Yesterday was the 90th birthday of legendary jazz pianist Dave Brubeck.

Born in Concord, California and son of a cattle farmer, he served in in George Patton’s Third Army and created one of the U.S. armed forces’ first racially integrated bands, “The Wolfpack”. With one of that band, Paul Desmond, he founded the Dave Brubeck Quartet in 1951 and they quickly established themselves at the Black Hawk nightclub in San Francisco.

The album Time Out – including “Take Five“, “Blue Rondo à la Turk“, and “Three To Get Ready” came in 1959.

After health problems earlier this year he had a pacemaker fitted in October of this year and amazingly doctors cleared him in November to resume his concert touring…which he did.

Still going strong at 90 – happy birthday Dave Brukeck.