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Dave Brubeck Digitally "Digs Disney" On New Legacy Edition

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It was prescient that the cover of the November 8, 1954 edition of Time was devoted to jazz pianist and composer Dave Brubeck.  Just five years later he and his Quartet would release Time Out, the watershed in his series of "Time"-themed albums, the first jazz album to sell one million copies and one of the genre's biggest-selling albums of all time. Propelled by the success of saxophonist Paul Desmond's sinuous, sophisticated "Take Five," Time Out was a No. 2 pop album and was certified platinum. But Time Out was hardly the first important work by Brubeck, a pioneer in exploring unusual time signatures in a largely accessible fashion. Two years before Time Out, The Dave Brubeck Quartet released a concept album that still holds up today and is being celebrated with a new Legacy Edition from Columbia Records and Legacy. Dave Digs Disney was simply and accurately titled, featuring Brubeck, Desmond, Norman Bates (bass) and Joe Morello (drums) playing songs from beloved Disney films. The six songs selected for the LP were already part of the Quartet's repertoire when Brubeck and producer George Avakian hit on the notion of recording them in one place. A classic album was then born. The new Legacy Edition, alas, is currently only available in digital form, an odd choice for such an acclaimed album targeting an older audience of jazz collectors. (That said, this album is still the perfect introduction for children to jazz as its Disney film subjects are still beloved!) A CD-R on-demand is available now from Amazon.com, and luckily, it appears that a full physical edition may appear overseas.

Dave Digs Disney marked the first time that a musician or group had devoted an entire LP to interpretations of Disney fare, though such albums now proliferate. Most notably, Brubeck was among the first artists to latch onto Frank Churchill and Larry Morey's "Someday My Prince Will Come," from the film once thought of as "Disney's Folly," Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The 1937 song became a jazz standard, with heavyweights like Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson and Herbie Hancock all following in Brubeck's footsteps with their own recordings. Miles even titled a 1961 album, recorded with John Coltrane, after the song!  Brubeck returned to "Someday"  in 2011 with a new rendition on Walt Disney Records' Everybody Wants to Be a Cat: Disney Jazz, Volume 1.

Originally released in mono only, Dave Digs Disney: Legacy Edition features the album in both mono and stereo mixes, with the broad stereo version appearing for the very first time. Both of its discs feature rare bonus tracks such as alternate and unedited takes. Both bonus tracks from Legacy's 1994 reissue of the album ("Very Good Advice" from Alice in Wonderland and "So This is Love" from Cinderella) have been retained.

Dave Digs Disney: Legacy Edition includes a new foreword by the 90-year old Brubeck, as well as the original liner notes from original album producer George Avakian. Producer Didier C. Deutsch and engineer Mark Wilder have fully remastered all tracks. It's available now from all digital service providers and an import version is also available in pressed CD form. Hit the jump for the full track listing and discographical information!

The Dave Brubeck Quartet, Dave Digs Disney: Legacy Edition (Columbia CL 1059, 1957 - reissued Columbia/Legacy, 2011)

Disc 1: The Mono Album Plus Outtakes

  1. Alice In Wonderland (9:26) (from Alice In Wonderland) (B. Hilliard/S. Fain) Recorded June 29, 1957
  2. Give A Little Whistle (7:34) (from Pinocchio) (N. Washington/L. Harline) Recorded June 29, 1957
  3. Heigh-Ho (The Dwarfs' Marching Song) (3:56) (from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) (F. Churchill/L. Morey) Recorded August 3, 1957
  4. When You Wish Upon A Star (4:50) (from Pinocchio) (N. Washington/L. Harline) Recorded August 3, 1957
  5. Someday My Prince Will Come (8:18) (from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) (F. Churchill/L. Morey) Recorded June 29-30,1957
  6. One Song (5:00) (from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) (F. Churchill/L. Morey) Recorded June 30, 1957
  7. Very Good Advice (5:32) (from Alice In Wonderland) (B. Hilliard/S. Fain) Recorded June 30, 1957
  8. So This Is Love (5:55) (from Cinderella) (M. David/A. Hoffman/J. Livingston) Recorded August 3, 1957

Disc 2: The Stereo Album Plus Outtakes and Alternates

  1. Alice In Wonderland (9:25) Recorded June 29, 1957
  2. Give A Little Whistle (7:33) Recorded June 30, 1957
  3. Heigh-Ho (4:21) Recorded August 3, 1957 [previously unreleased complete take]
  4. When You Wish Upon A Star (4:53) Recorded August 3, 1957
  5. Someday My Prince Will Come (8:13) Recorded August 29, 1957
  6. One Song (4:55) Recorded August 3, 1957
  7. Very Good Advice (5:33) Recorded June 29, 1957
  8. So This Is Love (4:32) Recorded August 29, 1957 [previously unreleased alternate take]
  9. Heigh Ho (4:16) Recorded August 29, 1957
  10. When You Wish Upon A Star (5:46) Recorded August 3, 1957
  11. Someday My Prince Will Come (5:16) Recorded August 29, 1957
  12. So This Is Love (4:36) Recorded August 3, 1957
  13. One Song (4:38)(Mono) Recorded August 3, 1957

Disc One, Tracks 1-6 from Dave Digs Disney (Columbia CL 1059), released December 30, 1957
Disc One, Tracks 7-8 from Dave Digs Disney (Columbia/Legacy CK 48820), released June 14, 1994
Disc Two, Tracks 1-2, 4-6 are stereo mixes of Dave Digs Disney (Columbia CL 1059), 1957
Disc Two, Track 3 is a stereo mix of a previously unreleased complete take
Disc Two, Tracks 7-8 are stereo mixes of bonus tracks originally included on Dave Digs Disney (Columbia/Legacy CK 48820), 1994
Disc Two, Tracks 9-14 are alternate takes

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Joe Marchese

JOE MARCHESE (Editor) joined The Second Disc shortly after its launch in early 2010, and has since penned daily news and reviews about classic music of all genres. In 2015, Joe formed the Second Disc Records label. Celebrating the great songwriters, producers and artists who created the sound of American popular song, Second Disc Records, in conjunction with Real Gone Music, has released newly-curated collections produced by Joe from iconic artists such as Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Laura Nyro, Melissa Manchester, Chet Atkins, and many others. He has contributed liner notes to reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them Nat "King" Cole, Paul Williams, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, B.J. Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas, Carpenters, Perry Como, Rod McKuen, Doris Day, Jackie DeShannon, and Andy Williams, and has compiled releases for talents including Robert Goulet and Keith Allison of Paul Revere and the Raiders. Over the past two decades, Joe has also worked in a variety of capacities on and off Broadway as well as at some of the premier theatres in the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, George Street Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and the York Theatre Company. He has felt privileged to work on productions alongside artists such as the late Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 2009, Joe began contributing theatre and music reviews to the print publication The Sondheim Review, and in 2012, he joined the staff of The Digital Bits as a regular contributor writing about film and television on DVD and Blu-ray. Joe currently resides in the suburbs of New York City.

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