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Bob Brookmeyer

October 14, 2023

Robert Edward "Bob" Brookmeyer (December 19, 1929 – December 15, 2011) was an American jazz valve trombonist, pianist, arranger, and composer. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Brookmeyer first gained widespread public attention as a member of Gerry Mulligan's quartet[2] from 1954 to 1957. He later worked with Jimmy Giuffre,[3] before rejoining Mulligan's Concert Jazz Band. He garnered 8 Grammy Award nominations during his lifetime.

Bob Brookmeyer
Brookmeyer (right) with Clark Terry at the Clearwater Jazz Festival, Florida, 1980s
Background information
Birth nameRobert Edward Brookmeyer
Born(1929-12-19)December 19, 1929
Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
DiedDecember 15, 2011(2011-12-15) (aged 81)
New London, New Hampshire, U.S.[1]
GenresMainstream jazz
Cool jazz
West Coast jazz
Post bop
Occupation(s)Musician, composer, arranger, educator
Instrument(s)Valve trombone, piano
LabelsImpulse!, Mainstream, RCA, Verve

Biography Edit

Brookmeyer was born on December 19, 1929 Kansas City, Missouri.[4] He was the only child of Elmer Edward Brookmeyer and Mayme Seifert.[1]

Brookmeyer began playing professionally in his teens. He attended the Kansas City Conservatory of Music, but did not graduate. He played piano in big bands led by Tex Beneke and Ray McKinley, but concentrated on valve trombone from when he moved to the Claude Thornhill orchestra in the early 1950s. He was part of small groups led by Stan Getz, Jimmy Giuffre, and Gerry Mulligan in the 1950s. During the 1950s and 1960s, Brookmeyer played in New York clubs, on television (including being part of the house band for The Merv Griffin Show), and on studio recordings, as well as arranging for Ray Charles and others.[1]

In the early 1960s, Brookmeyer joined flugelhorn player Clark Terry in a band that achieved some success. In February 1965, Brookmeyer and Terry appeared together on BBC2's Jazz 625.[5]

Brookmeyer moved to Los Angeles in 1968 and became a full-time studio musician. He spent 10 years on the West Coast and developed a serious alcohol problem. After he overcame this, he returned to New York. Brookmeyer became the musical director of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra in 1979, although he had not composed any music for a decade. Brookmeyer wrote for and performed with jazz groups in Europe from the early 1980s. He founded and ran a music school in the Netherlands, and taught at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, and other institutions.[1]

In June 2005, Brookmeyer joined ArtistShare and announced a project to fund an upcoming third album featuring his New Art Orchestra. The resulting Grammy-nominated CD, titled Spirit Music, was released in 2006. Brookmeyer was named a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master in the same year.[1] His eighth Grammy Award nomination was for an arrangement from the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra's album, Forever Lasting, shortly before his death.[1] That same album was also nominated in the 57th Annual Grammy Awards for the category of Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album; the CD was entirely made up of Brookmeyer's compositions.

Brookmeyer died of congestive heart failure on December 15, 2011, in New London, New Hampshire.[1][6]

Compositional style Edit

One notable element of Brookmeyer's compositional style is his use of contemporary classical writing techniques in his works for big bands and jazz ensembles. In the early 1980's Brookmeyer was mentored by composer Earle Brown, with whom he explored 20th century classical music in depth. Brookmeyer's works since have been influenced by such composers as Witold Lutosławski (whose cello concerto Brookmeyer used often in teaching students about simple motifs), Igor Stravinsky, Claude Debussy, György Ligeti, and Béla Bartók.[7]

Some examples of 20th-century classical compositional techniques used in Brookmeyer's jazz pieces are:

  • "ABC Blues", where an atonal tone row is used to generate melodies and harmonies.
  • "The Big Time", where polytonality is used to develop melodies used earlier on in the composition.
  • Bob Brookmeyer uses chromatic harmony and tone clusters throughout such works as "Seesaw", "Silver Lining", and "Hello and Goodbye".[8]

Honors and awards Edit

Grammy Awards (nominations) Edit

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1960 Blues Suite', composed by Brookmeyer Best Arrangement Nominated
1965 The Power Of Positive Swinging, composed by Brookmeyer Best Instrumental Jazz Performance Nominated
1966 ABC Blues, composed by Brookmeyer Best Original Jazz Composition Nominated
1980 Skylark, arranged by Brookmeyer Best Instrumental Arrangement Nominated
2001 Impulsive! (Album) Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album Nominated
2004 Get Well Soon (Album) Large Jazz Ensemble Album Nominated
2006 Spirit Music (Album) Large Jazz Ensemble Album Nominated
2008 St. Louis Blues, arranged by Brookmeyer Best Instrumental Arrangement Nominated
2011 Nasty Dance, arranged by Brookmeyer Best Instrumental Arrangement Nominated

