May 24, 1964 - Dave Brubeck’s first jazz score composed specifically for television will be heard on “Mr. Broadway,” the new series about a suave press agent scheduled for next fall on CBS. Craig Stevens will star in the weekly show.
“I decided to take this offer,” Brubeck said today, “because it gave me freedom to do exactly what I wanted. I’ll never work where freedom is not allowed. TV music can be exciting. I hope to try something different on ‘Mr. Broadway.’”
Brubeck, who just returned from a concert tour in Japan, will leave next week for Europe. He will be sending his compositions to the “Mr. Broadway’s” producers from abroad. The jazz artist has also completed a musical, “The Real Ambassadors,” dealing with a State Department tour by musicians, which he hopes to produce on TV.
“I’ve been thinking about ad music for television too,” Brubeck added. “For years, I said no. Now, the agencies are getting the who’s who of jazz to write commercials. They’re pretty far out.”
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