Dave Brubeck - Time Out
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Free Music Notes for Time Out
Free Music Review: 'Take Five' And So Much More
Hit: 5 Stars
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.
Free Music Review: A Well-Deserved Mainstay.
Hit: 5 Stars
The other day, I was in a car for an extended period with a relative who is not much into jazz. I put this CD in and two remarkable things happened. First, she recognized EVERY ONE of the 7 tracks on the CD, and second, she told me that she could easily detect the time signatures and signature changes in these tracks. Yet another testamant to Dave Brubeck and his quartet's uncanny ability to take what could have been an esoteric concept (odd time signature jazz) and make it accessible, fun, and still remarkably swinging!
For those who are not quite drawn to jazz or are eager novices, this is a great CD to get for its accessibility and catchiness (another is Miles Davis's "Kind of Blue"). For those who are in the know about jazz, this is STILL a great CD to get for its uniqueness and polished musicianshilp that is always present, it seems, in the combo of Brubeck, Desmond, Wright, and Morello.
So how is it possile for a CD to be simultaneously unique and innovative while being listenable and commercially viable? I couldn't tell you and most claiming they could are probably only guessing, too. But I CAN tell you that the seven songs here achieve it. For all who thought either (a) that jazz is an intellectual thing that might be intellectually interesting but far from enjoyable listening, or; (b) that any jazz that is listenable or commercially viable must sacrifice some level of originality or depth; - both groups will be amply proved wrong.
Bravo, Dave!
Free Music Review: smooth, original music
Hit: 5 Stars
I have come to jazz from the blues, so for the past 20 years I have been listening to Sidney Bechet, Charlie Parker, Johnny Hodges, Armstrong, Coltrane, Miles Davis, and many others who have given me some of that blues feeling.The Dave Brubeck quartet is playing another "feeling". Aside from "Three to get Ready", which is closer to European music than to jazz, all tracks on this CD are definately within what I consider the Jazz Idiom. Even when playing the blues on Blue Rondo, Paul Desmond does not even remotely resemble Lou Donaldson, Jackie McLean and other blues inspired alto jazzmen.
While I will never stop listening to blues inspired jazz, I enjoy discovering other directions, other sounds. To me the music on TIME OUT is great for its sound and mood, as well as the introduction of "Other" rhythms. I found the improvisation on the 5/4 meter a little undaring, probably because Desmond did not feel these rhythms as well as he did the 4/4 and 6/4 ones. This is understandable since the 5/4 is not part of American cultural heritage, and improvising requires total absorbtion of rhythm before anything else.
There are beautiful moments on every track, and the "hits" are not necessarilly the ones that attracted me most here.
This all time hit does not need me to recommand it. But I can add that it belongs in every jazz collection, even one like mine, that is generally blues oriented.
Free Music Review: My Journey
Hit: 5 Stars
When I was about 7 or 8 years old, my older sister purchased the "12 Free Records" from the Columbia Record Club, and one of the albums she ordered was Time Out. I clearly remember the nicecolors on the cover and I asked her to play this one first on our old RCA console record player. After hearing the melodies on this record, that began my love affair with music that has lasted almost 40 years (and sadly, eclipsing my life-long dream of playing left field for the Cleveland Indians).
Now, after literally thousands of albums and of course nearly the same amount of CDs purchased, countless out of the way record stores visited looking for that hidden treasure I didn't know existed, I can put on Time Out and it sounds as fresh and alive as the first time I heard it. This is the first CD I reach for to put on my player when we entertain our friends. It's the first CD I pull out if I have a long drive ahead of me.
I cannot think of a better assembly of music to put in a time capsule to leave for our children's children and any visitors there may from the cosmos.
I am ever thankful I wasn't out pretending to be the next Rocky Colavito, Johnny Romano or even Fred Whitfield (long suffering Tribe fans know who I'm talking about) when my sister's big package arrived that day as my life just would not be the same if not for the escape one can get with music. And I cannot recommend a better piece than Time Out.
Free Music Review: My Journey
Hit: 5 Stars
When I was about 7 or 8 years old, my older sister purchased the "12 Free Records" from the Columbia Record Club, and one of the albums she ordered was Time Out. I clearly remember the nicecolors on the cover and I asked her to play this one first on our old RCA console record player. After hearing the melodies on this record, that began my love affair with music that has lasted almost 40 years (and sadly, eclipsing my life-long dream of playing left field for the Cleveland Indians).
Now, after literally thousands of albums and of course nearly the same amount of CDs purchased, countless out of the way record stores visited looking for that hidden treasure I didn't know existed, I can put on Time Out and it sounds as fresh and alive as the first time I heard it. This is the first CD I reach for to put on my player when we entertain our friends. It's the first CD I pull out if I have a long drive ahead of me.
I cannot think of a better assembly of music to put in a time capsule to leave for our children's children and any visitors there may from the cosmos.
I am ever thankful I wasn't out pretending to be the next Rocky Colavito, Johnny Romano or even Fred Whitfield (long suffering Tribe fans know who I'm talking about) when my sister's big package arrived that day as my life just would not be the same if not for the escape one can get with music. And I cannot recommend a better piece than Time Out.