Chris Brubeck, What Was the First Album You Ever Bought?

“I remember the first record that I heard that made me think that rock ‘n’ roll wasn’t just really stupid. All the songs had those same three chords back then, but then I heard ‘Surfin’ USA,’ and I thought, ‘A-ha, the vocabulary is widening.’ Now everyone looks back at Brian Wilson as sort of a pop Debussy, and that stuff really holds up. Those early Beach Boys harmonies were very appealing to me.

But to my embarrassment, I think the first album I bought was ‘Can’t Stop Twisting’ by the Adventurers. For some reason, I remember that. It was four guys that kind of looked like the Temptations. Or maybe they had a hit single or something, and I saw the record and bought it. I don’t know. It just seemed appealing to me at the time.”

Bassist-trombonist-pianist-vocalist Chris Brubeck joins his bandmates in Triple Play (harmonicat Peter Madcat Ruth and guitarist Joel Brown) for a concert at Skidmore College’s Zankel Music Center at 8:15pm on Friday as part of the Saratoga ArtsFest. In the spirit of the upcoming Father’s Day, the trio will be joined by Brown’s dad, jazz clarinetist Frank Brown, and Brubeck’s dad, the jazz piano legend Dave Brubeck. Yes, the Dave Brubeck. Tix are $5 with a Saratoga ArtsFest pass; and $45 without.