Dave Brubeck Celebrates 85th Birthday

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051209/ap_en_mu/music_dave_brubeck

NEW YORK - Dave Brubeck chose not to celebrate his 85th birthday quietly at his home in the Connecticut woods. Instead, his wife, children and grandchildren joined him for a sold-out concert at London's Barbican Centre, where some 2,000 fans serenaded him with a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday," accompanied by members of his jazz quartet and the London Symphony Orchestra.

The jazz legend, who was feted at the close of the Tuesday concert with a piano-shaped cake, could easily rest on the laurels of a storied career that has made him one of America's most honored musicians. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a National Medal for the Arts awarded by President Clinton, and even an honorary doctorate in sacred theology from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, for his religious choral music.

But Brubeck says he'll let others decide on his legacy because he's too busy doing what he loves most — playing the piano and composing.

His latest CD, "London Flat, London Sharp," finds Brubeck rearranging older tunes, such as "Unisphere" and "Cassandra," while introducing challenging new pieces for his quartet. Despite the frailties of age, he performs 60 to 70 dates a year, mostly with his quartet, whose musical skills have reinvigorated him.

:toast:

He always plays there.