The Dave Brubeck Quartet "Time Out"

[Bing Fung]

I haven't heard this one from my collection for quite some time (~3 years) and decided to give it a spin. I forget how realistic sounding this CD is, esp with my new hardware. This is one of those CD's that does not require a lot of power or big speakers to sound realistic.

The recording is pretty darn good for a 1959 recording, or a modern day one at that. I'm not sure if it has been remastered as it is not readily apperent on the cover notes or liner notes. It does have a 1997 SONY manufacter date on it.

Blue Rondo A La Turk sounds wonderful.

Take Five, the meal piece of this CD.. The drum solo with the snare is too real sounding with so much presence. The separtion with the Piano and Sax really gives the illusion that the performers are in front of you. You can hear the subtle splanking of the Double bass that further adds depth to the illusion :T

Apperently this CD is available in SACD, however I'm so happy with my original one, I don't see a need to get the newer version of it, however I would like to hear (or about) the SACD version regardless :B

Anyone have it in the newer formats?

[John Holmes]

Hey Bing,

First, congrats on the new gear. The system looks great!

Though I don't own any of his cd's, I like Brubeck's work and do have a few of his songs on compilation disc. The production quality of this disc, would be enough to sell me. And the fact that there is a version of "Take Five" (one of may favorite songs) is just icing on the cake.

Thanks for the heads up!

[Bing Fung]

Hey John, thanks for the comments! :T

Yeah, if your a Take Five Fan, this CD would more than Satisfy you. If I didn't already have this excellent Red Book copy, I would be inclined to look at the SACD version. I don't know if it's a Hybrid :roll:

[Danbry39]

One of my absolute favorite jazz recordings of all time. Yes, it is always a pleasure to dust it off for a spin after not having heard it for a while. It always sounds fresh to my ears regardless!!! After what, 40-50 years? This is one of those recordings that just doesn't stop clicking.

Also, have heard that Brubeck still puts on a great show.

[Bam!]

Bing!

Dave is my GOD.

just wanted to add LIVE AT CARNEGIE HALL....2 disk cd....unreal....evrywhere I bring people :E



I even have a dvd on Dave and his quartet dating from the sixties....where he explains his music and timing and you see Paul, Joe Morello and Dave play live!

[gd]

Haven't heard the SACD... and am in no hurry to do so, as the redbook remasters are astounding.

Saw DB live about a year ago... stunning concert... well into his eighties, the man still has fabulous flying fingers.

[Bam!]

Haven't heard the SACD... and am in no hurry to do so, as the redbook remasters are astounding.

Saw DB live about a year ago... stunning concert... well into his eighties, the man still has fabulous flying fingers.

The man rules for sure...

I didn' t think he was well into eighties though....

I thought mid 70's....but I guess if he was 30 in 1962 about that would pretty much explain it though ops:

[Bing Fung]

Thats awesome that Dave still performs exceptionally to this date.

GD, it is a good sounding disk! :T

[dave]

This disc and also a live one remastered on cd called,
Jazz Red Hot and Cool are a pair of favorites around here
I do have the SACD version of Time Out. It plays either
Multichannel or Stereo ( not a hybrid) this SACD disc
won out over my remastered version mainly from the
standpoint of better resolution, clarity and ch. seperation.
Listening to it in the Multi ch. mode is also very good
because they use the surrounds for aumbiance only.
Super cool disc Bing, on either format. If you ever get the
chance take a listen to (live) Jazz Red Hot and Cool I
don't think you would regret it. Have fun....

Dave

[Bing Fung]

I have played this disc a few times over now and I have to say, it does sound good, however there is a loud noise floor that is noticable on the second track "Strange Meadow Lark" It's not bad considering the age of this tape.

Maybe this is where the SACD version would be superiour too?

Dave, Bam, I'll have to look for the "Live at Carnegie Hall" and "Jazz Red Hot and Cool" :T

[John Holmes]

I've read several reviews of this album, after Bing brought it to our attention. It seems that a few believe that the big success of this recording is mostly due to Paul Desmond's horns.

