From NPR comes word that jazz musician Dave Brubeck has died. As a person who mostly ignores modern jazz, largely because I see it as a fountain of musical wanking, I nonetheless did listen to and enjoy Brubeck. In fact, I wrote about him back in 2009, and I also put Take Five on my 50 albums that matter list that same year.

People of my generation probably heard Brubeck when we were young — his music was everywhere. People of the next generation might remember Donald Fagen’s call-out to him in New Frontier (it’s at the 3:15 mark, approximately):

Brubeck indeed was an artist and a pioneer. He also lived until he was 91, defying the cliches about musicians (especially jazz musicians). Well-done, indeed.