Discography Edit

As leader/co-leader Edit

As sideman Edit

See also Edit

References Edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Keepnews, Peter (December 18, 2011). "Bob Brookmeyer, Jazz Musician and educator, Dies at 81". The New York Times.
  2. ^ Berendt, Joachim (1976). The Jazz Book. Paladin. p. 380.
  3. ^ Berendt, Joachim (1976). The Jazz Book. Paladin. p. 384.
  4. ^ Berendt, Joachim (1976). The Jazz Book. Paladin. p. 199.
  5. ^ "Tribute to Bob Brookmeyer". clarkterry.com. December 19, 2011. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
  6. ^ artsjournal obituary. May 21, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Guerra, Stephen J. Jr. (2016). A Study of Bob Brookmeyer's Compositional Style for Large Jazz Ensemble. p. 55.
  8. ^ Guerra, Stephen J. Jr. (2016). A Study of Bob Brookmeyer's Compositional Style for Large Jazz Ensemble. pp. 56–70.

External links Edit

  • Bob Brookmeyer's website
  • Record Company (Challenge Records International)
  • Bob Brookmeyer at AllMusic
  • Bob Brookmeyer discography at Discogs
  • Bob Brookmeyer (New York Times Obituary)
  • Bob Brookmeyer Interview NAMM Oral History Library (1997)

