The video linked to on this post shows The Dave Brubeck Quartet playing their famous hit Take Five. An instrumental jazz number that is essentially a vehicle for a drum solo. And it charted! I can’t really see such a thing happening nowadays.
The Quartet’s drummer, the near-blind – hence the Mr Magoo specs – Joe Morello, who started out playing violin, is one of the greatest drummers ever to have wielded sticks. Jazz isn’t everyone’s cup of tea (but as anyone who knows me will know, I personally love a lot of it), but both this number and the drum solo are essential listening/learning for aspiring drummers, which is why I’m posting this here on my blog.
Originally shot in black and white, this clip has been both colourised and enhanced, by a chap whose YouTube channel is, very aptly, called Drum Lucidly (and also has another similarly enhanced video, of a Buddy Rich performance), for greater clarity, really helping bring it to life for a more modern audience. The drum solo starts around 4:40-ish. I hope you enjoy watching this master drummer at work as much as I do?