Time Out

It was nice. I’m sure if I understood music theory it would be really interesting. But I’m stupid.

Do ya like jazz? Do ya like other people knowing you like jazz? Then play Time Out at your nearest social gathering and tell everyone that you enjoy odd time signatures and polyrhythms while you tap your feet to one of the most played jazz tunes ever. You're not normal, you're weird in all the right ways! Lol all joking aside, I fucking love this album, and why shouldn't I? Just like with the Beatles, the reason so many people like the music is because it is genuinely incredible, and Dave Brubeck does it here too. One gripe though - whenever I play this album, I always get a twinge of "maybe I should be playing some jazz by a black artist instead" simply because I've found myself listening to a lot of jazz by white guys. But that doesn't detract from the songs. Unsquare Dance is my favorite here.

Smoked a joint and listened to this on vinyl and reading the jacket notes. Got lost in the music. Take 5 is a masterpiece. Put on Miles in a Silent Way after, I don't listen to my jazz collection enough, but I digress. Time Out is a 5.

Before I give my thoughts I want to honor the fact that jazz music was traditionally a black musical style that some white people liked and became famous with in places that many black musicians were not allowed to go. That being said- I really like this Jazz album- I was very productive listening to it because jazz piano is my favorite.

This is (probably) the ultimate Cool Jazz record. Something you put on and sip a martini and cook a steak to. You can really hear the West Coast laid back playing on this as opposed to the busy New York playing that was coming out of Blue Note (although this was recorded in NYC). It produced 3 jazz standards just on the first side for goodness sake. Favorite song: Take Five and Blue Rondo à la Turk Least favorite song: don’t really have one

First song was good, then I forgot it was playing. Not too bad 5/4 this, 9/8 that, how about 3/5

One of the first jazz albums to come into my possession. This could be seen as 'baby's first jazz' in some respects, as it's a light, clean listen with enough toe-tappers for popular appeal. However, even repeated exposure to 'Take Five' hasn't dimmed its lustre. There's a high degree of sophistication at play here - Brubeck was influenced by the rhythms of Balkan and Bulgarian folk music, so 'Take Five', 'Blue Rondo...' step outside of 4/4 time and take the cool paradigm into slippery places. Five stars all the way, I spin this one frequently.

I had no idea what to expect but definitely found myself loving it. During the opening to the first track I had a hard time believing it's a 50's jazz track as it sounded much more like the opening to a 80's prog rock or progressive metal track. The rest of the album sounded more like I imagined highly technical cool jazz to sound like. But unlike other examples of this style I never felt bored with it. Just really good music to have playing which is both excellent in the background and for the occasional more intense listening during the particularly playful segments. Will save this one to re-listen for sure.

I don’t have anything smart to say, for whatever reason I had never really listening to Dave Brubeck before this and I definitely need to spend more time checking his music out cuz this was great.

Doesn’t offend

all instrumentals. I don't mind instrumentals (read: lofi, read: chopin) but these ones were boring af.

Even this perpetual jazz neophyte can hear how peerless this is. The one instantly recognizable piece took on greate depth and nuance for me in its proper context here.

There’s something about this record I just don’t like, not sure what it is. It’s fine, but ultimately just kind of…eh. Like, it makes sense that it’s kind of a gateway record for people to get into jazz- it’s not particularly challenging and it’s easy on the ears, but after two listens it’s kind of driving me nuts.

One of my all time favourite albums and maybe the only jazz album I really like. The groove of about every track totally gets me. Dave Brubecks simple piano style is great and Joe Morello is phantastic on the drums (e.g. on take five, which they basically created primarily for the drum solo, and I find it ironic when radios cut the song before the solo).

My family used to listen to this CD in the car all the times and Take Five is one of my dad's favorite songs, so this album has heavy nostalgic power for me! The music is so masterful and wonderful <<chef's kiss>>

A classic of cool jazz, and jazz as a greater whole. Dave Brubeck is so precise on the keys that he sounds like a MIDI file, and the rest of the team backs him up superbly, particularly Desmond and Morello on the highlight Take Five.