October 14, 2023
brookmeyer, robert, edward, brookmeyer, december, 1929, december, 2011, american, jazz, valve, trombonist, pianist, arranger, composer, born, kansas, city, missouri, brookmeyer, first, gained, widespread, public, attention, member, gerry, mulligan, quartet, fr. Robert Edward Bob Brookmeyer December 19 1929 December 15 2011 was an American jazz valve trombonist pianist arranger and composer Born in Kansas City Missouri Brookmeyer first gained widespread public attention as a member of Gerry Mulligan s quartet 2 from 1954 to 1957 He later worked with Jimmy Giuffre 3 before rejoining Mulligan s Concert Jazz Band He garnered 8 Grammy Award nominations during his lifetime Bob BrookmeyerBrookmeyer right with Clark Terry at the Clearwater Jazz Festival Florida 1980sBackground informationBirth nameRobert Edward BrookmeyerBorn 1929 12 19 December 19 1929Kansas City Missouri U S DiedDecember 15 2011 2011 12 15 aged 81 New London New Hampshire U S 1 GenresMainstream jazzCool jazzWest Coast jazzPost bopOccupation s Musician composer arranger educatorInstrument s Valve trombone pianoLabelsImpulse Mainstream RCA Verve Contents 1 Biography 2 Compositional style 3 Honors and awards 3 1 Grammy Awards nominations 4 Discography 4 1 As leader co leader 4 2 As sideman 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksBiography EditBrookmeyer was born on December 19 1929 Kansas City Missouri 4 He was the only child of Elmer Edward Brookmeyer and Mayme Seifert 1 Brookmeyer began playing professionally in his teens He attended the Kansas City Conservatory of Music but did not graduate He played piano in big bands led by Tex Beneke and Ray McKinley but concentrated on valve trombone from when he moved to the Claude Thornhill orchestra in the early 1950s He was part of small groups led by Stan Getz Jimmy Giuffre and Gerry Mulligan in the 1950s During the 1950s and 1960s Brookmeyer played in New York clubs on television including being part of the house band for The Merv Griffin Show and on studio recordings as well as arranging for Ray Charles and others 1 In the early 1960s Brookmeyer joined flugelhorn player Clark Terry in a band that achieved some success In February 1965 Brookmeyer and Terry appeared together on BBC2 s Jazz 625 5 Brookmeyer moved to Los Angeles in 1968 and became a full time studio musician He spent 10 years on the West Coast and developed a serious alcohol problem After he overcame this he returned to New York Brookmeyer became the musical director of the Thad Jones Mel Lewis Orchestra in 1979 although he had not composed any music for a decade Brookmeyer wrote for and performed with jazz groups in Europe from the early 1980s He founded and ran a music school in the Netherlands and taught at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston Massachusetts and other institutions 1 In June 2005 Brookmeyer joined ArtistShare and announced a project to fund an upcoming third album featuring his New Art Orchestra The resulting Grammy nominated CD titled Spirit Music was released in 2006 Brookmeyer was named a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master in the same year 1 His eighth Grammy Award nomination was for an arrangement from the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra s album Forever Lasting shortly before his death 1 That same album was also nominated in the 57th Annual Grammy Awards for the category of Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album the CD was entirely made up of Brookmeyer s compositions Brookmeyer died of congestive heart failure on December 15 2011 in New London New Hampshire 1 6 Compositional style EditOne notable element of Brookmeyer s compositional style is his use of contemporary classical writing techniques in his works for big bands and jazz ensembles In the early 1980 s Brookmeyer was mentored by composer Earle Brown with whom he explored 20th century classical music in depth Brookmeyer s works since have been influenced by such composers as Witold Lutoslawski whose cello concerto Brookmeyer used often in teaching students about simple motifs Igor Stravinsky Claude Debussy Gyorgy Ligeti and Bela Bartok 7 Some examples of 20th century classical compositional techniques used in Brookmeyer s jazz pieces are ABC Blues where an atonal tone row is used to generate melodies and harmonies The Big Time where polytonality is used to develop melodies used earlier on in the composition Bob Brookmeyer uses chromatic harmony and tone clusters throughout such works as Seesaw Silver Lining and Hello and Goodbye 8 Honors and awards EditGrammy Awards nominations Edit Year Nominee work Award Result1960 Blues Suite composed by Brookmeyer Best Arrangement Nominated1965 The Power Of Positive Swinging composed by Brookmeyer Best Instrumental Jazz Performance Nominated1966 ABC Blues composed by Brookmeyer Best Original Jazz Composition