Event

Playing the Changes: Tracking Darius Brubeck
Documentary Screening with Darius Brubeck and Cathy Brubeck

April 29, 2025 (Tuesday) — 5:15 PM to 6:45 PM

Lerner Center - Room 101
201 S. 34th Street, Philadelphia PA

Playing the Changes is a documentary about the life of jazz pianist Darius Brubeck (born in 1947), the eldest son of legendary jazz musician Dave Brubeck. People quite often see him as 'the son of’ but he has used this distinction with idealism. This story examines why and how jazz had a transformative role in different types of societies such as Poland and South Africa and tracks Darius Brubeck’s involvement in both.

In this documentary, Darius reflects on his life, career and the success of the student ensembles. Using archival footage and interviews, the film highlights his part in a music department that stood at the forefront of cultural opposition to apartheid, and became a flagship anticipating the ‘new’ South Africa. The documentary also uses anecdotes from various former students, musicologists and jazz historians. We follow Darius and Cathy during anniversary tours in South Africa as well as in Poland, the latter country being where Darius at age 10 made his first appearance on stage.

What is Playing the Changes?

Playing the changes is a jazz phrase. Technically it means improvising on an existing chord progression and, in jazz-speak, each chord is a change.  Playing on the changes of an existing piece transforms it into something new and more elaborate. This is no more than a basic skill, but jazz musicians use it to generate narrative, emotion, humour and mood, as well as a conversation with the other musicians and the audience.  My South African jazz life consisted of ‘playing the changes’ there.

Despite their different histories, people living under Apartheid in South Africa and people living under Soviet domination in Poland, had one thing in common, a love of jazz.  I experienced this in both countries.

Showing the film (60 minutes) has been very successfully used in other venues as a way of engaging young musicians in the sounds and history of South African jazz as well as jazz as a professional path.

- Darius Brubeck

Following the documentary, Darius Brubeck and Cathy Brubeck published the novel, "Playing the Changes: Jazz at an African University and on the Road," which follows the Brubeck's journey of transforming jazz education. Building a program grounded in multi-culturalism, Catherine and Darius encouraged black and white musicians to explore and expand the landscape of South African jazz together Their story details the sometimes wily, sometimes hilarious problem-solving necessary to move the institution forward while offering insightful portraits of South African jazz players at work, on stage, and providing a soundtrack to the freedom struggle and its aftermath. Frank and richly detailed, Playing the Changes provides insiders’ accounts of how jazz intertwined with struggle and both expressed and resisted the bitter unfairness of apartheid-era South Africa.

Learn more about the documentary, Playing the Changes: Tracking Darius Brubeck, here

Learn more or purchase the book, Playing the Changes: Jazz at an African University and on the Road, here

ABOUT DARIUS BRUBECK

San Francisco born jazz pianist and composer Darius Brubeck grew up in the artistic milieu of his famous father Dave and enjoys a professional life as a musician and writer. In 1983, he initiated the Jazz Studies degree at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa where, as Professor of Jazz Studies, he taught until 2006.  He founded the celebrated Centre for Jazz and Popular Music and led groups representing his university around the globe. The London based Darius Brubeck Quartet performs in the UK and worldwide. Their CD Live in Poland was on Downbeat Magazine’sbest of 2020 list.

ABOUT CATHY BRUBECK

Catherine Brubeck worked for political change and became the National Secretary of the Liberal Party, which disbanded when the apartheid government legislated against racially integrated organizations.   In 1967, she left for New York, and had a varied career in publishing, conference organizing and music management. She worked for The Seabury Press, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, and Dave Brubeck. Previous work associates include author Alan Paton and Bertrand Russell.   Returning to South Africa in 1983, she organized tours and concerts for students and professional South African jazz groups, including cultural exchange visits that took young South African musicians across the globe.