Another watershed jazz album. Brubeck's playing is complex and experiments with time signatures of various more 'exotic' influences. This coupled with Paul Desmond's acrobatic saxophone playing make this album groundbreaking and approachable.

I feel like a broken record (heh) on these, but I have loved all the instrumental albums not by Miles Davis. I've heard a lot of these before but never as an album. Great stuff.

Good background music for when wacky shenanigans are afoot. Make sure to keep looking above yourself while listening to this album, because a comically oversized anvil could drop down on your head at any moment. This album has a similar feel to it as cheese. I don't mean to call it "cheesy", I mean that it literally reminds of cheese. Like, I can smell some fresh tasty gorgonzola while listening to this. Call that Synescheesia. Four outta seven!

Inoffensive, too easy listening. Willing to give it a second chance and not an album I think I'd ever buy. Missing the bite of the jazz I love: Coltrane, Coleman, and Davis.

It wasn't amazing, but it was easy to listen to, quite pleasant and interesting to hear hints of what would come in the following decades. There were definitely some parts that sounded like the beginnings of Progressive Rock for example, particularly King Crimson. Another one that was hard to rate. It felt like a pretty strong 3, not quite enough for a 4.

Such a great album. Everything about this reeks of hep cat coolness...but in a good way! And Joe Morello's ride cymbal on "Take Five" is unparalleled. It doesn't quite make it to four stars for me because I'm not a jazz guy. 3 1/2 would be more like it.

I have somewhat of a love/hate relationship with Jazz, and this leans more towards the latter side. Everybody knows Take Five; it's nice, but a bit boring for my taste. The album as a whole is much too cerebral. It's Jazz by the (odd) numbers, but it doesn't speak to me. 2/5

A great sounding record for it being released in 1959.

Take my five stars!

I know every discordant piano chord, every lick of Paul Desmond's clarinet and honed my chops as a drummer learning 5/4 and 7/8 from the master, Joe Morello. My indie/new wave band introduced me to its genius at the age of 16 and I've loved it ever since. Jazz with a wink and a smile on its face. Pure enjoyment. Go on songwriters, throw a change of time signature in every now and then and make the music interesting.

You know an album is a masterpiece when it's incredibly technical and sophisticated, but is still accessible and enjoyable. A blend of African, Eastern, traditional/folk, and Jazz that comes together just perfectly.

Very much a gateway album for me. It's instantly accessible, even with the strange time signatures used throughout, it just sounds cool. There's not been many hit songs in 5/4, but Time Out is more than just Take 5, I probably prefer Blue Rondo à La Turk, but there's not a dud on the album. If you're not sure about Jazz, give this a listen and then go Hard Bop and Free Jazz, just like me! 5 / 5 stars.

08/27/2022 This album is very special to me for a number of reasons. Take Five was the first jazz recording that I ever heard back in third grade when my elementary school did a program called music memory. We were played sound bytes of different famous recordings and this was one of them. I have loved this recording since 2007-2008. Nearly 15 years of love. Fast forward to the future, I fell in love with the entire album after working at my university’s radio station that played jazz in the afternoons. I was the DJ for the 3-5 hour on Mondays or Wednesdays. Became familiar w many more songs and the style of Dave brubeck’s players because of this. — Today was super chill, I finally got to run some errands. Ran to target, had a great time getting lunch stuff and other little fun items. Came back and made myself a nice lil dinner and then just watched Netflix and crocheted.

Shimmers in its understated brilliance, popular this may have been but this in no way detracts from its status as high art. The recording is exquisite, the sophistication in the playing extraordinary. An album to repeat and find new things or to just enjoy and absorb, Time Out is special.

Relaxing, classic jazz. Steady percussion, smooth brass, instrumental jazz.

