Time Out

I really, really don't like jazz. This has not improved the situation. Oh God, please make the jazz music stop.

I love Take Five, it's often stuck in my head. My perception of what jazz is was really out of whack before I started this project, but 669 albums in I feel like it's starting to be a little better calibrated. I know realise that jazz doesn't suck, it's only most jazz that sucks

Holy balls, it's Take Five! I thought I'd never see the day. Good to know that the Dave Brubeck Quartet’s strange time signatures are not confined to Take Five. Blue Rondo à la Turk sounds like it’s in straightforward complex time of some form, except the accents change constantly and imply very frequent switching to other wacky metres. Then, about two minutes in, the overactive piano part drops out completely to make room for a solo section, which invokes the power of the most stereotypical rhythm section in all of jazz. Listen to those drums. If that ain’t bringing you terrible flashbacks of your high school big band days, then are you even paying attention to the music? I like the solos in this particular take of Blue Rondo because they aren’t mind-bogglingly virtuosic or difficult to follow or any of that nonsense. Especially the piano solo. Very understated. Excellent. Oh yeah, and an incredible way to close out the song. No notes. Other than the notes played. Why not follow a blitz of fast complex time by juxtaposing it with a beautiful, rubato-sounding piano ballad (in the loosest sense of the word)? Tragically, the band forgets how to move into a solo section that sounds even remotely like that flawless opening couple of minutes. I see a theme here (the quartet did the same thing on Blue Rondo). Mildly less impressed with the piano solo in this track – I prefer the chord/triad stuff – but the sax still owns the room. (Heck yeah.) The slow transition out of the drum section, heading back into that gorgeous rubato in the final minute, is pretty incredible. Take Five needs no introduction. Infectious piano and sax parts, with a solid rhythm section holding down the fort, and dang, you can’t get much catchier. Nice in-the-pocket sax rhythm that isn’t nearly as noticeable in earlier tracks. Again, a slam-dunk sax solo that doesn’t overstay its welcome. I’ve never heard as far as the drum solo – but safe to say, it’s fantastic. I’ve been missing out. And here I thought the drummer was just there to hold down a swing beat and could’ve been replaced at a whim. Right where the sax comes back in, the drums lag behind by a bar or so, and it’s cool to see that element of humanity even if it’s technically a mistake. Three to Get Ready… so darn whimsical. Great melody, some back-and-forth between sax and piano, and a technically-4/4 rhythm that nevertheless succeeds at confusing. That ending is pretty goofy. Kathy’s Waltz starts us off in the standard midtempo 4/4 jazz swing, so that the audience isn’t disappointed later when the solo sections inevitably morphs into just that. In fact, the piece does rather the opposite, pulling the ol’ switcheroo into a faster, not quite double-time swing to introduce the sax solo. One complaint I have is that the piece is absolutely not a waltz. But eh, potato, potato. Everybody’s Jumpin’ is inaccurately named (for I have a counterexample), and the song itself sort of acts as the I Got The News (Aja) of this record. Wacky chords that are almost overly jazzy, but the guys pull it off. With Pick up Sticks (yeah, capitalise every word except “up”, you freaks), you start to realise that the chart titles have nothing to do with the chart content. Sure, it’s fun, whimsical, jazzy… but what about this is related to the game Pick Up Sticks? Giant Steps uses giant steps, Take Five has a quintuple rhythm, A Night In Tunisia sounds Tunisian (probably), ‘Round Midnight is understated and romantic… Is the staccato-filled piano solo in Pick up Sticks supposed to mimic kids arguing over whether that green stick over there moved? Maybe it signifies the sharpness of the sticks. I guess Brubeck’s true intentions will remain forever shrouded in mystery. 4/5 Key tracks: Blue Rondo à la Turk, Take Five

So much fun. To combine odd time signatures and unusual key choices in late 50s jazz and make something which is so enjoyable, so catchy, so cool - I kept coming back to this time and time again and enjoying every listen. Even a song like take 5, which is so utterly overplayed, is still great. Top class, 5 all the way.

A great album, with maybe the most-played jazz song and familiar riff of all time.

Pretty chill music

Now this is definitely my tempo

These jazz albums are usually really nice to listen to but completely forgettable about 30 minutes after I’m done

Take Five is just a great tune. The rest of the album is pretty good too.

I’m not the biggest fan of jazz, but I enjoyed this well enough. It does overstay its welcome though.

Fuck yes

I’m always down for some jazz & this certainly didn’t disappoint. Amazing stuff

Very lovely jazz album. Massive fan of Take Five especially

8 / 10

Quite likable jazz.

Piano jazz is not for everyone, but Brubeck does a nice job of balancing the four instruments on this album. The first and third songs are the highlights (“Take Five” is a masterpiece), although the last two are also very good.

Smooth and enjoyable listening experience. Prefer to listen to whole album instead of individual songs.

Good stuff.

Pretty cool, I can hear why this is good.

A classic. Already packed in my dessert island musical go bag. A 5.

