Animal Crackers concert series brings legendary jazz family to Racine

By LEE B. ROBERTS
Journal Times

Wednesday, June 25, 2008 4:30 PM CDT

Jazz fans here are in for a real treat this summer when the Brubeck Brothers Quartet comes to town as part of the Racine Zoo’s Animal Crackers Concert Series. The quartet, which will play the second show in the series on July 23, will not only bring a great deal of talent and experience to the Animal Crackers stage, but an interesting peek into a musical family legacy as well.

As its name implies, the Brubeck Brothers Quartet features members of one of America’s most accomplished and recognized musical families. Dan Brubeck, on drums, and Chris Brubeck, on bass and trombone, are sons of legendary jazz pianist and composer Dave Brubeck, whose list of contributions to the music world is beyond impressive.

The quartet also features guitarist Mike DeMicco, whom PBS viewers may recognize from his part in the series “Jazz in America; and pianist Chuck Lamb, who has played with musical greats from the Woody Herman Orchestra to Ginger Baker and Bela Fleck.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Animal Crackers Concert Series

WHEN: Gates open at 5:30 p.m. and concert time is 7 p.m.

CONCERT DATES:

July 9, Mindi Abair

July 23, The Brubeck Brothers Quartet

Aug. 6, Poncho Sanchez

Aug. 20, John Pizzarelli

WHERE: The Racine Zoo, 2131 N. Main St.

COST: Tickets to individual shows are $20; season tickets are $60 and a mini pack (three tickets usable at any of the concerts) costs $50. Food and beverages can be purchased at the concerts

INFO: Go to http://www.racinezoo.org/animalcrackers.html or call (262) 636-9189.

Growing up surrounded by the music of their father’s famed quartet, as well as other musicians and composers from Louis Armstrong to Leonard Bernstein, couldn’t help but have an influence on the Brubeck boys (four of Dave’s six children are professional musicians), says multi-instrumentalist and composer Chris Brubeck, during a recent telephone interview from his Wilton, Conn., home.

“Looking back it was so common to hear (saxophonist) Paul Desmond playing in our living room, or to hear Joe Morello working out polyrhythmic beats on the drums,” he said.

And the musical influences during his childhood weren’t only from his father’s career.

“Part of the reason I feel comfortable writing music is because my mother (Iola) is a lyricist who wrote lyrics for some of my father’s songs,“ Chris Brubeck said. “Growing up in a family where I could see that pattern helped me to believe it was possible to come up with my own music. I hated to do it (compose music) as a kid, but, like blue cheese, I acquired a taste for it as an adult.”

That taste has served him well, as Brubeck has received many accolades for his compositions both in the jazz and classical genres. For more about Chris and the rest of the Brubeck Brothers Quartet, go to http://www.brubeckmusic.com

Throughout their lives, the Brubeck brothers have performed with their father in various combinations and situations, while at the same time developing their own careers, playing in a number of jazz, classical and rock groups. While the Animal Crackers concert will be the quartet’s first time performing in Racine, it will not be the family’s Wisconsin debut.

Chris has played a number of venues in the state, including performances with the Fox Valley Symphony in Appleton and at Summerfest with his father. He has also done classical music workshops at the Birch Creek Music Performance Center in Door County and is hoping to return there next year with the quartet.

“My wife and I fell in love with that area,” Brubeck said.

He said he is looking forward to coming to Racine and said that the audience here can expect to hear original compositions by various members of the group, including work from their recently released “Classified” CD, an innovative crossover collection of original jazz and classical compositions. For more about it, go to http://www.myspace.com/bbqclassified

“We’ll also play a few Dave Brubeck tunes, done in our own way,” Brubeck said

The quartet likes to give a “tip of the hat” to their musical lineage, he said.

“But we are far from a tribute band.”

From pop to classics

The Brubeck Brothers Quartet is one of four acts that will fill the 2008 Animal Crackers season. Opening the series on July 9 is saxophonist and vocalist Mindi Abair, and the third concert on Aug. 6 will feature Grammy-winning Latin percussionist Poncho Sanchez and his band. The final show, Aug. 20, will bring John Pizzarelli back to Racine — this time, hopefully, with better cooperation from Mother Nature. Last year, the smooth jazz guitarist’s season finale show was thwarted by the worst rain storm in Animal Crackers history.

“His opening number was ‘It’s Raining Pennies from Heaven’,” said David Maack, a member of the Animal Crackers planning committee. “At least he had a good sense of humor about it.”

The committee’s decision to bring back Pizzarelli, whose repertoire features everything from classic standards to cool jazz, was an easy one, Maack said. “There was such a buzz about him last year.”

For more about Pizzarelli go to http;//www.johnpizzarelli.com

Abair, who hosts a weekly syndicated radio show “Chill with Mindi Abair,” was also a popular choice among committee members, Maack said. Having established herself as a contemporary jazz star with her chart-topping CD “Life Less Ordinary” in 2006, Abair has taken a turn toward the singer/songwriter approach in the pop genre with her most recent recording “Stars.” Pop is an area familiar to the musician, having toured with performers including Duran Duran, Josh Groban and the Backstreet Boys. For more about Abair, go to http://www.mindiabair.com

Latin flavor

The most acclaimed performer of this year’s Animal Crackers line-up, Sanchez and his band will bring a blend of Latin jazz, funk, and classic rhythm and blues to the series. The Texas-born conga player and bandleader has two dozen recordings to his name, several of which have earned him Grammy nominations, and one a Grammy award.

Exposed to a wide range of musical influences while growing up around Los Angeles, Sanchez began playing with vibraphonist Cal Tjader’s famed Latin jazz ensemble in 1975, at age 23. After Tjader’s death in 1982, he began his 23-year relationship with Concord Records. For more about Sanchez, go to http://www.ponchosanchez.com

“We pushed real hard to get Poncho,” Maack said. “We wanted to have a diverse line-up this year that would appeal to jazz fans in all areas, from smooth jazz to Latin jazz and more traditional jazz.”

The planning committee also decided to roll back ticket prices for this year’s series. Season tickets are $60, compared to $80 last year; and tickets to individual concerts, which cost $25 ($30 at the gate) in 2007, are $20 this time around.

“We figured with the price of gas and food, everyone was already dipping deeper into their pockets than they want to,” Maack said. “

In addition to its musical entertainment, the Animal Crackers series offers food and beverages for sale. A city ordinance prohibits persons from bringing alcoholic beverages into the zoo (as well as all other city parks).

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