Unsquare Dance
Chris Brubeck (trombone), Joel Brown (guitar), Bill Crofut (banjo), Carver Blanchard (lute), Jim Cowdery (pennywhistle), Chris Brubeck (piano)
Bill Crofut who died in 1999 wrote notes for this recording that was done in 1991: "Some years back a dear friend commented that there was a danger in middle age of relying on past accomplishments, and thus becoming a parody of a younger self. Sing the same song too often and for too long and it turns on itself and becomes a mockery. It's a hard truth. I had passed that age of 50 when we all take stock. I yearned to take something on that I'd never done before. I first took on Bach. That meant making banjo transcriptions, inventing a finger picking technique to suit the style and finding an appropriate sound by using mutes. It took five years, the results of which can be heard in the three selections included here...This recording is the result of years of listening, loving and being moved by music, words and those who turn them into wonder. It is the Unsquare Dance of three friends with totally different musical backgrounds who came together to see what might come out, and we had a wonderful time."
Track Listing
| Title | Composer | Performer |
|---|---|---|
| Praeludium No. 2 from Clavier-Büchlein f&252r W.F. Bach, BWV 926 | J.S. Bach | Bill Crofut, banjo, Chris Brubeck, trombone, piano, voice, Joel Brown, guitar |
| Partita No. 1, BWV 825 | J.S. Bach | Bill Crofut, banjo, Chris Brubeck, trombone, piano, voice, Joel Brown, guitar |
| Menuet I & II from Six Suites for Cello, BWV 1007 | J.S. Bach | Bill Crofut, banjo, Chris Brubeck, trombone, piano, voice, Joel Brown, guitar |
| Praeludium und Fuge C-Dur, No. 1, BWV 846 | J.S. Bach | Bill Crofut, banjo, Chris Brubeck, trombone, piano, voice, Joel Brown, guitar |
| Lonely on Both Ends of the Road | Chris Brubeck | Bill Crofut, banjo, Chris Brubeck, trombone, piano, voice, Joel Brown, guitar |
| Unsquare Dance | Dave Brubeck | Bill Crofut, banjo, Chris Brubeck, trombone, piano, voice, Joel Brown, guitar |
| Blue Rondo à la Turk | Dave Brubeck | Bill Crofut, banjo, Chris Brubeck, trombone, piano, voice, Joel Brown, guitar |
| The Ivy | Bill Crofut | Bill Crofut, banjo, Chris Brubeck, trombone, piano, voice, Joel Brown, guitar |
| Petals | Jeff Jones | Bill Crofut, banjo, Chris Brubeck, trombone, piano, voice, Joel Brown, guitar |
| Easy Winers | Scott Joplin | Bill Crofut, banjo, Chris Brubeck, trombone, piano, voice, Joel Brown, guitar |
| Broadway Rag | James Scott | Bill Crofut, banjo, Chris Brubeck, trombone, piano, voice, Joel Brown, guitar |
| Black and Blue | Fats Waller | Bill Crofut, banjo, Chris Brubeck, trombone, piano, voice, Joel Brown, guitar |
| How Long Blues | Jimmy Yancey | Bill Crofut, banjo, Chris Brubeck, trombone, piano, voice, Joel Brown, guitar |
| Impressions of Bali | Bill Crofut | Bill Crofut, banjo, Chris Brubeck, trombone, piano, voice, Joel Brown, guitar |
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