Tämä ei ollut niin hyvää jatsia.

Jatsia mukavammasta päästä. Take Five tuttu klassikko. Vaikka miellyttävää jatsia niin en kuitenkaan päässyt täysiä mukaan. Taustalla toimi oikein mukavasti.

I own this on vinyl

Don't claim to know much about jazz, but even I know a couple of the classic times on this one. Great driving music.

A classic of cool West Coast jazz, though admittedly it does play it a little safe to truly slot into my favourites.

A joy to listen to. Good jazz makes me smile every time.

Pure class. This is math jazz, baby. Standouts: Blue Rondo à la Turk • Take Five

Delightful jazz album. I'm not really qualified to talk about this type of highly technical music so I'll just quote my husband: "Dave Brubeck has a light touch." The music flows out of him.

Number 1 Jazz LP of all time!!!

It was pretty cool. I liked the vibe of the album. To me, someone who is listening in 2026, it sounds like a standard jazz album. However, this was THE jazz album that allowed for the genre to be more experimental. Or at least that's what I got from my research.

first track was excellent. rest were good but i probably wont go back. pretty solid like a 8/10

No es lo mío

Classic

2026.11.03.

The first song makes me feel like I'm in a Kingdom Hearts boss battle, but it's in a jazz club. Oh and the rest of the album is amazing too

1. Blue Rondo à la Turk - 6/10 2. Strange Meadow Lark - 7/10 3. Take Five - 4/10 4. Three To Get Ready - 4/10 5. Kathy's Waltz - 6/10 6. Everybody's Jumpin' - 4/10 7. Pick Up Sticks - 7/10 OVERALL - 5.4/10

Of course this is a 5, an all time great. Can listen to it over and over.

This album is good for the soul.

This just was not my jam.

38 minutes of superlative genius.

This sort of jazz makes me think of Charlie Brown cartoons and Woody Allen films. A long way to say I am an oaf when it comes to jazz appreciation. Technically, this might be very good. I am sure it has the crazy time signatures but what I learned was I know jack shit about time signatures. Is four-to-the-floor even really one?? Take Five comes on and it a shock to recognise a song (piece?) from the record. Never knew This record plays and I imagine an New York literary dinner party, film sounds tracks etc.

Not into jazz…

It’s weird hearing so many songs that I know, but didn’t ever know the title of or album or artist. For example, blue Rondo, al a Turk, take five, and three to get ready, I’ve heard multiple times in the background probably, maybe in movies. I don’t know if I’ll ever be a big jazz fan, but this is a great album.

Interesting sounds and a fun listen, but nothing really wowed me. Of course, it's important to understand it within the context of when it was made but still I largely found it to be pleasant sounding music that is not super engaging. However, Blue Rondo a la Turk was a standout - really love that song.

What a great album

Solid jazz

66 year old jazz album, a genre I never listen to and I knew 2 of these songs. That is how iconic the album is.

3 - This kind of stuff is good, but I don't know that I can judge that it's any better or worse than similar albums.

Perfection. Really cannot fault this.

My first jazz album! Blue Rondo à la Turk→10/10 Strange Meadow Lark →10/10 Take Five→10/10 Three to Get Ready→9/10 Kathy's Waltz→8.5/10 Everybody's Jumpin'→10/10 Pick Up Sticks→9/10 best→ Strange Meadow Lark worst→ Kathy's Waltz overrated→ Take Five underrated→ Everybody's Jumpin' overall→87/100 MUST HEAR Tbh, even if someone told me this song has an irregular time signature, I’d just be like, “tf is that?” So I don’t know enough about music theory to even judge it myself, but one thing I can say for sure is that this is absolute masterpiece.

Solid effort. Take Five is a classic and the exploration of time signatures is fun too.

Not a jazz guy at all, but this wasn't terrible. Good in the background while I worked I guess.

Loved it!! Classic.

2/7 a mi playlist!!! buen album

One of the best jazz albums I’ve heard in a while. With the more popular songs, as “Take Five”, and with the more interesting non-popular songs, as “Kathy’s Waltz”, this album is very good at showing that live energy in a studio setting.

Pretty awesome. There are some classic songs in here.

Been awhile since I listened to this one. Still an enjoyable listen. Not much else to say...

Excellent chill jazz that’s primarily propped up by Take Five 4+

Perfect jazz album.

Super solid jazz album. Take Five is obviously a jazz classic, but there's a lot more here than just that track. I really liked the sound of the opening number. 5/5

Good jazz love take 5

This jazz record feels whimsical (?) that's a word I keep seeing more and more lately...but it does feel very carefree, and loose, and like hashed around and mixed around and swept together then pulled apart and put back together again. It's not a distorted or "experimental" mess, like a lot of avant-garde digital stuff that we can find today, or even avant-garde jazz for a more strict comparison, but it feels very colorful. There are different time signatures, on the first half, then you have Take Five, which is a jazz standard that I've heard before. It's neat. I dig it. I don't know where I would rank this since I'm not an avid Jazz listener, but maybe this belongs in the 5/5 category due to sheer instrumentation and musicianship. I enjoyed it for locking in and getting some stuff done. It's good. It's probably a 8.5-9.5/10 somewhere in there.

