Los Angeles, CA (August 28, 2026)—Multiple items from the home studio of Jazz legend Dave Brubeck are hitting the auction block through mid-September, including the artist’s personal Neumann U 47 mic, grand piano and much more.
Held by Julian’s Auctions, the online-only “Dave Brubeck Collection” auction runs through September 17, 2026
When it comes to classic West Coast Jazz, the tinkling piano keys of Dave Brubeck are often some of the first sounds to come to mind. Best known for working with unconventional time signatures and imbuing his work with a populist, accessible feel, Brubeck released dozens of albums over the course of his 70-plus year career, including the landmark Time Out—the first jazz collection to go Platinum with sales over 1 million. While he died in 2012 at the age of 91, his music lives on.
For many, the auction’s key offering is the original Time Out cover artwork by Sadamitsu Neil Fujita (Estimate $15,000–20,000). Framed under glass, the artwork is an abstract geometric painting combining watercolor, gouache and other mixed media.
Also up for auction is one of three pianos from the pianist’s home studio in Wilton, CT—a Baldwin SD-10B Grand (Estimate: $15,000–$20,000)—which he used for composing orchestral and classical works. Notably, Brubeck signed the piano, stating “My classical compositions and string quartet were composed at this piano including choral and orchestral works / Dave Brubeck / Aug. 31, 2010.”
For studio pros, however, the top find of the auction may well be Brubeck’s personal Neumann U 47 tube microphone (serial #1665 / capsule serial #1654), which comes complete with Neumann NG power supply (serial #1695), cables and Atlas Sound mic stand.
According to the Brubeck family, the microphone (Estimate: $10,000–$20,000) was used in the pianist’s home studio to record much of 1956’s Brubeck Plays Brubeck album, including tracks such as “In Your Own Sweet Way” and “The Duke.” The auction listing notes that the microphone needs servicing.
Of course, pianos and mics were just tools that Brubeck used to create music; the joy and inspiration that went into them came from the man and his collaborators themselves, as illustrated by a different auction lot—a framed photo of The Dave Brubeck Quartet recording Time Out (Estimate: $300-500). The creative excitement of that moment is readily evident in the Jonathan Shein image, which was gifted to Brubeck by Columbia Records to mark the album’s 50th anniversary.
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Far more can be found in the auction, including test pressings, RIAA awards, books, records, CDs, awards from Billboard, Downbeat and Playboy magazines, mid-century furnishings, handwritten scores, art, a Library of Congress Living Legend Medal, a Soviet-era three-string balalaika and much more.
