Letter: Dave Brubeck in full swing

In October 2003, I bought a ticket for a concert by Dave Brubeck's quartet (by then it included Bob Militello, alto; Michael Moore, bass; and Randy Jones, drums) at the Lyrick theatre, in Assisi, central Italy. The audience was so small that we who had bought the cheaper tickets were asked to move to the front. On to the stage came the 82-year-old Brubeck, unsteady on his feet and clinging to the piano. He sat down, the others took up their places and his smile lit up the hall. His foot started tapping and the pounding, swinging music that emerged was amazing. Take Five brought the house down. The old man had become young again and this fan from teenage years was entranced.