Time Out

Time Out es un disco de 1959 (originalmente catalogado como CS 8192) del conjunto The Dave Brubeck Quartet, caracterizado por piezas compuestas en compases musicales inusuales en el jazz contemporáneo al disco (incluyendo vals o vals de doble tiempo, como también compases de 9/8 y de 5/4, este último en una de sus composiciones más famosas, Take Five).

Aunque el disco fue concebido como un experimento (el presidente de la productora Columbia, Goddard Lieberson, tomaba el riesgo de lanzarlo) y recogió críticas negativas luego de su lanzamiento, se transformó en uno de los más famosos y mejor vendidos discos de jazz y contó con un single — Take Five, de Paul Desmond.

Overview

Although the theme (and the title) of Time Out is non-common-time signatures, things are not quite so simple. "Blue Rondo à la Turk" starts in 9/8 (the rhythm of the Turkish zeybek, equivalent of the Greek zeibekiko), but with the unorthodox subdivision pattern of 2+2+2+3 (the normal pattern for 9/8 is 3+3+3), and the saxophone and piano solos are in 4/4. Many incorrectly assume that Blue Rondo à la Turk is based on Mozart's "Rondo alla Turca" from his Piano Sonata No. 11; it is based on a Turkish rhythm that Brubeck heard.​

"Strange Meadow Lark" begins with a piano solo that exhibits no clear time signature but then settles into a fairly ordinary 4/4 swing once the rest of the group joins. "Take Five" ("supposed to be a Joe Morello drum solo", according to Desmond) is in 5/4 throughout. "Three to Get Ready" begins in waltz-time, after which it begins to alternate between two measures of 3/4 (the waltz-time), and two of 4/4. "Kathy's Waltz" (misspelled, but named after Brubeck's daughter, Cathy) starts in 4/4, and only later switches to double-waltz time, before merging the two. "Everybody's Jumpin' " is mainly in a very flexible 6/4, while "Pick Up Sticks" firms that up into a clear and steady 6/4.

"Kathy's Waltz" possibly inspired the song All My Loving, written by Paul McCartney and performed by The Beatles.

Track listing

On the original vinyl LP:

Side A

1. "Blue Rondo à la Turk" – 6:44
2. "Strange Meadow Lark" – 7:22
3. "Take Five" – 5:24

Side B

1. "Three to Get Ready" – 5:24
2. "Kathy's Waltz" – 4:48
3. "Everybody's Jumpin' " – 4:23
4. "Pick Up Sticks" – 4:16

Personnel

All pieces composed by Dave Brubeck, except "Take Five" by Paul Desmond. Tracks 1 and 7 recorded on August 18; tracks 2 and 3 on on July 1; tracks 4, 5 and 6 recorded on June 25, 1959.

Musical

• Dave Brubeck — piano
• Paul Desmond — alto saxophone
• Eugene Wright — double bass
• Joe Morello — drums

Technical

• Teo Macero - producer
• Fred Plaut - engineer
• Mark Wilder - Remastering (1998 CD reissue)
• Cozbi Sanchez-Cabrera - art direction
• Seth Rothstein - project director

Charts

Album

Billboard (North America)

Year	Chart	Position
1961	Pop Albums	2

Singles

Billboard (North America)

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1961	"Take Five"	Adult Contemporary	5
1961	"Take Five"	Pop Singles	25

External links and sources

• The Dave Brubeck Quartet: Time Out — by A.B. Spellman and Murray Horwitz; part of NPR's Basic Jazz Record Library
• Liner notes by Steve Race (original release), and Dave Brubeck (1997 re-release)
• Exclusive video: Dave Brubeck discusses "Time Out" -- A short video at Amazon.com of Dave Brubeck discussing the rhythms used on Time Out