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.

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.

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.

Doesn’t offend

Take my five stars!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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).

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.

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"

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.

That was one long elevator ride…

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

This is an incredibly good album!

3 already in my favorites. Listening always.

Take five stars.

Banging

Take Five was one of the songs that got me into Jazz in the first place; the entire album is full of gems.

for en start! gøy og avslappende. spennende

Really enjoyed this, some songs reminded me of RPG battle music

Jazz❤️

This album is beautiful. I was sold on giving it a 5 until I heard the drums on Kathy's Waltz. I'm still going to give it a 5 because I'm sure that the drums are NOT out of sync, but it is challenging to listen to.

Laidback loveliness around a blazing classic in “Take Five”. Simon, I bet we’ve known people for whom this was their contemporary pop; most if not all gone, we’ve that strange sensation of hearing something fall out of living memory.

Take Five I knew, the rest are similarly excellent. Great alto sax tone, groovy album! [EDIT - purchased and upgraded]

Take time out to listen. No notes on all the notes. Perfect.

A great sounding record for it being released in 1959.

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

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.

Fun

This is not a familiar genre of music for me but the entire vibe was smooth and uplifting

Maybe it’s just because it’s jazz, but this feels like the antithesis to the rock album I called generic. This was just fun to listen to, often for simple reasons - Take Five is so damn simple but so catchy. Exactly the kind of thing I was hoping to get from this list.

Time out I needed

Not a huge fan of Jazz, but so many well known tracks on this album, would listen to it again

Good background music jazz

Take 5 plus some other Brubeck

It sounds like I'm in the room where they're recording this. Also it's giving Charlie Brown Christmas, or fancy hotel. Not in a bad way though.

wow didn't know take five was this famous jazz song that I grew up listening to all the time.

Love the flow and groove on this one. Straight to favourites

Really good. Interesting and intricate while still being approachable and down to earth.

Good for relaxing at home

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

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

Just empty to me.

Completely not my kind of music, I can't listen to this for 38 minutes. I find it boring, wandering, disconnected - it's like listening to Math. Wrong audience, it may be a spectacular album for someone

Unlistenable dogshit. It’s the back in black of jazz.

horrible do not recommend

An album to listen to while cooking dinner in a soft candle lit kitchen. A relaxing listen

Superb

The most listenable time signature experiments ever created.

Good stuff. My Mom had this record when I was a little kid so I've been listening to it most of my life

A great Jazz album! Loved listening! I don’t listen to jazz often but this one kept my attention from start to finish.

Loved this. Blue Rondo à la Turk was amazing.

Absolute banger, top jazz album 5/5

Joe Morello is on the Mt. Rushmore of drumming, one of the best to ever do it. Easy five stars.

Nagyon élveztem hallgatni ezt az albumot. Nagyon megnyugtató volt.

YES

Cool jazz is a yes

Never properly had the chance to listen to jazz before but I quite enjoyed it.

Late 50s jazz. Unusual rhythms, West Coast jazz. First big jazz hit. Masterful piano jazz. Absolutely delightful.

Super je, classic jazzić. Jako lipa muzika, pogotovo s obzirom da je 1959., nisam mislila da je toliko stara. Znala sam samo Take five pjesmu. Slusala bi ponovo def :)

something that i cant believe i never quite put my finger on before is that this record's great stride in Jazz Accessibility is that the harmonic and melodic language is just very un-spicy...not through dilution, but through discipline. which sounds obvious ig but a lot of other cool jazz classics expect some greater acclimation with the more winding and tense thrills of bebop, a musical language that in a lot of ways represents jazz's break from pop cultural omnipresence. it rly is impressive that no matter what weird time signature is going on, every single musical phrase here is very sweet and accessible...it has to be much harder to play like this than it might seem, keeping things as instantly appreciable as they are interesting. very few records in the genre make this little demand on you yet are this rewarding at the same time. incredibly beautiful music, perfectly matching that all-time-great album cover...its hard Not to be in the mood for time out!

Classic must listen if you have any interest in Jazz

Great album. "Blue Rondo a la Turk", "Strange Meadow Lark", "Take Five", "Pick Up Sticks" are all spectacular.