Usually the only jazz I listen to is the vocal kind. However, this has a certain rhythm to it that I can groove to and the time signatures are interesting. They call it cool jazz and that's appropriate. Perfect for a hot summer day.

Not a huge jazz listener. I’m sure it was fun to record

Classic jazz album.

reminds me of toy story, up, and other disney and pixar movies

Jazz club...smooth

As jazz records go this is pretty great, and the production is remarkable for the late 50s. It feels accessible yet complex, a real gateway into the jazz scene of the era. The piano, bass & brass instruments blend brilliantly to create a lovely sound. This would make for fantastic background listening at a low key dinner party, or an amazing listen with in a speakeasy cocktail bar.

Apparently this is some cooooool jazz! I actually have heard the track Take Five before. The rest was good, I guess? It's very listenable as far as jazz goes. (4)

Take four for now. But I have a feeling this might take five stars after a few more listens!

Maybe 4.5

Just amazing and tasteful. I feel like someone is pouring simple syrup into my brain.

You know, for jazz this was actually pretty good.

Almost immediately fell in love with this. I only knew the obvious track so the rest is new to me, but it really is a joy to the ears. Beautifully smooth and soulful with enough in the way of complication to keep it interesting, but without disappearing down those incessant modern-jazz (I believe it's called straight-ahead jazz?) rabbit-holes. Everything comes together so well. I would imagine this will became part of my ongoing rotation no problem.

A jazz classic.

Lovely.

7.0/10

One of the top jazz albums for a reason. A great way to introduce someone to the genre.

Excellent...

jazz de ambiente bastante consistente y digerible, pero como todo album de jazz instrumental me termina pareciendo inevitablemente aburrido por momentos y por otros me engancha por melodías mas catchy. 7/10

4/10 Oof, jazz. Sounds so incredibly dated, I just can't. Take 5 is alright as it has a riff, but nothing stands out from the rest

5/10 not really my thing

Just some good jazz (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)

Jazz/5

Take Five is peak 5/4 time music. A composition that one might find too complex, but it introduced me to the time signature so good, and nobody even had to speak! Who knew some guy with a name as generic as Dave and three other friends made one of the finest albums ever!

Short and scrumptious!

Take five is a song I had to learn in school. Was nice to have the full work.

Review TBC

Me encanta el jazz, ya tenía escuchado este álbum. Unos de mis favoritos de este hermoso género.

Good jazz, very calming but not sad. 4

Some of the jazziest jazz that ever jazzed

Listened before? No Familiar with the artist? No Thoughts: - Oh hey, I actually know "Take Five"! I didn't expect to recognize anything here :) - I don't think I'll ever be a big listener of instrumental albums (I just connect to lyrics / vocals more than anything else), but I did enjoy this. Don't really see myself coming back to it, but I definitely get why it's here. Favorite track(s): Take Five

The classic Take 5! The rest of the album doesn't feel as timeless but it's nice to listen to.

A jazz essential. Not only is this album a classic, but it's also a very technical work of art. Almost all the songs feature complex time signatures using 5/4, 9/8, 7/4, and more, while the piano takes heavy classical inspiration when it comes to stylistic phrasing. This album is more genre-bending than just jazz; it's perfect. The Brubeck Quartet displays a masterclass in dynamics as well. The vast contrast in solo work created with only 4 instruments is incredible, with the sax and piano players improvising straight peak. Joe Morello's ability to make odd time signatures sound so natural is subtly one of the album's highlights and essential functions. Paul Desmond's work on tracks like Take 5 and Kathy's Waltz is just so tasteful; I can only be baffled by his melodies. Each player's choice of rhythms are nothing short of genius, with their manipulation making each tune's groove interesting throughout the whole performance. A perfect accompaniment to my late night work.

Loved this, grateful for the discovery.

Although it would be easy to give this five and make a vastly repeated pun about it, this feels more like a 4 to me. Long live the 5/4.

Me alegra saber que no todo el jazz me llega igual y que sí tengo un poco de criterio (?) Mola mucho pero es que mucho suena a hilo musical, cosa curiosa porque a nivel rítmico hace unas cosas loquisimas. Supongo que dice mucho más del avance de la música y de cómo asociamos el sonido de un cuarteto a la música de ascensor que del disco en sí.

One of those Jazz classics. Even if you are interested in the genre or not, everybody at least knows “Take Five”. What a legendary track. The album overall is awesome. (Listened to it on vinyl)

I was partially listening to this as penance for forgetting the name of it in quiz the other week, so hopefully now I'll remember it at least. When it's good, it's good (Take Five remains unrivalled), but I found a lot of this a bit background? And for some reason vaguely Christmassy?

This is as close as I get to liking jazz. Take 5 actually means something to me. The rest of the album is fine, I guess