized new album called “Celebrating the Music and Lyrics of Dave & Iola Brubeck,” the Dan Brubeck Quartet presents a fresh and compelling performance that honors two legendary American jazz icons on Sunday, Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish.

The second youngest of Dave and Iola Brubeck’s six children, Dan has an extensive history of performing and recording alongside his famous pianist father Dave Brubeck and had long wanted to explore some of the songs and textual settings that his parents collaborated on over the years.

For over 60 years, Dave Brubeck was one of the most important jazz musicians in America, but not many knew just how heavily he relied on his wife Iola in his career. According to Dan, Iola was not just a key organizer of her husband’s grassroots fanbase, she was also the lyricist of many of his songs.

“No one really knew that she had written a lot of lyrics to these songs, and they were really beautiful lyrics and she was really well-respected in the music industry on a lot of levels,” Dan Brubeck said.

“Celebrating the Music and Lyrics of Dave & Iola Brubeck” brings out hidden gems from the vault and dives joyously into some classic tunes, including well-known favorites “Blue Rondo à la Turk,” “The Duke,” “In Your Own Sweet Way,” and the classic “Take Five.”

A truly accomplished performer, JUNO Award-nominated drummer Dan Brubeck has toured widely with the Dave Brubeck Quartet, including many appearances with the world’s leading orchestras. He has been an integral part of the various Brubeck bands, including the Darius Brubeck Ensemble, Two Generations of Brubeck, and the New Brubeck Quartet. Brubeck’s drumming style is mesmerizing and unparalleled, and his distinctive, and astonishingly textured drum solos have received standing ovations all over the world. His uncanny sense of timing and use of odd time signatures, combining melodic phrases with polyrhythms that often stretch far beyond the bar line, has earned the respect of many jazz critics worldwide.

The Dan Brubeck Quartet also features some of the finest jazz players in the Vancouver, British Columbia, area.

The band features the exceptional vocal talent of Adam Thomas who also plays bass, soulful tenor saxophonist Anton Schwartz who is one of the most in-demand saxophonists on the West Coast, and pianist Tony Foster, regarded as one of the best jazz pianists in the country.

With frequent national and international tours, the Dan Brubeck Quartet plays with “drama, potency and virtuosity,” according to DownBeat Magazine.

Tickets are $35 with reserved table or regular seating with food and wine available for purchase. Tickets can be purchased at the Box Office, 1 Central Ave., Whitefish, or by calling 862-5371. Box office hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and one hour before a performance. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.whitefishtheatreco.org. This show is sponsored by JeanAnne Swope and Jim Mechem.

A senior outreach concert for seniors, veterans, and adults with disabilities on Oct. 2 is sponsored by First Interstate Bank. Any organization that is interested in attending the outreach concert should call Gayle MacLaren at 862-5371.