Question 1

True or false: Dave Brubeck's 'Take Five' is in 5/4 time and was written by his saxophonist Paul Desmond.

Accepted Answer

True. Yes, Paul Desmond composed 'Take Five,' and its unusual 5/4 time signature became Brubeck's signature hit.

Question 2

True or false: Brubeck's quartet included a drummer who was a former professional baseball player.

Accepted Answer

False. No drummer in Brubeck's classic quartet had a baseball background; Joe Morello was a skilled jazz drummer from a young age.

Question 3

True or false: Dave Brubeck was primarily a self-taught pianist who never learned to read music.

Accepted Answer

False. Brubeck studied music formally, including at the University of the Pacific, and could read music, though he struggled with sight-reading.

Question 4

True or false: Brubeck's album 'Time Out' was the first jazz album to sell over one million copies.

Accepted Answer

True. 'Time Out' (1959) was a massive commercial success, breaking records and introducing odd time signatures to mainstream jazz.

Question 5

True or false: Brubeck studied music composition under the famous French composer Darius Milhaud.

Accepted Answer

True. Brubeck studied with Milhaud at Mills College, which deeply influenced his experimental approach to rhythm and harmony.

Question 6

True or false: Brubeck won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1980 for his contributions to jazz.

Accepted Answer

False. He received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996, not 1980.

Question 7

True or false: Brubeck refused to perform in segregated venues, canceling a 1958 tour of the American South.

Accepted Answer

True. Brubeck canceled numerous 1958 tour dates in the South when venues insisted his integrated quartet replace black bassist Eugene Wright. His principled stand was a pivotal civil rights moment.

Question 8

True or false: Brubeck's 'Blue Rondo à la Turk' is based on a traditional Turkish folk dance in 9/8 time.

Accepted Answer

True. The piece's distinctive 9/8 rhythm (2-2-2-3) was inspired by a Turkish folk dance, commonly the zeybek, which Brubeck heard while touring Turkey.

Dave Brubeck Trivia Questions