by Dave Brubeck, Desmond, Morello, Wright List Price:$11.00 Our Price:$7.00 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Product Details
Media: Audio CD
Release Date: Tuesday, March 25, 1997
Label: Sony
Average Customer Review: 0 Based on 0 reviews.
Sales Rank: 763
Tracks
1.
Kathy's Waltz
2.
Everybody's Jumpin'
3.
Pick Up Sticks
4.
Everybody's Jumpin'
5.
Kathy's Waltz
6.
Three To Get Ready
7.
Take Five
8.
Strange Meadow Lark
9.
Blue Rondo A La Turk
Editorial Review
Boasting the first jazz instrumental to sell a million copies, the Paul Desmond-penned "Take Five," Time Out captures the celebrated jazz quartet at the height of both its popularity and its powers. Recorded in 1959, the album combines superb performances by pianist Brubeck, alto saxophonist Desmond, drummer Joe Morrello and bassist Gene Wright. Along with "Take Five," the album features another one of the group's signature compositions, "Blue Rondo a la Turk." Though influenced by the West Coast-cool school, Brubeck's greatest interest and contribution to jazz was the use of irregular meters in composition, which he did with great flair. Much of the band's appeal is due to Desmond, whose airy tone and fluid attack often carried the band's already strong performances to another level. Together, he and Brubeck proved one of the most potent pairings of the era. --Fred Goodman
Top Customer Reviews
Rating:
5 'Take Five' And So Much More
Rather than being a commercial pop-jazz masterpiece (which is what it eventually became), "Time Out" was conceived as another experiment in odd time signatures. The album's title speaks to that. Opening track 'Blue Rondo A La Turk' exemplifies this. It's title points to the fact that Brubeck was trying to emulate the 9/8 rhythms he heard played by Turkish street musicians. Jumping back and froth from that to standard 4/4 can be quite jarring at first for the lay-listener, but repeated listens make it seem almost natural. It is the most successful and extreme example in an album full of odd time nuggets that, even though they don't jump out at you, are quite lovely.'Take Five' tries to follow the same path. Its main themes were originally supposed to be the bread in a sandwich showcasing Joe Morrello's 5/4 drum solo. However, history has a way of disregarding our intentions. 'Take Five' became a monster jazz hit. It seems like I've heard it on the soundtrack to every Woody Allen movie, not to mention countless commercials. I still find the tune viscerally exciting. Paul Desmond, who wrote the song, plays his alto saxophone with a gentle touch (reminding me of the tone John Coltrane achieved on my favourite of his songs, 'Central Park West'), flying breezily over the effortless rhythm section of Morrello, Brubeck on piano, and Gene Wright on bass. He does true justice to the strong melody. Its five-plus minutes are worth buying the album for. Fortunately, the rest of the album isn't too shabby.
While I'm definitely a newbie to the jazz genre, I know greatness when I hear it, and The Dave Brubeck Quartet's Time Out definitely fits that description. Released in 1959, a pivotal year for jazz, alongside gems like Giant Steps, Kind Of Blue, and Mingus Ah Um, Time Out rids jazz of fixed 4/4 and 3/4 time and incorporates exotic rhythms used in a totally accessible and catchy way. Both students of musical theory and casual listeners can get into this West Coast jazz album with equal enjoyment. The opening track Blue Rondo A La Turk clearly shows this. Its in 9/8, in the style of Turkish folk music. Upbeat and catchy, this is a classic composition that's been covered and reintrepreted eight ways till Sunday. Ditto Take Five, a number done in 5/4 and featuring both a wonderfully slinky sax line and a Joe Morello drum solo. Other tracks do not fail to enchant either--Strange Meadowlark is an elegant slow composition driven by Dave's fine piano playing, Kalthy's Waltz is a complex yet compulsively listenable piece done in quick waltz time, while Everybody's Jumpin' and Pick Up Sticks are 6/8 compositions that close the album on a high note. The band, while not being ultra-talented, definitely works great as a cohesive unit. Dave Brubeck's piano gives the music its backbone, drummer Joe Morello and bassist Eugene Wright supply the swingin' rhythms, and Paul Desmond does a fine job on alto sax. All in all, I'd say Time Out is the ideal place for the jazz newbie, not Miles' Kind Of Blue (which is beyond doubt a great album but not the greatest choice for a novice, contrary to popular belief). It swings, it grooves, and it appeals to both the diehard jazz musician and the uninitiated. Highest recommendation.
Rating:
5 So Smooth
Listen to this SACD with high quality headphones and you will understand what is missing in standard CDs - the digital information necessary to make it sound so natural.