I'm not a jazz aficionado by any stretch, but I know what I like. I like this album and now know it belongs to the cool jazz genre. Cool.

Automatic fiver here. Love Dave Brubeck, and this has some of his most signature classics. Opening with "Blue Rondo a la Turk" is enough to let you know you're in for a great ride. I think Brubeck's the pianist, but man, shoutout to whoever is on sax because the sax cuts through these tracks like a hot knife through butter. For me, this is quintessential smooth jazz. I'll always be reminded of that Malcolm in the Middle episode where Hal finds the old bomb shelter in the backyard and hides down there drinking scotch, talking to a portrait of JFK, and listening to "Take Five." Love, love, love it. Favorite tracks: Take Five, Blue Rondo a la Turk, Strange Meadow Lark, Pick Up Sticks, basically all of it. Album art: One of the many jazz albums with the sort of "framed abstract art" concept for the cover, and I really like it. The art is excellent, the text font and colors are bold. It's simple and informative, but very memorable. 5/5

Very cool. I don’t hate jazz, I hate shrill & stressful trumpets, but the sax on this is smooth and mellow and lovely. It’s both accessible and challenging with the recognisable hooks but crazy time signatures. Good stuff.

Four profoundly talented, creative, and meticulous musicians, each making it sound effortless. I appreciate that this album is extremely accessible, but that it's does that without compromising richness and complexity. You could listen to each track 10 times in a row and still discover new fills and trills with every playthrough.

An album that is so much more than just "Take Five". I've heard this album quite a few times. I'd say it's a great album for those that want to explore jazz a little more. Great listening and not too abstract enough to put off non-jazzers.

Wonderfully weird time signatures on some really great tunes. Very listenable.

Made somewhat cliche by time and popularity but a great record, with far more complexity and nuance than maybe it gets credit for

I'm not an active jazz fan as much as I like using it as background music for a vibe. However, with two recognizable songs "Blue Rondo a la Turk" and "Take Five", interesting time signatures, and an accessible cool jazz sound, this album stands out among the nameless shuffled playlists. I was shocked to see it was from the 50s, I guess jazz doesn't show its age as much as pop/rock. Also enjoyed the fun fact of the melody of "Kathy's Waltz" inspiring the Beatles' "All My Loving"

Nice background music (especially if played live) for a dinner in a candle-lit, velvet-lined, red wine & martini-serving restaurant.

That was one long elevator ride…

Just empty to me.

One of the best cool jazz albums of this era. Its a great album, each track is gold.

hell yeah

Great album! Very fun jazz, lots of color and movement without being chaotic or overwhelming. A little short, running only 36 minutes.

Classic

Love this album, one of the first jazz albums I heard as a teen and Take Five made me realize I could be into it. Great throughout and absolutely worthy of being on this list.

I listened to it several more times and now convinced it’s a masterpiece.

This was one of the first jazz records that really hooked me, alongside Kind of Blue. I still return to it from time to time and each time I still get so much pleasure from it. Dave Brubeck is just so effortlessly cool. And yet despite the broad appeal of the album, it is also has a lot of range and complexity.

To be clear, this is a jazz 5. I have a whole separate scale for jazz.

As a free jazz aficionado, this is basic—lightyears from Ayler, Coltrane, Sanders, and Coleman. But damn, finally, a real classic. Take Five is in my headphone test rotation—if it doesn’t slap, the cans go back. Top 10 basic jazz you need to listen to. Cooler than anything you’ll ever make.

Just crazy good piano jazz!

'Take Five' is such an iconic track. The rest of the album was an enjoyable listen as well. Fun!

Rating (1-5): ✩✩✩✩✩ (Maybe in the lower tier of 5) Higlighted songs: Take Five I really liked it >w< It really fits my taste

Masterful. If you enjoy jazz, this is easily one of the greatest albums of all time.

