Chris Brubeck: Family, Freedom and Jazz
William Boughton and Tom Duffy record Episode 6 in the Brubeck Room at the Wilton Library. Tom demonstrates his split-conducting piece Corpus Callosum, and the hosts discuss a Yale Rep performance of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and the habit of instant standing ovations. They then present an interview with Jonathan Taylor Rush, the second candidate in the Hartford Symphony’s music director search, about his gospel roots, his path to conducting and his vision for an American orchestra. The main interview is with Chris Brubeck, who talks about growing up in Dave Brubeck’s household, the family’s 1960s-70s South Africa tour, his father’s studies with Darius Milhaud and his years arranging for Erich Kunzel. The episode closes with statewide arts news for November 10–22.Statewide Arts News: November 10–22November 11 — Sprague Hall, New Haven Pianist Min Suan (as captioned; please confirm the spelling) gives a rare recital. His recent recording of the Goldberg Variations is praised for its spiritual approach. He is the teacher of Yunchan Lim, the youngest-ever winner of the Van Cliburn Competition, who won at age 18.November 14–15 — Stamford Orchestra Lumos, conducted by Michael Stern, performs Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique. Members of CT Arts Talk’s site can access a guide with audio excerpts on the symphony.November 14 — Yale Symphony Orchestra Elizabeth Askren conducts, with guest conductor Thomas Duffy, eighth blackbird and the New Haven Community Chorus. The program:Thomas Duffy, Corpus CallosumGabriela Lena Frank, Apple (as captioned; title unconfirmed)Charles Ives, New England Holidays: “Thanksgiving and Forefathers’ Day” (the captions say “Father’s Day”; please confirm)Joan Tower, Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, No. 1Margaret Bonds, Montgomery VariationsNovember 14 onward — Yale Rep, New Haven The Soho Rep production of Watch Me Walk, written and performed by Anne Gridley and directed by Eric Ting. It comes direct from an Off-Broadway run and is described as a funny, sharp new play about disability, pity and family mythologies. The New Yorker calls it a prime example of what you get when autobiographical theater works.November 20–22 — Hartford Symphony Orchestra Jonathan Taylor Rush, the second candidate in the search for the next music director, conducts:Carlos Simon, Four Black American DancesSaint-Saëns, Cello Concerto No. 1, with principal cello Magdalena BogdanovicBrahms, Symphony No. 4Show notes00:00 — Welcome from the Brubeck Room at the Wilton Library; introducing guest Chris Brubeck 00:50 — Catching up: Yale Wind Ensemble concert and guest conducting at Dartmouth 01:10 — Tom explains Corpus Callosum, written for the retirement of Colonel Jack Grogan 03:58 — Conducting the piece with the New Haven Symphony Youth Orchestra 04:08 — Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at Yale Rep 04:50 — Standing-ovation inflation, silence at the end of a performance, and audience etiquette 07:01 — Introducing the Hartford Symphony music director candidate Jonathan Taylor Rush 07:19 — Sponsor message: Bagley Strategic Advisors, LLC 07:53 — Interview with Jonathan Taylor Rush begins 08:56 — Growing up in Windsor, Connecticut, and the gospel tradition at home and church 11:02 — How the Windsor public school music program shaped him 13:46 — Ohio State, the Peabody Institute, and piano as his primary instrument 14:14 — Bugs Bunny and the spark for conducting 16:53 — Do pianists have an advantage as conductors? 20:39 — Why the Hartford Symphony 23:42 — The difference between a guest conductor and a music director 27:03 — Balancing a home base with guest conducting 29:31 — What a 21st-century American orchestra looks like 33:46 — The Hartford program: Carlos Simon, Saint-Saëns and Brahms 44:40 — Sponsor message: Bagley Strategic Advisors, LLC 45:12 — Chris Brubeck interview begins; his 2014-15 residency with the New Haven Symphony 46:13 — Growing up in the Brubeck household; life on the road 48:30 — Why he called his father “Dave”; collaborating with him 52:01 — Starting piano and the trombone 54:02 — Audience response in jazz and orchestral settings; the D-Day anniversary piece 57:05 — The family’s South Africa tour and the question of integrated audiences 1:01:29 — Dave Brubeck’s civil rights stance, the Ken Burns Jazz interview and the polarization of the jazz world 1:05:56 — Dave’s studies with Darius Milhaud; the “failed cowboy” story 1:08:02 — Visiting Madeleine Milhaud: the Berlioz photo and the Rite of Spring premiere 1:11:24 — Reminiscences of the Cattle Country and the new piece Rhythms of the Range 1:13:50 — Working with Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops; the Beatles arrangements 1:21:16 — Rock-and-roll roots, Senator Blumenthal’s Brubeck story, and farewell 1:23:04 — Sponsor message: Bagley Strategic Advisors, LLC 1:23:38 — Statewide arts news, November 10–22 1:26:25 — Preview of the next episode: Matthew Hargraves of the Wadsworth Atheneumhttps://bagleystrategic.com/https://www.ctartstalk.com/directlinemediaproductions.com/professional-podcast-production