Rating:
5 A Classic If There Ever Was One...
Dave Brubeck met with Paul Desmond to create an album whose sole purpose was to be an experimentation with odd times in jazz. It resulted in a classic hit single, and opened the doorway for experimental avenues in jazz and other music through the use of shifting meters.Go figure."Blue Rondo A La Turk" is here, in its 9/8 glory, with that amazing slink into 4/4 blues(gotta love Eugene Wright walking that bass!) we all know and love. "Take Five" will always be remembered for that crazy Joe Morello drum solo and snaky sax line, all with Brubeck's classic 5/4 vamp underneath it. Other gems are present as well, from the easy/laidback "Strange Meadowlark" to the silly time changes of "Kathy's Waltz" and "Pick Up Sticks."This is a great jazz album for newbies to jazz, with it's fun rhythms, upbeat nature, and excellent technical performance(just enough to keep things interesting without going over the top). A classic if there ever was one--with popular sales and critical acclaim to boot.
Rating:
5 Timeless brilliance.
Judging from the other mixed comments on this page, it seems that this album is still being taken several different ways, just as it was in 1959. Want something easy & accessible for the new jazz fan? Like inventive solos and spontaneous group communication? Interested in odd rhythms and time signatures? Looking for something smooth-swinging that'll provide some nice background music? Well, the appeal of Time Out is that it works beautifully on *all* those levels. It started as a simple experiment in branching out beyond steady 4/4 time - which may not seem too rare now, but at the time it was pretty weird stuff - and was never intended to be anything more. But it's one of those works where everything falls into place so naturally it's uncanny, and the result from these sessions really caught on, due largely to the sinuous addictingness of "Take Five." You've probably heard that one somewhere, whether you know it or not.There's more to offer in the way of rhythm, from the catchy alternating 4/4 and 9/8 of "Blue Rondo a la Turk" to the slow-hopping swing of "Three to Get Ready" to the easy-walking 6/4 beat of "Pick Up Sticks." The group has a wonderful chemistry. They listen and respond to each other but it never seems awkward or forced; they're all just having fun, and that's what really makes the whole affair sound so informal and inviting.I wouldn't hold all its popularity against it - like Miles Davis's Kind of Blue and John Coltrane's A Love Supreme, Time Out is one of those classics that transcends its genre and succeeds wildly without sacrificing any of its quality. And like those other two albums it's highly recommended for jazz neophytes, absolutely essential for any serious collection, and even remains pretty enjoyable to non-jazz fans too. So simply put, if you have any interest in jazz at all, you need this disc. No way around it.
This was my first exposure to The Dave Brubeck Quartet. My dad had this album in his record collection. As he bought it just for Take Five,and that was the end of him playing the album, so I kind of inhereted it. I enjoyed the album right away, and began collecting albums by Brubeck one after and another, week after week. After listening to this album, I was also introduced to drummer, Joe Morello. And now, after looking for albums by Brubeck, I only get albums by Brubeck with Joe Morello on it, and others with Joe Morello as a sideman. Anyway, this album starts off with one of the three most famous DBQ songs, (blue rondo a la turk, koto song, and take five). I had no idea about time signatures when I first listened to this album, being about age 12. But somehow I managed to play along with on the drums, no problem. For some strange reason, I was able to play all of Brubeck's odd time signature songs like Eleven Four, Castilian Drums, and of course Take Five, as most kids struggle with odd time signature songs, but I picked it up like that! The next song, Strange Park, was allright, displaying some 3/4, 4/4 techniques featured on the next side. The famous Take Five, which I new nothing of its signifigense was cool, especially with the drum intro. I almost instantainiously picked up the 3/4 brush patterns on 3 to get ready, Kathy's Waltz, and Everybody's Jumpin'. This album sounds like a real late night album. It's echo and coolness, sounded like backround music for a cd store, or a coffee shop. Most other Brubeck albums are not like this. Albums like Southern Scene, Gone With The Wind, and Countdown remind of sun, and the outdoors! I dont think there's a jazz fan in the world who doesn't own this on record or cd, or hasn't heard Take Five. Any young kid or an adult who is just getting in to jazz, will love this album, or jazz, for that matter, after listening to this!
