Jazz, History and Dave Brubeck’s Music Are Brubeck Brothers Quartet’s Recipe for Success

For the Brubeck Brothers Quartet, music is more than a way to make a living; it is a lifestyle unto itself. On June 7 and June 8, locals had the opportunity to experience that for themselves at two shows the Quartet played at Windmills Craftworks in The Colony. The quartet leveraged legacy, storytelling and music to create a memorable evening for attendees.

The Quartet’s lineup has remained consistent for more than 20 years. Chris Brubeck acts as the group’s de facto frontman, sharing anecdotes about the music they are playing and his father, the late legendary jazz musician Dave Brubeck, to introduce each song on their setlist. He plays trombone and electric bass, while his brother, Dan, handles drums. Mike DeMicco, on guitar, and Chuck Lamb, on piano, round out the band. Chris jokes, in conversation with us and during the concert, about Lamb’s status as the perennial "new guy" in the group since he was the last to join — 22 years ago.

While the band’s membership has remained consistent over the years, its shows have grown and evolved. Today, their concerts celebrate history, legacy and Dave Brubeck's music. But according to Chris, that is a relatively recent development.

“It’s interesting…when we started, we were trying very hard not to do any of my father’s material and made records that were filled with our originals,” says the musician. As they approached their father’s centennial (which would have been in 2020), they began modifying their set to incorporate more of his music.

More than just his sons, Chris and Dan were also Dave Brubeck’s bandmates for many years. That collegial bond is evident when Chris speaks about their father onstage and in conversation; he contextualizes Dave Brubeck’s achievements as a fellow musician, breaking down his influences and impact in a way that is both educational and engaging.

During their concert on Saturday, Chris spoke about his father’s experience in World War II (he was set to take part in the Battle of the Bulge before a commanding officer heard him play piano and told him to put together a band to lift his comrades’ spirits), about how the Disney music the Brubeck boys listened to as children inspired some of Dave Brubeck’s work, and more broadly about the interplay between American history and his father’s career.

The Quartet does not make it to Texas very often, which made their recent shows a special occasion for fans of their work. Kira Goidel, the Artist Experience Manager at Windmills Craftworks, is a jazz aficionado herself and a fan of both Dave Brubeck and the Brubeck Brothers Quartet.

“Dave Brubeck is, I mean, he is just such an extraordinary artist because he fused jazz and classical together. And you can hear that in his 1959 album Time Out,” says Goidel. “Dave Brubeck, unfortunately, isn’t alive anymore, but I think to hear…a revolutionary jazz pianist played by his two sons is really remarkable, especially because they’ve been playing together for so long.”

Windmills Craftworks, a stylish, multifunctional venue at the Grandscape, provided an ideal landing space for the Brubeck Brothers Quartet. General Manager Thomas Menaitreau says their focus is on providing a high-quality experience for guests, no matter what brings them in. Visitors can take in a show, they can unwind with one of Windmills’ brewed-in-house craft beers, order food from a menu created by the venue’s Global Culinary Director, Michelin Star Chef Brinder Narula, or even “check out” a book from one of the shelves lining the dining area. More than anything else, Windmills seems committed to making itself the ultimate “third space” for locals: neither home nor work, but something more.

Chris Brubeck says he could see Windmills’ commitment to quality before he ever stepped foot inside.

“They have a real piano there [a Steinway & Sons] and a real back line. And that’s always a good sign,” said the musician. “It’s a mark of seriousness on someone’s part when they have a real piano.”

Jazz is famous for improvisation, and the Quartet leans into that. Chris compares playing jazz to a sporting event, saying, “It’s like playing a basketball game. There’s the court, it has halves, it has some architecture and structure, but you’re improvising the whole time you’re out there.” He says it presents a unique challenge for performers, but the foundation is there, and the freedom is what he finds so beautiful about jazz.

At Saturday night’s show, the Quartet bounced ideas off one another and took tunes in exciting new directions. Watching them play was not only entertaining but invigorating; their creativity was infectious and the room was suffused with it. They draw on traditional jazz, funk, blues, and broader world influences when they play, making for a vibrant set that balances classic arrangements with a dynamic presentation.

During the concert, Chris Brubeck would turn to one of his bandmates, signaling for them to take the reins. His focus would remain on them, his bass guitar and their instrument in conversation with one another, his eyes almost daring them to surprise him. Whenever they did, he would nod, a beatific smile on his lips. It happened over and over again; the drums, the piano, the guitars would each slide into prime position, make the music their own for a time, and then tag in one of their partners.

It all came together so seamlessly that you could be forgiven for not knowing they were making portions of it up on the fly. Chris says one of his favorite stories to tell on stage is about a lady who came up to him after a show and said she loved how much fun the band had during the concert, saying it almost seemed like they were making it up as they went along.

“I started pondering and saying, ‘Wow, that’s really amazing that she thinks that all of that shit, we worked out,’” he says with a laugh.

The band’s cohesion is a testimony to their talent and bond, and the improvisation means that even as they have incorporated more of Dave Brubeck’s music and more stories from his life into their show, the Brubeck Brothers Quartet is able to stand on its own as a jazz powerhouse.