Nominated1980 Skylark arranged by Brookmeyer Best Instrumental Arrangement Nominated2001 Impulsive Album Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album Nominated2004 Get Well Soon Album Large Jazz Ensemble Album Nominated2006 Spirit Music Album Large Jazz Ensemble Album Nominated2008 St Louis Blues arranged by Brookmeyer Best Instrumental Arrangement Nominated2011 Nasty Dance arranged by Brookmeyer Best Instrumental Arrangement NominatedDiscography EditAs leader co leader Edit Bob Brookmeyer Quartet Pacific Jazz 1954 Bob Brookmeyer Plays Bob Brookmeyer and Some Others Clef 1955 Happy Minors Bethlehem 1955 with Red Mitchell Zoot Sims The Dual Role of Bob Brookmeyer Prestige 1956 recorded in 1954 55 Tonite s Music Today with Zoot Sims Storyville 1956 Whooeeee with Zoot Sims Storyville 1956 Bob Brookmeyer Quintet Vogue 1956 Urso and Brookmeyer with Phil Urso Savoy 1956 Brookmeyer Vik 1957 recorded in 1956 Traditionalism Revisited World Pacific 1957 The Street Swingers World Pacific 1958 Jazz Concerto Grosso with Gerry Mulligan ABC Paramount 1958 play Phil Sunkel recorded in 1957 They Met at the Continental Divide with Trombones Inc Warner Bros 1959 Kansas City Revisited United Artists 1959 The Ivory Hunters with Bill Evans United Artists 1959 also released as As Time Goes By Blue Note LT series 1981 Jazz Is a Kick Mercury 1960 Portrait of the Artist Atlantic 1960 recorded in 1959 The Blues Hot and Cold His Master s Voice 1960 Gloomy Sunday and Other Bright Moments Verve 1961 7 x Wilder Verve 1961 Trombone Jazz Samba Verve 1962 Bob Brookmeyer and Friends Columbia 1965 recorded in 1964 The Bob Brookmeyer Small Band Gryphon 1978 Back Again Sonet 1979 Through a Looking Glass Finesse 1981 Oslo Concord Jazz 1987 Morning Fun with Zoot Sims Black Lion 1989 Electricity ACT 1994 recorded in 1991 As It Happened Vol 1 with Roger Kellaway Jazz Heritage 1994 Paris Suite Challenge 1995 Out of This World with Metropole Orchestra Koch Jazz 1998 Old Friends Storyville 1998 recorded in 1994 New Works Celebration Challenge 1999 recorded in 1997 Together with Mads Vinding Challenge 1999 Holiday Challenge 2001 plays piano Madly Loving You with the Ed Partyka Jazz Orchestra Challenge 2001 Stay Out of the Sun Challenge 2003 recorded in 2000 Get Well Soon with New Art Orchestra Challenge 2003 recorded in 2002 Island with Kenny Wheeler Artists House 2003 recorded in 2002 Spirit Music with New Art Orchestra ArtistShare 2006 As sideman Edit With Manny Albam The Jazz Workshop RCA Victor 1956 Play Music from the Broadway Musical West Side Story Coral 1957 Manny Albam and the Jazz Greats of Our Time Coral 1957 Sophisticated Lady Coral 1958 The Blues Is Everybody s Business Coral 1958 Steve s Songs Dot 1958 Jazz Horizons Jazz New York Dot 1959 Brass on Fire Solid State 1966 With Steve Allen And All That Jazz Dot 1959 Soulful Brass 2 Flying Dutchman 1969 With Chet Baker Chet Baker Sextet Pacific Jazz 1954 The Trumpet Artistry of Chet Baker Pacific Jazz 1955 compilationWith Teddy Charles Teddy Charles Featuring Bobby Brookmeyer Prestige 1954 Salute to Hamp Flyin Home Bethlehem 1959 With Al Cohn The Al Cohn Quintet Featuring Bobby Brookmeyer Coral 1957 rec 1956 Son of Drum Suite RCA Victor 1961 With Stan Getz Interpretations by the Stan Getz Quintet Norgran 1954 rec 1953 Stan Getz at The Shrine Norgran 1955 Stan Getz and the Cool Sounds Verve 1957 Recorded Fall 1961 Verve 1961 Jazz Samba Verve 1962 Big Band Bossa Nova Verve 1962 With Jimmy Giuffre Trav lin Light Atlantic 1958 The Four Brothers Sound Atlantic 1959 Western Suite Atlantic 1960 With Jim Hall Live at Town Hall Vol One Musicmasters 1991 Live at the North Sea Jazz Festival Challenge 1999 With Nancy Harrow You re Nearer Tono 1986 Street of Dreams Poljazz 1989 With Woody Herman The Herd Rides Again Everest 1958 The Fourth Herd Jazz Legacy 1960 Woody Herman amp the Fourth Herd Windmill 1972 With Gary McFarland The Jazz Version of How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying Verve 1962 Tijuana Jazz Impulse 1966 With Gerry Mulligan Paris Concert Pacific Jazz 1955 rec 1954 California Concerts Pacific Jazz 1955 rec 1954 Presenting the Gerry Mulligan Sextet EmArcy 1955 Recorded in Boston at Storyville Pacific Jazz 1957 rec 1956 The Teddy Wilson Trio amp Gerry Mulligan Quartet with Bob Brookmeyer at Newport Verve 1957 The Concert Jazz Band Verve 1960 Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Band at the Village Vanguard Verve 1961 rec 1960 Gerry Mulligan Presents a Concert in Jazz Verve 1961 Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Band on Tour Verve 1962 rec 1960 The Gerry Mulligan Quartet Verve 1962 Spring Is Sprung Philips 1963 recorded in 1962 Night Lights Philips 1963 rec 1962 Butterfly with Hiccups Limelight 1964 rec 1963 64With Jimmy Raney Jimmy Raney Featuring Bob Brookmeyer ABC Paramount 1956 Jimmy Raney in Three Attitudes ABC Paramount 1957 With