Bing (and others), do you have a take on this?

[Bing Fung]

John, I can see how Desmond's Altos Sax can be attributed to the success of this album. It seems it's the lead instrument in this album.

Here are a few quotes from the liner

"Take Five" is a Desmond composition in 5/4, one of the most defiant signatures in all music.

Paul Desmond once said of "Take Five," "It was never suppose to be a hit. It was suppose to be a Joe Morello drum solo."

For me I like this album because of Blue Rondo A LA Turk and Take Five, which primarally is recognizable because of Desmond's Sax.

[Burke Strickland]

I hadn't listened to "TIme Out" in years. Thanks for bringing it up; it was certainly worth another listen. While Paul Desmond's sax certainly played a key role in the music, this album was an ensemble effort -- take away any of the instruments and it wouldn't have been as successful an effort overall.

Apparently I have a different edition of this remarkable disc than the one highlighted above -- mine is a CD from the "Columbia Jazz Masterpieces" series. Its liner notes ("taken from the original analog release") include the first quote above, but not the second. It was "digitally remastered directly from the original analog tapes" and sounds sensational. The quality of the recording is good enough to hold together very well even at high volume. The imaging and soundstage are convincing. I hear no compelling reasons to go for the SACD.

"Blue Rondo A La Turk" is a compelling compendium of rhythms and melodies -- a very interesting introduction to the fusion experiment being conducted on this album. It is almost a stand-alone mini-concert and gives all the instrumentalists (including the bass player) an opportunity to show their talent without any of them taking the spotlight for more than a few bars.

As for noise underlying "Strange Meadowlark", I had to turn the volume way, way up to hear it, and then it seemed to be only intermittent. (I kept trying to "listen" for noise but kept getting distracted by the music.) :>) At first I thought maybe it was percussion brushes, but then when the percussion actually comes in, that theory was shot to you-know-where. :>) The "noise floor" is most apparent when it disappears at the end of the selection. (IOW, "the silence was deafening".) :>)

Funny that, as many times as I've heard this album before, I had never really paid that much attention to the drum work on "Take Five" until I read this thread, having categorized that as kind of like the instrumental interludes on a vocal piece, just a "filler" between the sax solos. But Joe Morrello did some subtly creative work there. Nevertheless, whether intended or not, Paul Desmond "owns" the piece.

Somehow, "Three to Get Ready" invokes a mental picture of some hip tap dancer like Sammy Davis Jr strutting his stuff to the music. (I've never actually seen anything like that.) Likewise, I can "see" graceful dancers such as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers gliding around the dance floor to "Kathy's Waltz". (Haven't actually seen that either.)

While Brubeck seems content to be the band leader but not the featured performer on most pieces, in "Everybody's Jumpin' " his presence on piano is forcefully felt. Ditto for "Pick Up Sticks" where he plays a significant intro role, yielding to Morello's drums which propel the piece along, and then Desmond's sax, which provides a lilting interlude, but this is definitely another showcase for Dave Brubeck's keyboard noodling.

Burke

[Bing Fung]

You took the words right out of my mouth Burke :E :W Well Done :clap:

On the noise floor, it is more background tape hiss that anything. It's definitely audible at the start of "Strange Meadolark" when Brubeck is playing low key piano. Once the song gets rolling it's not auditable, only during the light passages. Still, it doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the CD rather it places it in time with a stamp of athenticity if you will.

The Drum Solo has always been the high point of "Take Five" for me since I was a child. Drums and Cymbals have always caught my attention in music because they are brash yet subtle at the same time.

I must say though you're are right, it is a group effort that makes this a success, it's just Desmond's Sax is so dominating at times....

[John Holmes]

Thanks for the input guys. As I respect your opinions, much more than any reviewer.

[Bam!]

....as for me I love them all.....but Joe Morello's drumming skills are just stunning!

I love the dude!

I get chills when I listen to Carnegie Hall!


