David Warren Brubeck (born December 6, 1920 in Concord, California - December 5, 2012) was an American jazz pianist who has written a number of jazz standards, including "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "The Duke". He was probably best known for "Take Five", written by saxophone player Paul Desmond, who was the saxophonist in The Dave Brubeck Quartet. Due to the immense popularity of his work, Brubeck had won multiple awards such as a lifetime achievement award from the Grammys in 1996...

The Dave Brubeck Quartet gained great popularity in the 50's, touring college campuses, recording a series of albums with such titles as Jazz at Oberlin (1953), Jazz at the College of the Pacific (1953), and Brubeck's debut Jazz Goes to College (1954).
This collection features some of the most important and exciting live recordings of Paul Desmond featured in the Dave Brubeck Quartet"
Performing inspired modern versions of great standards such as These Foolish Things, The Way You Look Tonight, Laura, Perdido, Stardust, Crazy Rhythm, Jeepers Creepers, and Let's Fall in Love, among others. On these outstanding live recordings the doors of creativity were left wide open and the band never sounded better.

"Desmond and Brubeck's playing were as different as night and day. Their contrast in styles complemented each other, while creating a richer and fuller composite sound... The synergy between the two musicians was incredible and immediate. During their first experiences playing together, they were already experimenting with many of the things that would later develop into the Quartet's trademark sound... From his witty sardonic humor to his lyrical, mellifluous playing, Paul Desmond was one of the truly individual voices on his instrument."
This is the first time these college concerts have been compiled together as a set, soon to be released as a boxset and feature these classic line ups...

1951- 56 Jazz Goes to College
Dave Brubeck – piano
Bob Bates – double bass
Paul Desmond – alto saxophone
Joe Dodge – drums

1953 at Oberlin
Dave Brubeck – piano
Paul Desmond – alto saxophone
Ron Crotty – double bass
Lloyd Davis – drums

1953 at Jazz at the College of the Pacific
Dave Brubeck – piano
Paul Desmond – alto saxophone
Ron Crotty – double bass
Joe Dodge – drums

1956–1958 ~ Jazz Goes to Junior College
Dave Brubeck – piano
Paul Desmond – alto saxophone
Norman Bates – double bass
Joe Morello – drums



Dave Brubeck’s Southern Strategy...
In January 1960, white jazz pianist Dave Brubeck made headlines after twenty-two colleges and universities across the American South refused to allow his interracial quartet to perform. Initially, eleven of the schools backed out of their contracts with Brubeck upon learning that he and two other white musicians, saxophonist Paul Desmond and drummer Joe Morello, would be performing with African American bassist Eugene Wright. After Brubeck informed the remaining fourteen schools of Wright’s presence in his quartet, eleven more insisted Brubeck replace Wright with a white bassist, leaving only three willing to allow the integrated combo to perform. Brubeck refused to replace Wright, forgoing the $40,000 in revenue (worth nearly $400,000 today) he would have received had he instead performed with a white bassist. Representatives of the various schools insisted, one after the other, that their cancellations of Brubeck’s contracts were not based in prejudice, but on principle and policy. For the schools and their administrators, Brubeck broke his contract; for Brubeck, contracts requiring segregation had no legal or moral basis..
to read more on this, copy & paste link...
www.amacad.org/publication/dave-brubecks-southern-strategy