This year, 2009, marks the 50th Anniversary of the classic Dave Brubeck album Time Out. Released by Columbia Records back in 1959, this great collection of tracks presents the Dave Brubeck Quartet at its finest. Jazz fan or not, anyone with even a passing interest in jazz will have heard or heard of this album. Based on its world-wide popularity and recognition across generations, it is no surprise that it is one of the best selling jazz albums ever (next to Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue). It also has the distinction of having a single that reached the Top 5 on the Adult Contemporary chart– “Take Five” composed by band member Paul Desmond.

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To celebrate the occasion, Sony Legacy re-released its 1997 compact disc remaster of the album on May 25th of this year. Time Out -50th Anniversary (2 CD/1 DVD Legacy Edition) contains 2-CDs and 1 DVD. According to this posting on the Down Beat website, the second disc is made up of previously unreleased live performances from The Newport Jazz festival from 1961-1964. The DVD is an interview with Dave Brubeck on Time Out as well as some photographs and an “interactive piano demonstration.”

Album Breakdown
Disc 2:
While the 1st disc is essentially the same as the 1997 re-mastered version of this album, it is really the 2nd CD and the DVD which make this 50th Anniversary Legacy Edition worth getting your hands on. The entire second CD features the Dave Brubeck Quartet Live At Newport (1961,1963 and 1964),with the same personnel who played on the original studio album. This disc contains the usual “hits” then popular from this group,along with several other tracks.

Live this group sounds a bit more alive, and not quite as academic as they sometimes tend to sound on studio recordings. Even live,this music will put a smile on your face and set your foot to tapping. And that’s what this album is all about-great jazz played with style and fine musicianship,yet it still has that cool,yet “good-time” feel. This album so caught the public’s attention,because of a couple of popular tunes,that much of the sophisticated arranging and playing was missed by listeners. At the time the rhythm patterns in most of the compositions were very advanced-not many had played jazz in the time signatures that Brubeck and his group did on this album.

For those who like this album,the extra disc is certainly worth owning. Not only will you have one of the best,most popular jazz albums of all time,you’ll also have some very fine live jazz,which makes this release the one to own. If you want to introduce someone to Jazz, buy them this album. It’s crisp, live and fantastic. Unreserved recommendation of one the greatest Jazz albums ever!

The DVD:
The DVD a modest contains an illuminating documentary in which Brubeck reminisces about the making of the “Take Five” album and its impact on his career. In the short film, which was shot in 2003, Brubeck takes good natured pot-shots at the late Paul Desmond (with whom he frequently bickered about musical ideas) and recalls the chilly reception that the record met with at Columbia Records – the company’s president, Goddard Lieberson, was its sole champion, and “Take Five” wasn’t even released as a single until after jazz DJs made it popular on their shows.

Brubeck also discusses the inspirations he found for various songs, from nature and from other cultures (as in the case of “Blue Rondo A La Turk”) and even sits down at the piano to show that age 83, he’s still got serious chops. He’s a charming old fellow, full of humor and life, and this set is a nice expansion of the legacy he, and this album, have left for the world. Great reflection on the making of one of jazz’s most classic and loved albums!

In addition, the legendary composer and jazz pianist Brubeck performed the album for the 2009 Brubeck Festival, which took place April 3rd. As the theme of the festival was “The Revolution Continues,” the goal was to take a look at how that album and others in 1959 changed the concept of what jazz could be and how those revolutionary ideas have influenced music over time. When asked to comment about the festival’s theme, Steve Anderson (director of the Brubeck Institute) replied:

“We hope that audiences will gain an appreciation of the revolution that
began in 1959 and appreciate how it continues to influence the creation
of new music.”

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