George Russell New York N Y Decca 1959 Jazz in the Space Age Decca 1960 With Don Sebesky Three Works for Jazz Soloists amp Symphony Orchestra Gryphon 1979 I Remember Bill RCA Victor 1998 Joyful Noise RCA Victor 1999 With Bud Shank Bud Shank and Bob Brookmeyer Pacific Jazz 1954 The Saxophone Artistry of Bud Shank Pacific Jazz 1956 With Zoot Sims Tonite s Music Today Storyville 1956 The Modern Art of Jazz Dawn 1956 Bob Brookmeyer Octet Stretching Out United Artists 1959 Choice Pacific Jazz 1961 Suitably Zoot Pumpkin 1979 With Clark Terry The Power of Positive Swinging Mainstream 1965 Tonight Mainstream 1965 Gingerbread Men Mainstream 1966 Previously Unreleased Recordings Verve 1973 Gingerbread Gal Mainstream 1974 What d He Say Mainstream 1974 With others Cannonball Adderley African Waltz Riverside 1961 Benny Aronov Shadow Box Choice 1979 Ruby Braff Blowing Around the World United Artists 1959 Canadian Brass Swingtime RCA Victor 1995 Bobby Bryant The Jazz Excursion into Hair Pacific Jazz 1969 Monty Budwig Dig Concord Jazz 1979 Ralph Burns Where There s Burns There s Fire Warwick 1961 Kenny Burrell Both Feet On the Ground Fantasy 1973 Gary Burton The Groovy Sound of Music RCA Victor 1965 Ray Charles The Genius of Ray Charles Atlantic 1959 Tony Coe Captain Coe s Famous Racearound Storyville 1996 Al Jazzbo Collins Presents Swinging at the Opera Everest 1960 John Dankworth The Zodiac Variations Fontana 1965 Eliane Elias Bob Brookmeyer Play the Music of Eliane Elias Impulsive Stunt 1997 Bill Evans Waltz for Debby Not Now Music 2012 Gil Evans Into the Hot Impulse 1962 Harold Farberman Gunther Schuller Dedicated to Dolphy Cambridge 1966 Dave Frishberg You re A Lucky Guy Concord Jazz 1978 Curtis Fuller Cabin in the Sky ABC Impulse 1970 Terry Gibbs Swingin with Terry Gibbs and His Orchestra EmArcy 1956 Astrud Gilberto The Shadow of Your Smile Verve 1965 Buddy Greco I Like It Swinging Columbia 1961 Bobby Hackett Creole Cookin Verve 1967 Judy Holliday Holliday with Mulligan DRG 1980 Chubby Jackson Chubby Takes Over Empire 2005 Thad Jones amp Mel Lewis Presenting Thad Jones Mel Lewis amp the Jazz Orchestra Solid State 1966 Thad Jones amp Mel Lewis Live at the Village Vanguard Solid State 1967 Teddi King Now in Vogue Vogue 1955 Michel Legrand Plays Richard Rodgers Philips 1963 Mel Lewis Make Me Smile amp Other New Works by Bob Brookmeyer Finesse 1982 Harry Lookofsky Stringsville Atlantic 1959 Charlie Mariano A Jazz Portrait of Charlie Mariano Regina 1963 Red Mitchell Happy Minors Bethlehem 1955 Thelonious Monk Monk s Blues Columbia 1992 Brew Moore Brothers and Other Mothers Vol 2 Savoy 1979 Red Norvo Red s Rose Room Red s Blue Room RCA Camden 1976 Anita O Day All the Sad Young Men Verve 1962 Babatunde Olatunji High Life Columbia 1963 Freda Payne After the Lights Go Down Low and Much More Impulse 1963 Oscar Pettiford Another One Bethlehem 1955 Michel Petrucciani Both Worlds Dreyfus 1997 Bill Potts The Jazz Soul of Porgy amp Bess United Artists 1959 Tito Rodriguez Live at Birdland Bomba 1963 Pee Wee Russell amp Coleman Hawkins Jazz Reunion Candid 1961 Lalo Schifrin Samba Para Dos Verve 1963 Helen Schneider Right As the Rain Tomato 1995 Tom Scott Tom Scott in L A Flying Dutchman 1975 Carol Sloane Out of the Blue Columbia 1962 Henri Texier Respect Label Bleu 1997 Bob Thiele Head Start Flying Dutchman 1969 Toots Thielemans Yesterday amp Today Jeremy Udden Torchsongs Fresh Sound 2006 Phil Urso The Philosophy of Urso Savoy 1985 Helen Ward Peanuts Hucko With a Little Bit of Swing RCA Victor 1958 George Williams Put On Your Dancing Shoes United Artists 1960 Joe Williams Presenting Joe Williams and Thad Jones Mel Lewis the Jazz Orchestra Solid State 1966 Paul Williams Just an Old Fashioned Love Song A amp M 1971 See also EditList of jazz arrangersReferences Edit a b c d e f g Keepnews Peter December 18 2011 Bob Brookmeyer Jazz Musician and educator Dies at 81 The New York Times Berendt Joachim 1976 The Jazz Book Paladin p 380 Berendt Joachim 1976 The Jazz Book Paladin p 384 Berendt Joachim 1976 The Jazz Book Paladin p 199 Tribute to Bob Brookmeyer clarkterry com December 19 2011 Retrieved February 10 2014 artsjournal obituary Archived May 21 2012 at the Wayback Machine Guerra Stephen J Jr 2016 A Study of Bob Brookmeyer s Compositional Style for Large Jazz Ensemble p 55 Guerra Stephen J Jr 2016 A Study of Bob Brookmeyer s Compositional Style for Large Jazz Ensemble pp 56 70 External links EditBob Brookmeyer s website Record Company Challenge Records International Bob Brookmeyer at AllMusic Bob Brookmeyer discography at Discogs Interview with Bob Brookmeyer Bob Brookmeyer New York Times Obituary Bob Brookmeyer Interview NAMM Oral History Library 1997 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bob Brookmeyer amp oldid 1165890571, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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