While I enjoyed reading this biography it took me a long time to read it. It is not written in chronological order which can make it disorganized. The author tries to include every aspect his life which can make for an exhaustive read. My favorite parts of the book were the recent interviews and concert reviews. Fans of Jazz will enjoy the book.

DAVE BRUBECK: A LIFE IN TIME is a biography written by author Phillip Clark that covers the music and life of Dave Brubeck; jazz pianist and bandleader best known for his 1959 album “Time Out”.

Clark compiled much of the information that makes up this book from interviews with Brubeck while traveling with Dave, his wife, and the band he was playing with later in his life and career.

A LIFE IN TIME includes in-depth analyses of Brubeck’s music; and I have to confess that much of the technical terminology used by the author is beyond my understanding (and possibly resulting from my lack of a formal education in theory of music). Another aspect of the writer’s style includes analogies to describe the music that didn’t provide me with an understanding of what he was attempting to describe, which when combined with references to future and past recordings made it even more difficult for someone not already familiar with Brubeck’s history like myself.

Something that was obvious was the author’s dedication to presenting an excellent and thorough presentation of the life and works of Dave Brubeck, but unfortunately I was unable to maintain interest for more than a chapter or two at a time as a result of what I’ve mentioned that seemed to get in the way of enjoying this book as much as I’d hoped to.

3 stars.