Dave Brubeck - Time Out

Artist - Dave Brubeck

Title - Time Out

Format - Single Vinyl LP

Label - Music on Vinyl

2010 Reissue

Time Out is the 1959 album by The Dave Brubeck Quartet, based upon the use of time signatures that were unusual for jazz (mainly waltz or double-waltz time, but also 9/8, and most famously 5/4). 

Buoyed by a hit single in altoist Paul Desmond's ubiquitous "Take Five", Time Out became an unexpectedly huge success and still ranks as one of the most popular jazz albums ever. That's a testament to Brubeck and Desmond's abilities as composers because Time Out is full of challenges both subtle and overt -- it's just that they're not jarring. 

Brubeck's classic "Blue Rondo à la Turk" blends jazz with classical form and Turkish folk rhythms, while "Take Five," despite its overexposure, really is a masterpiece; listen to how well Desmond's solo phrasing fits the 5/4 meter, and how much Joe Morello's drum solo bends time without getting lost.

Countless other musicians built on its pioneering experiments, yet it's amazingly accessible for all its advanced thinking, a rare feat in any art form. This belongs in even the most rudimentary jazz collection.