5/4

Perfect album for a rainy day alone in the office.

yeah okay polyrhythms! big fan of this one. “take five” is a HUGE jazz staple and i love it so much. was super excited to hear it. the walking bass is a star. 5/5.

thank you department of state for creating jazz

Blue Rondo, Take Five, Kathy’s Waltz

Time Out is wonderful and masterful showing in jazz. I absolutely love this album and can't find anthing bad to say. It was calming, relaxing, peaceful, but yet something that you can really dive into and digest. 9.8/10 93/1001

absolutely mindblowingly amazing! now this is my kind of jazz. and i am extremely picky with the kind of jazz i like, as i normally don’t enjoy it much. but add in prog rock elements like in the first song and i am hooked. literally my first thought was “PROG JAZZ!?” and yeah “take five” is iconic. i forgot what it sounded like so when it came on i instantly went ”IT’S THIS SONG!” 😮 i will admit it mostly went back to, i don’t want to say boring jazz, but more traditional sounding jazz. i much more preferred the sounds of the “prog” section in the first track. the last song “pick up sticks” was very nice and didn’t feel “boring”. a well deserved 5/5 album.

Didn’t finish this one, but side one was really good. Take Five is easily the standout track. Those drums on it are amazing.

This is a classic. Considered one of the best jazz albums ever. I agree. Brilliant from start to finish. Brubeck was a trailblazer and just a very fine person. This album makes me believe there is still hope for us wretched humans. God bless you, Dave Brubecj.

Timeless, catchy, clever, incredibly listenable. A great introduction to jazz for all ages

The fact that Dave was able to create an entire album out of unpopular time signatures and still have them all sound seamless and intentional as well as cohesive deserves four stars on its own. Add that it’s fun and enjoyable to listen to and you have yourselves one of jazz’s greatest albums. Fantastic work, Mr. Brubeck. 5/5

I enjoyed this so much that when the album was over, I just let Spotify keep playing similar music all day lol

masterpiece

10/10… Jazz

I was excited to see this on my list today since Take Five is one of my favorite songs. Listening to the album on my drive to work was giving main character energy! LOL

It's a classic for a reason.

I dig it. Pleasant, gentle, accessible.

This album is fantastic. This is my second time this year listening to this album. The arrangements and songs are great! I didn’t “get” this album when I first listened, but “take five” stuck with me. After a year trying to understand jazz and bebop, now I get it.

This album will always hold a special place in my heart. It takes me right back to high school band when I was just starting to discover how playful and complex music could be. Learning about odd time signatures felt like unlocking a secret language, and this album made it feel exciting and effortless. It's not just great jazz... it's a nostalgic reminder of when music started to really come alive for me.

This album is an old favorite of mine, an entry-point into jazz. It is obviously interesting for its non-standard time signatures (the title Time Out even indicating that time is a major motif throughout), most notably its two major songs, "Blue Rondo a la Turk" and "Take Five", in 9/8 and 5/4 respectively. In comparison to other jazz this is not that wild, but from a general audience perspective this is novel. After listening to a lot of jazz over the years, these songs feel "safe" to my ear, but mass appeal is not necessarily a bad thing. And I may be overestimating a general audience's interest and attention span for an album like this. But I shouldn't worry about what others think. This is a gem in jazz and in music in general. It has that especially "cool" feel between the drums and Paul Desmond's sax. Desmond's distinct sax tone remains my favorite across all artists-- I once heard it described as being like black oil spilling through the reed. The time signatures and Brubeck's piano add just enough spice to give a little edge. Ultimately it feels a little like a distillation of complex ideas and theory into something digestible for wide audiences. Three of four men in the Dave Brubeck Quartet were white (notable to have an integrated band in 1959), including Brubeck himself. So some may interpret this album as appropriating jazz (and even Balkan music with "Blue Rondo a la Turk"), but it seems to be done with reverence and still adding something novel to the discourse, i.e. not just copying it for profit. I don't doubt that "Take Five" and the album welcomed quite a few people into a world that is often gate-kept. Ultimately, this is a triumph in taking complex ideas and making them presentable and understandable. This translation is often the most difficult task in the academic/scientific world and is just as difficult in music. The album is, ahem, *timeless*.

