The world of jazz, and I mean the ‘world’ part quite strictly, has suffered a great loss in the death yesterday of Dave Brubeck, who passed away at the age of 91. A performer and composer, Brubeck bemefited greatly from his studies in composition under Darius Milhaud, but the musical influence in his life began with his mother, herself a good musician and a choir director. She did not allow her children to play the radio, insisting they learn to play themselves if they wanted music. Brubeck formed a quartet that performed and recorded together for some 17 years. He also toured Europe, Asia and the Middle East. His success re-energized the American jazz scene, since he helped direct younger musician into this form.In addition to exhaustive explorations of the possibilities in jazz, Brubeck was a composer in classical forms, such as the oratorio and the symphony. He enjoyed the energizing effect of performing before an audience, and did this as often as possible, even though he did modify his personal techniques somewhat to make them less physically demanding. His death was not unexpected at his age, but the gap will be felt.