NICK BRIGNOLA

jazz baritone saxophonist

“It was the Dave Brubeck Quartet, and the album was called ‘Jazz at Oberlin College.’ It was one of his early albums and one of the best ones he ever made, too.

“In fact, later on in life, I got to know Paul Desmond, and I mentioned to him that that was the first album that I ever bought. I told him, ‘After digging all your work, I still think that, to me, that was really some of your best playing.’ He laughed, and he told me that it was his favorite, too, which really made me feel good.

“Yeah, that was the first album I ever bought, and I had to wait two weeks to get it. There was no jazz in the record stores in Troy, NY back then. If the store even had a jazz bin, the only albums in it would be like Lawrence Welk or something. So I had to special order it, and I had to wait and wait. Every day I’d call the store to see if it had come in yet. And when I got it, it was like gold to me.”