Jazz legend Brubeck dies aged 91
Dave Brubeck has died at the age of 91.
The renowned jazz musician and composer - whose record 'Take Five' is currently a big hit in the UK and was the first jazz single to sell a million copies - passed away in Norwalk, Connecticut, this morning while on his way to a cardiology appointment.
Known for his distinctive sound and his experimental style, Mr. Brubeck was widely regarded as being one of the jazz music's most accessible and original talents.
According to the New York Times newspaper, Mr. Brubeck died just one day before his 92nd birthday tomorrow.
Some of his quartet's biggest hits include 'You Go to My Head', 'All the Things You Are' and 'Pennies From Heaven.'
In 1999 the National Endowment named Mr. Brubeck a Jazz Master for the Arts. He also received a Kennedy Centre Honour for his contribution to American culture in 2009.
The accomplished artist continued to work in the music industry until last year despite suffering from heart problems.
He underwent heart surgery and received a pacemaker in October 2010, but just one mother later he performed at the Blue Note in Manhattan, New York.
Mr. Brubeck once explained what jazz meant to him, saying: "One of the reasons I believe in jazz is that the oneness of man can come through the rhythm of your heart. It's the same anyplace in the world, that heartbeat. It's the first thing you hear when you're born - or before you're born - and it's the last thing you hear."