Blue rondo a la turk.

Go-to album for jazz. Just perfect.

5 Masterclass absolue, must have

I've come to start appreciating Jazz albums, and when they're as accomplished as this one, it's not hard to see why.

I wont say this is my favorite jazz album. I haven't listened to enough of them to say that. I do love it though and I was thrilled when it came up as my selection. I'm listening to this a couple of weeks out from Christmas and it feels like a holiday album. Its not a holiday album but it's whimsical in a way that a holiday album would be. The use of the different time signatures (so from what I understand about them at all) seem like they play a part in this. This album is a good one if you want to introduce people to jazz. It's a good warm up before introducing to the other greats like Miles Davis and John Coltrane, etc. This album is just a little more accessible. Hit - Take Five Miss (if I had to choose) - Three To Get Ready Surprise - Kathy's Waltz

I first became aware of this album from its cameo appearance in Donald Fagen's "New Frontier" video. I listened to it while walking around town (surrounded by Christmas shoppers) looking for a FedEx dropbox to ship my saliva for DNA analysis. It was a little tough going as I'd heard this album dozens of times before while working at a coffee shop from 1996-1999. My favorite part is still Joe Morello's drumming on Take Five. It's a classic but I never need to hear it again.

This album takes an automatic 5 stars from me! I have put this on many times before and often puzzled over why it felt so unique and intriguing. I didn't know until today that it was a masterclass in unique time signatures which the music nerd in me loves. But it's not just an impressive album, it's also a really enjoyable smooth listen. I think this is a great starting point to get in to jazz music. Another example of the biggest, most successful albums often having that success for very valid reasons, that they appeal to many different types of people, myself included.

An album I've heard about countless times, but never sat down to listen to and, man, was I ever missing out! Smooth jazz that seem to fluidly evolve over the course of a song, but keeps calling back to a central motif or theme. I do tend to appreciate more avant-garde jazz, so his experimentation with time signatures is right up my alley, and I absolutely love jazz drumming and Take Five is just an extraordinary jazz drum solo! Listening to the first song, Blue Rondo a la Turk, I hear some passages and ideas that clearly influenced some of Frank Zappa's work. I had to go look up to see if the Dave Brubeck Quartet was ever cited as one of his influences and it seems that they likely were, which is pretty cool.

Classy. Pour some wine and talk about art deco vs art nouveau with this playing in the background.

4.7/no notes, definitely will be looking for this at my next record shop visit

I love this album! It's on heavy rotation in our house.

Solid

Time Out is a foundational part of any education in jazz. It packages many of the art form's best parts in a way that is immediately accessible. It contains virtuosity, the interplay of soloists, improvisation, the incorporation of different musical traditions, and, true to its name, the use of unconventional time signatures. Its accessibility is the only potential complaint I can think of. There is very little challenge in Time Out. It is very easy to listen to and does not demand attention like some other classic recordings. Kind of Blue, for example, contains more surprises and requires closer listening. Time Out, by contrast, doesn't require close listening but certainly rewards it. It can be in the background or foreground. It may be too polite for my taste, but it is incredibly charming, and I can't help but be caught by its spell. A personal memory: To illustrate what a nerd I am, A Time Out CD is one of the very few things I've ever stolen. In 1999, at age 21, I worked at a local independent record store that was shutting down as the digital era was ramping up. We had a bin of bargain-priced CDs by the door. I knew they weren't cataloged like most of our stock. One evening as I closed the store alone, I snuck two CDs out to my car. One was Time Out. The other title might have been Max Roach's Percussion Bitter Sweet. Time Out is an essential and worthy part of any jazz collection. It reliably resists my prejudiced desire to dismiss it and my claims that I have outgrown it. Sometimes recordings are popular because they are simply that good. Time Out deserves its popularity and our attention Five stars.

Absolutly fantastic!!! Ive heard this one before, but probably never gave it the proper attention it deserves. Absolutly love the piano on this, aswell as the drums and sax stand out. All of the instruments blend perfectly into eachother, and everything is done with a certain amout of delicacy and patience. (Blue Rondo A La Turk is a bop)