Rating:
5 Time Out - Timeless
.Pianist Dave Brubeck found jazz at about the time jazz found its coolness.Even now, more than 40 years down the track, the man and the quartet he gave his name to remain a potent force."Time Out" is very much the signature album of this amazingly talented foursome. Recorded in 1959, it still shines.Its clarity and style and the richness of its improvisations make it a joy to hear.For me, the standout track is "Strange Meadow Lark" with its sad, laconic and highly melodic theme presented and then superbly re-interpreted by Brubeck and friends.The set's most noted track, "Take Five", is also a remarkable piece.Saxophonist Paul Desmond (who also wrote it) gives a crystal clear enunciation of the probing melody as it floats over Brubeck's driving downbeat chords.Bassist Eugene Wright and drummer Joe Morello simply sparkle during their solo spots here."Kathy's Waltz" is another winner with its upbeat and deliberate melody line.In structure and style it is not unlike the future works of Dudley Moore.Brubeck and company brought a unique elegance to the world of 50s and 60s jazz and this album is their finest outing.The message they preach is highly accessible and definitely worth hearing."Time Out" - simply timeless. FIVE STARS!
Rating:
5 Take Five - Stars, That Is!
I was watching a B horror movie called "Tormented" in which the leading actor portrayed a famous jazz pianist. It was obvious from his arm movements that he wasn't even playing the piano, but watching that prompted me to turn off that turkey and take time out to listen to "Time Out." This is by far my favorite jazz album of all time. I never get tired of hearing it. It would definitely make my list of desert island discs. I also dig the painting which serves as the album cover.The superb pianist Dave Brubeck is the nominal leader of the group, frantically kicking off the opening classic track "Blue Rondo A La Turk." Drummer Joe Morello amazingly keeps perfect time during all of the tempo shifts. He particularly shines on the appropriately named tune "Pick Up Sticks." Saxophonist Paul Desmond takes center stage on the most famous track of all, "Take Five." This song has rightfully taken its place among the greatest instrumentals of all time. Rounding out the quartet, Eugene Wright's bass deftly anchors the beat on the melodic "Kathy's Waltz." The song "Everybody's Jumpin'" would be right at home on an album of sophisticated swing music. I'm no jazz expert who can expound on exotic time signatures, but I know what I like. I love "Time Out" by the Dave Brubeck Quartet!
Rating:
5 Play it Once, and Your Speakers Will Never Be the Same.
When I heard that Sony remastered this CD, I immediately grabbed myself a copy. Dave Brubeck's "Time Out" isn't just a great album; it also gives me fond childhood memories from when I first listened to this recording as a toddler. At the risk of recycling a cliche, it's one of those vital albums that transcends musical boundaries, and it's accessible to the masses while also remaining cutting edge. Producer Teo Macero, who is also responsible for some of Miles Davis' most essential recordings, brings out the very best in each of the players on this record. In my opinion, the very heart of this 1959 release is the exceptional "Take Five." The dynamic interaction between Brubeck's piano and Paul Desmond's expressive saxophone makes this one of the most unforgettable and powerful pieces of jazz ever played on a vinyl record. Other album cuts like "Three to Get Ready" and "Blue Rondo a la Turk" are timeless pieces that are so effortlessly graceful they seem to walk on water. Along with Miles' "Kind of Blue" and Coltrane's "A Love Supreme," Brubeck's "Time Out" is one of THE essential jazz recordings to own. It's a 100% risk-free purchase; even more so with the newly repackaged and remastered edition. But don't just take my word for it. "Time Out" is an experience that has to be heard to be believed.