Drive out and get it....NOW! don' t stop just go! :B

[purplepeople]

Wonderful thread....this is one of my all-time faves and have both SACD and Redbook. It's one of my test drive discs and is part of my travelling collection (the ones that must be taken on trips or saved from fire). If there ever was a show called Desert Island MP3s, this would be one of the chosen five. I have no words for missing his appearance at last year's Vancouver Jazz Festival.

ensen.

[Bam!]

Wonderful thread.... I have no words for missing his appearance at last year's Vancouver Jazz Festival.

ensen.

I do.... :smackbutt:


:W : :lol:

[purplepeople]

Yeah, yeah.... go ahead, rub it in.

ensen.

[Khorn]

The first thing I noticed when playing the SACD was a natural and realistic musical presence that I didn't experience with any "Redbook" version. It's one of these recordings that capture you from start to finish everytime its put on. This has a place in my "regular" rotation. It's one of the better SACDs considering the age of the recording. If you like this music and have an SACD capable player don't pass it up.

BTW I listen in two channel only.

[Bam!]

The first thing I noticed when playing the SACD was a natural and realistic musical presence that I didn't experience with any "Redbook" version. It's one of these recordings that capture you from start to finish everytime its put on. This has a place in my "regular" rotation. It's one of the better SACDs considering the age of the recording. If you like this music and have an SACD capable player don't pass it up.

BTW I listen in two channel only.

Doh....what did you have to go and say that.....I just bought a dedicated redbook player......

Now I am gonna have to go see for an SACD player!

:lol: : :M

[dave]

I could'nt be more in agreement with Khorn on his thoughts of this sacd. Every time its played it has such a refreshing character to it. I used to own the remastered version of this disc and thought it was super however the sacd stands out in every way.IMHO
as said previously if you own a sacd capable player DON'T pass this one up!

[Bing Fung]

Wow, now if only I coul dfind it locally on SACD. Our selections are limited at best, and what we do have is probally Demographically driven.....

Think prairie farm land, meat and potatos people from a Temperance colony :lol: OK, really it's not that bad, but man I wish we had more selections.

[Burke Strickland]

now if only I coul dfind it locally on SACD. Our selections are limited at best, and what we do have is probally Demographically driven.....

Think cosmopolitan, world class city (fourth largest in the US) and there is STILL almost nothing to choose from... in fact, the SACD (and DVD-A) selection has dwindled in the past few months instead of gaining breadth and depth. Among the few that do exist in the racks, there have been a few SACD titles priced to entice buyers, such as "Dark Side of the Moon", which cost about the same as a standard issue CD, but most of them are pretty high priced -- as much as double the price of the corresponding CD.

Burke

[Bing Fung]

Burke, that is sad given the size of Houston.....

So is isn't just because I'm geographically isolated :P

A person could buy on line I suppose, however that woul add further to the already expensive disks. I suppose though, if a person has to absolutely have it.

[Khorn]

Wow, now if only I coul dfind it locally on SACD. Our selections are limited at best, and what we do have is probally Demographically driven......

I think the best option for SACD is on-line USA. If I really want a title I know on of the big on-line stores is going to have it. I use Elusive disc but there are quite a few good ones. OK, it might cost a bit more specially if you are unlucky enough to get nailed by customs and the phony Canada Post $5 "handling charge" but if you order only a couple at a time and have them sent in a soft mailing pouch they usually come right to you door with no hassle.

[purplepeople]

Wow, now if only I coul dfind it locally on SACD. Our selections are limited at best, and what we do have is probally Demographically driven.....

Think prairie farm land, meat and potatos people from a Temperance colony :lol: OK, really it's not that bad, but man I wish we had more selections.

You're in Saskatoon, isn't there an A&B Sound or Future Shop. One of them has to be able to bring it in for you.

ensen.

[Bing Fung]

You know, I never thought to ask if they would order particular DVD-A's or SACD's for me... :scratchhead:

Yes we have a A&B sound, they have both Hi-res formats, however the selection is limited. We have Future Shop, and they only had a few DVD-A's. I bought Santana "Supernatural" for $18 there. At that time thay had like 8-10 DVD-A, now I see nothing there.