I think when most people hit the jackpot, they go out and buy their Lottery Dream-home and live happily ever after. Well we know from studies that winning the lottery or striking it rich does not always end up well down the road. But you get the point. You win and you are free to do absolutely nothing. Why work when you don’t have it. However, for many if not most artists, no matter how successful they get, they don’t stop —they keep on working and keep pushing boundaries even it means more pressure and yes, more work. They do it because they have to. For them there is no alternative to their making art or playing music. Their creativity needs an outlet and they are so busy they can’t stop.

Dave Brubeck found himself in that position in 1967. He ended the very successful classic Dave Brubeck Quartet but less than a year later he has an all new quartet and was back touring and recording new material. Not only that but he started doing what he had rarely done before, he dived into the blues, the roots of all American music from jazz and rock to rap and hip-hop to country western.

And what are the blues anyway? This episode tells you exactly what defines the blues musically.

For Apple Subscribers: Coda To Episode 2:4: Horns with a Cross Cultural Flare — Kokoroko and Space Monkey Mafia.

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Jazz, soul music, and a lot of early rock and roll, laid heavy on the horns, or more correctly the brass —Trumpets and Trombones. And also the woodwinds — Flutes and Reeds - specifically the Saxophone. I had the pleasure of seeing two, heavy on the horns bands, this past year. The first is Kokoroko an 8-piece band from London England that draws from jazz, funk, Bossa Nova and Afrobeat. kokorokomusic.co.uk The second is a St. Paul band called Space Monkey Mafia, one of the highlights of the Big Turn Music Festival this past February. They are high energy and combine Ska with punk and soul with some jazz improvising thrown in. They do it with an up to date blending of their influences, but are not afraid of politics or humor. spacemonkeymafia.bandcamp.com

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Copyright Notice: All of the music samples used in this podcast series are used under Fair Use provisions of the US Copyright Law which states: “it is permissible to use limited portions of a work including quotes, for purposes such as commentary, criticism, news reporting, and scholarly reports.”

The copyright of all music in this podcast series is held by the individual holders. The theme and end songs are licensed from Fresh Music Library. All commentary is copyright by David Husom. All rights are reserved. Contact the author for educational use of this material.