Rating:
3 Lightweight, Enjoyable but Overrated
More than 40 years after its first appearance, Time Out still retains its popularity. But along with this it has acquired a set of myths and misconceptions: for example, that it represents the Brubeck Quartet at its best; that Brubeck was a "cool" jazz musician; that his use of unusual time signatures and other time-related devices was some kind of important innovation in jazz. In fact, in the context of Brubeck's work as a whole and of jazz in general, the quartet's experiments with time are less significant than is often supposed. The claim that these experiments would have an important influence on other jazz musicians has not been justified, and it's not difficult to see why. What matters in a jazz musician's use of time is not time signature - the number of beats in the bar - but rhythm - how phrases are placed and accents distributed in relation to the beat. In other words, what matters is how the music "swings". All four members of the Quartet knew how to swing (saxophonist Paul Desmond more subtly and flexibly than Brubeck or drummer Joe Morello). But the jazz musician swings most effectively and employs a greater range of rhythmic and poly-rhythmic resources when playing in a conventional time signature, one which, in the development of jazz, has been internalised to the point of being its "natural" rhythmic medium. The problem for jazz musicians when they try to improvise in time signatures more complex than "common time" (4 beats to the bar) or "triple time" (3 or 6 beats to the bar) is that the need to consciously "count" the beats in the bar inhibits the usual flexibility with which they can play in, against and around the beat (as well as inhibiting their melodic and harmonic invention). You can hear the effect of this inhibition on Time Out when the playing becomes overly self-conscious and the rhythms laboured and mechanical: for example, when Brubeck, on "Kathy's Waltz", hammers out his repetitive 4/4 phrases against the rhythm section's 3/4 time, or when Joe Morello, in his solo on "Take Five", tries to find rhythmic patterns to play "against" the 5/4 measure and sounds in danger of being cut adrift from any coherent time signature (on the other hand, his light, bouncing swing behind Desmond's playing on this famous track is one of the best things on the album). Once the novelty value of these experiments with time has worn off, a listener might justifiably ask the question: why? Why play 4/4 against the rhythm section's 3/4, other than to show that it can be done? (And didn't we already know this from centuries of folk, ethnic and European classical musics?) In a piece like "Three to Get Ready", why bother to alternate throughout between two different time signatures if the musicians can play more freely and naturally in one? What would "Take Five" lose, apart from its novelty value, and its rhythmically inhibiting effect, if it were "Take Six"? (It would presumably not need Brubeck's repetitious "comping" to mark the time signature so obviously.) One of the most original compositions on the album is "Blue Rondo a la Turk". But it's not really a jazz composition as such, and it's significant that for its improvised solos it shifts from the "Turkish" theme in a complex 9/8 time signature into a conventional 12-bar "walking" blues in 4/4 time - which seems to concede that the unusual time signature is of limited value, and too tricky to negotiate, for an improvising jazz musician. The other effect of this "time" material was to shift the focus of interest within the quartet's music to the compositions themselves, and away from their function as vehicles for jazz improvisation. This would matter less if they were more interesting as compositions, if the melodic and harmonic material were less simplistic ("Strange Meadow Lark", "Three to Get Ready" and "Kathy's Waltz" sound like themes which didn't make it into The Sound of Music or Mary Poppins). Perhaps this simplicity is a reason for the album's appeal to listeners from a background of pop/rock - that it makes the often-complex nature of jazz more easily assimilable. A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. I'm a long-time fan of the Brubeck quartet, and still find things to enjoy on this and the other "time" albums. But the problem when part of an artist's work is overvalued is that other works can be unfairly undervalued and the artist's true strengths neglected or misunderstood. The Brubeck quartet's strength was always in its spontaneous, creative improvisation - particularly in the ability of Brubeck and Desmond to improvise genuinely tuneful lines on fairly conventional standards. You can hear that gift for melodic invention on Time Out, but it is stronger on other sessions without the use of tricky time signatures to needlessly complicate the process; and both musicians were more rhythmically inventive when improvising within a conventional time signature. So I suggest that we should take with a pinch of salt some of the extravagant claims made for Time Out, see it for what it is - a lightweight, enjoyable but overrated album - and look elsewhere for the best of the quartet's music, not least to the early-50's concert recordings: Jazz at Oberlin, Jazz at Pacific College and Jazz Goes to College.
Rating:
5 Essential for Jazz Fans
In 1960, the Dave Brubeck Quartet (Dave Brubeck on piano, Paul Desmond on alto sax, Eugene Wright on bass, and Joe Morello on drums) released the classic "Time Out" album. This album consists of experimentations with odd time signatures, and it results in one of the best and most unique jazz albums ever made. The whole album is amazing, but I think the first three tracks are the best."Blue Rondo A La Turk" kicks off the album with a pulsating 9/8 melody. It builds in intensity and then all of a sudden explodes into a 4/4 F blues as Paul Desmond solos with his cool alto tone. Following Desmond, Brubeck adds his own highly memorable solo. It's bluesy and cool at first, then he adds his trademark block chords to end the solo."Strange Meadow Lark" is a beautiful track. Brubeck plays the melody solo on piano, and his playing of this song is like a dream. The rest of the band kicks in for Desmond's solo which seems to breeze by; it compliments the beauty of this song well. Brubeck follows and adds his own memorable solo as the song returns to Brubeck playing solo piano."Take Five", the third track, is the Quartet's most famous song, as it was the first jazz instrumental to reach number one. It is in 5/4 time, and Brubeck strictly plays a constant vamp so the rest of the band doesn't lose their place while soloing. Desmond plays the cool, soothing melody and solos well, but the standout solo here is drummer Joe Morello's. I believe Morello is one of the best jazz drummers of all time, and while he does better solos than the one on "Take Five", his "Take Five" solo is awesome, as he manages to keep in 5/4 time and still deliver a superb drum solo.The rest of the album seems to go downhill from these three tracks, but still remains a superb album. "Three To Get Ready" is one of the most interesting songs Brubeck ever made. Its metric pattern is: 2 meters of 3/4, 2 meters of 4/4. Brubeck and Desmond alternate playing the melody while the other one solos, and it is very interesting to see the two interact with each other. Both "Kathy's Waltz" and "Everybody's Jumpin'" feature impressive solos and catchy melodies, but "Pick Up Sticks" is an awesome melody and a Hell of a way to finish off one of the best jazz albums I have heard. Brubeck plays a rivetting solo after Desmond's cool floating alto sax solo. This album is an experimentation with odd time signatures, and the results were superb. And the amazing thing is that the Dave Brubeck Quartet swingings just as naturally with 3/4 or 5/4 or 9/8 as jazz musicians do with 4/4 or 6/8. The experimentation and originality of this album make it essential for all jazz fans. It seal Brubeck's place in jazz history and laid the groundwork that the Quartet would use to develop even more amazing solos. Indeed, the Quartet was just beginning to entertain.
