Berklee Honoring Brubeck at Monterey

On September 20, during the third and final night of the 52nd Annual Monterey Jazz Festival, legendary pianist Dave Brubeck will have something in common with Bonnie Raitt, Sting, Loretta Lynn and Gloria and Emilio Estefan: an honorary Ph.D. in music from Berklee College of Music. Berklee President Roger Brown will present Brubeck, already an NEA Jazz Master and a Library of Congress “Living Legend,” with the honorary doctorate at about 8 p.m., just prior to the pianist and his quartet’s performance celebrating the 50th anniversary of the groundbreaking album Time Out. “It feels fitting to make this presentation to Dave for his many contributions to jazz, orchestral and sacred music, and to education, with the Brubeck Institute at the University of the Pacific, and at the Monterey Jazz Festival, where he has so many strong connections and associations,” said Brown in a press release. “The 50-year anniversary of the release of Time Out also seems like a perfect moment to thank Dave for all he’s done for the world and the world of music.”

The Berklee Honorary Doctorate of Music was first presented in 1971, to Duke Ellington. Since then, other jazz recipients have included Dizzy Gillespie, Nancy Wilson, Tito Puente, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Chick Corea, Quincy Jones, and Elvin and Hank Jones. Actor and producer Clint Eastwood is scheduled to take part in honoring Brubeck. In 2007, Eastwood became an honorary doctor of music at Monterey for his efforts to popularize jazz through his films and film music. For more information on the 52nd Annual Monterey Jazz Festival, go to www.montereyjazzfestival.org. To learn more about Dave Brubeck, go to www.davebrubeck.com.
Ken Franckling
http://www.jazziz.com/news/2009/08/27/berklee-honoring-brubeck-at-monterey/