Легендарный альбом, очень круто записанный, а это конец 50х. Вест коаст белый джаз, прорывной для своего времени.

One of my favorite albums. Paul Desmond is so cool. Great drumming, as well. A pop album that has layers to it. Of all the classic jazz albums this the one I come back to the most because it's so listenable.

The album that made me say "maybe jazz IS for me!" Very accessible; short, sweet and catchy, with some cool time signature stuff. I learned about this one from NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour and was so stoked to get it today!

pretty awesome, real gem

Been getting into Jazz a little bit more lately, glad I got this, VERY GOOD ALBUM!

I was already intimately familiar with this album. It's one of the albums that turned me on to the entire Jazz genre, especially Cool Jazz. It is effortlessly timeless (see what I did there?). Just beautiful. Worth a listen any time.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Allé, take five

Awesome jazz that shouldn't be considered entry level but is

When I first did a deep dive into jazz I bought the Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD, a huge book, and then bought a selection of albums to which they had awarded five crowns (one up from five stars…). I had previously listened to Miles Davis and Charlie Parker but I really didn’t know what I liked. Time Out was one of the albums I bought but, despite the odd time signatures, I considered it lounge jazz, something to play in the background. This time round I gave it proper attention, with headphones, and no distractions. It is excellent. It is obvious, particularly on the incredible opener, “Blue Rondo A la Turk”, that the music is as influenced by modern classical and Middle Eastern music as it is by what was going on in the jazz scene at the time. It is amazing that music that can be challenging when really concentrated on (try counting BRALT - 2/2/2/3), with riffs that maybe only djent bands play these days, can also be ‘easy-listening’. “Take Five” is the other famous track but there isn’t a bad one here. Brubeck’s piano playing, soft melodies, intricate runs, hammering chords, is stunning and Paul Desmond’s alto sax is unmistakably him, but Eugene Wright and Joe Morello, on bass and drums respectively, deserve huge plaudits. The band is simply fantastic and it often sounds like more than four musicians. Produced by Teo Macero, who would later extract the gold from Miles’s freeform improvisations to create albums such as In A Silent Way and Bitches Brews, the sound is clear - it is like they are in the room (listen to the snap of the bass strings against the fingerboard). So glad I dove back in. Now back to counting…

Love the alternative time signatures on this album! Take 5 and Blue Rondo à la Turk are the standouts.

Keiharde jazz

Great jazz album

My love for jazz peaked here.

Back in 2008 I had the very distinct pleasure of seeing Dave Brubeck perform in Calgary. I can remember very clearly that this was the only performance I’ve ever seen where the artist received a standing ovation before they even started playing. Considering he was 87 at the time, I was absolutely blown away by the show. Dave Brubeck is an absolute legend, and I feel truly lucky that I got to see him play. This album is absolutely incredible, it’s complicated and jazzy, but it’s so easy to listen to. It makes you feel like you’re sitting in a dark smoky cafe in some far off country, in some alternate universe where everything is delightful. There’s so much that could be said here, but I think it’s impossible to really come up with anything that hasn’t already been said about this truly special record. 5*