Rating:
5 The easiest jazz album to listen to.
Brubeck & Co. did the music world a real favor here. The pianist and his quartet crafted what is arguably the easiest jazz lp to listen to. TIME OUT is a masterpiece of polyrhythms, piano comping and vamping, and hum-along tunes. Instead of beating you over the head with chord clusters or solo pyrotechnics, Brubeck leads his group down the energetic, happy side of the street. They give us relatively simple arrangements (time signatures aside) that remain within the West Coast 'Cool' Jazz style, allowing us to sing along or tap our feet. The album is most famous for the title tune which works in 5/4 time I believe. But the fact is, EVERY other song here is just as good, and some I like much better. "Blue Rondo A La Turk" is a homage to Brubecks time in Turkey where he observed and absorbed some of the odd meter work of traditional Turkish music. Here he uses this 1-2, 1-2, 1-2, 1-2-3 arrangement to great effect. "Everybody's Jumpin'" and "Pick Up Sticks" are two more of my favorites. There is not a bad note or dull moment on this entire 1959 recording. It has a momentum all its own. It is meticulously beautiful and should be one of the first five CD's bought by any new jazz fan.Essential.
Rating:
5 'Take Five' And So Much More
Rather than being a commercial pop-jazz masterpiece (which is what it eventually became), "Time Out" was conceived as another experiment in odd time signatures. The album's title speaks to that. Opening track 'Blue Rondo A La Turk' exemplifies this. It's title points to the fact that Brubeck was trying to emulate the 9/8 rhythms he heard played by Turkish street musicians. Jumping back and froth from that to standard 4/4 can be quite jarring at first for the lay-listener, but repeated listens make it seem almost natural. It is the most successful and extreme example in an album full of odd time nuggets that, even though they don't jump out at you, are quite lovely.'Take Five' tries to follow the same path. Its main themes were originally supposed to be the bread in a sandwich showcasing Joe Morrello's 5/4 drum solo. However, history has a way of disregarding our intentions. 'Take Five' became a monster jazz hit. It seems like I've heard it on the soundtrack to every Woody Allen movie, not to mention countless commercials. I still find the tune viscerally exciting. Paul Desmond, who wrote the song, plays his alto saxophone with a gentle touch (reminding me of the tone John Coltrane achieved on my favourite of his songs, 'Central Park West'), flying breezily over the effortless rhythm section of Morrello, Brubeck on piano, and Gene Wright on bass. He does true justice to the strong melody. Its five-plus minutes are worth buying the album for. Fortunately, the rest of the album isn't too shabby.
Rating:
5 The Quartet at it's best!
When the inimitable Dave Brubeck Quartet went into the studio in the summer of 1959, they created a timeless, monumental message in jazz. Nearly everyone, jazz fan or not, has heard the classic "Take Five", the only Paul Desmond composition on the album. It feautures teriffic solos from Desmond on his dreamy, wistful alto. Brubeck takes a backseat on this piece to allow drummer Joe Morello to play a stunning, brilliant solo. The remaining tracks on the album are equally strong. The driving, insistent rythym of "Blue Rondo A La Turk" nearly knocked me out of my chair at first listen. The magnificent "Strange Meadow Lark" is both Brubeck and Desmond at their definiitive best. The rest of the album is a sheer delight, untouched by the fourty years that have passed. DBQ didn't expect their seminal foray into exotic and rare time signatures to be a success. However, one note of one song on this album will tell you why that happened.
