Verve Records has posthumously released the final studio recording by jazz pianist Dave Brubeck, a solo album titled Lullabies that he created especially for children and families.
The record is a mix of children’s songs, standards and originals, delivered with the signature style that made Brubeck a jazz icon who remains widely revered to this day.
“From the beginning of time, mothers have lulled their babies to sleep — softly singing familiar melodies,” Brubeck said when he recorded Lullabies in 2010. “Some of the melodies on this album are like those familiar songs. Some are original pieces that I thought would appeal to babies as well as an older generation. I hope the littlest ones will respond to this music, and that parents and grandparents will enjoy it as well.”
The album was released Nov. 6, nearly eight years after Brubeck’s death in 2012. Lullabies is the latest of several Verve records by artists who have since passed, including Ella Fitzgerald’s The Lost Berlin Tapes and Jimmy Heath’s Love Letter.
Among recognizable songs on Brubeck’s final album are Summertime, Over the Rainbow, Danny Boy, There’s No Place Like Home and A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes. The record also features originals that he wrote for his wife, Iola.
Lullabies is bookended by two versions of Brahms Lullaby, and you can listen to one of them below.