I've often said that salmon is fish for people that don't really like seafood. It has a nice soft and flaky texture that's not weird at all, a mild, sweet, inoffensive flavor, and it's commonly prepared in a wide variety of very approachable and crowd-pleasing ways. If you ask people who don't particularly like seafood, but don't dislike it, what their favorite fish is, there's a very high chance they'll answer salmon. In a similar fashion, I think Dave Brubeck is jazz for people who don't particularly like jazz. Much like all of the common ick factors of seafood are nullified with salmon, you won't find any jarring tempo changes, screeching horns, or atonal intervals in a Dave Brubeck album. It's approachable and easy to enjoy not "challenging". I don't mean this as a diss on either salmon or Dave Brubeck. I quite like both of them, and in fact together they sound like the foundation of a lovely date night. Sometimes things are well-liked and accessible because they are good, and in the case of art sometimes making something that is both accessible and not boring is actually quite difficult. I don't think think 'Time Out' was set out to be a particularly popular or accessible jazz record. It was intended as an exploration of unusual time signatures inspired by the quartet's travels to other parts of the world, which really sounds like it would be set up for quite the opposite fate. Perhaps thinking such an album wouldn't be successful is an underestimation of either the public's appetite for a bit of complexity in their music or the Dave Brubeck Quartet's ability to compose it in a digestible way. There is obviously the superstar hit "Take Five", a classic, a jazz standard, undoubtedly one of the most iconic records both in jazz music and in the world of unusual time signatures. This track is a five-minute masterpiece, with the thunderous drum solo especially noteworthy. But every track on this album is fantastic. The composition is thoughtful and smart and the playing is airtight, effortlessly cool, beautifully balanced between the alto sax wafting like smoke over the boom and crash of the drum and pianos as the bass quietly looks on and keeps time. Other than "Take Five", the most popular composition from this album is "Blue Rondo à la Turk", a lively and scintillating track that opens the album with a bang. But my favorite track is "Strange Meadow Lark", which I think is the hidden gem of this album. It is so soft and evocative and inspired and in some way I feel it is the emotional center of the album. You've also got "Three to Get Ready", "Kathy's Waltz" and "Pick Up Sticks"... there's no going wrong here. A flawless, landmark album from one of the most iconic jazz outfits, led by a visionary pianist, guided by an interesting creative purpose released in the year that remains the high water mark for jazz as a whole. A rare album that befits the designation of an album you must hear before you die. Playlist pick: "Strange Meadow Lark"

Elegant, fun, and all around fantastic.

As a fan of jazz I loved this album! With iconic Time Out already in my collection, I was intrigued by track one which was deeply nostalgic of old peanuts re runs I watched as a kid! It’s only 39 minutes long so a great starter album for those interested in modern ish jazz

Love this album! I’m a huge fan of odd time signatures, and an even bigger fan of Paul Desmond’s sax playing - his tone and the way he adds these little triplet runs all over the place with ease - just perfect. The changing rhythms make it so arrangements don’t fall victim to the riff/bunch of solos/end with riff format that can make listening to a whole jazz album a bit maddening for me.

I’d estimate ive listened to this album over 50 times in my life as an alto sax player - Paul Desmond made it cool

Blue Rondo is almost my favorite jazz jam

5 out of 4 stars.

Music has no right to be this good. Some of the best jazz I've ever listened to.

Really lovely and excellent jazz record. Perfect for a lazy Sunday morning. Cool jazz baby...

A fun, enjoyable, quick jazz album. I'd heard Take Five somewhere before, but I liked the energy in the whole album. Horns were great.

Never criticize your own cooking at the table. Your guests may love it. Story I read is that Brubeck, having come up with the idea of doing an entire album of songs in odd meters, told the band to go write a song in 5/4. They got back together and ... nothing; shoe gazing. Brubeck said, "c'mon someone must have done something over the last weeks." Paul Desmond (sax) offered that he had two melodies, but they weren't very good, and he couldn't do anything with them. Those two melodies became Take Five, one of the most popular songs in jazz history. I love this album. Sure, they aren't the most sophisticated jazz artists. But Brubeck's incorporation of French Impressionism stylings, Desmond's tone, and the abundance of melodic ideas make them a constant pleasure to listen to. One of my favorite parts of the album is the ROOM. The plate reverb on Dark Side of the Moon is gorgeous. But I think the natural reverb of this studio, which the engineers captured brilliantly on these tracks, is about the best ever recorded. The golden aura it creates around Desmond's sax is, well, it's just to die for.