Dave Brubeck Music

Every cut on this CD is truncated from the original concert. This album was produced in Germany and apparently has had more than one distributor. TIM the international music company, Acrobat, and Prism Platinum, all containing the same 8 tracks and all sold on Amazon.. There are five or six albums out there with the title. "Take Five" probably hoping to capitolize on the best selling single of that name from the "Time Out" album. The better version of this music is to be found on the Take 5 Quartet: A Jazz Hour With Dave Brubeck Quartet" imported from Portugal. This album contains the full length recordings and adds a bonus track from Cannes, France as track 9. It's UPC number is 8712177036998 if you care to search for it, or look under my reviews. I wonder if Dave made a nickel out of any of these imports.

Only one reviewer here who actually heard this CD except for "moi" and I heartily concur with his assessment. It's not that the music itself does not rate a 5 star, but that this is just another of the many offerings out there that take music from hither and yon, repackage it and voila, instant sales. If you have a Brubeck collection you probably have all this music elsewhere. And for all you reviewers raving about the Brubeck/Desmond triumph known as "Take Five" this ain't it baby. That album is entitled "Time Out" and it's time for you to take a breath. Thank you Mr. Dlouhy, for reviewing the actual product.

Most people have heard this album's title track; to the uninitiated, it's a synonym for jazz. But this album offers more than the openning number's cool 5/4 groove, the changes in time signature, particualarly on Blue Rondo Alla Turc, are seemless. On top of his compositional genius, Bruebeck's sidemen, Paul Desmond especially, remain remarkably true to the album's feel. Take Five remains one of the classic jazz albums, a monument to the subgenre of cool.

This CD is a mixed bag. One tune, called "Eleven Four" is actually "Three to Get Ready", a totally different tune. The liner notes reek, there is no listing of what concerts these selections are from, no bio info to speak of. The audio quality is mediocre. This issue might be historically interesting if one knew where and when the tracks were recorded.
With great Brubeck out there, like the Carnegie Hall concert, there is absolutely no reason to waste money on this tepid rendering.

I first heard this in the late fifties. No one has ever been able to top the drums in Take Five or the sax of Desmond. Every song from Pick Up Sticks to Kathy's Waltz are innovative and lyrical. Brucbeck's piano is so versatile Whenever I want to introduce teens to good music I give them this- in fact, my son who works for Microsoft listens to this in his cube- and if its not playing his coworkers come in and ask him to put it on.

I was attending Purdue University from 1961-63 and I was walking throught the Student Union Building and I heard the Sax of Paul Desmond playing Take Five. I walked through the doors into the main lobby which were open and low and behold there large as life and live were the Dave Brubeck Quartet and I just stopped and listened to these muscians.

Brubeck's "At Carnegie Hall" album has 12 cuts on two platters. This has 8 of those cuts on one platter. There is nothing wrong with the music. I give the album an average score because, duh... why not get all twelve numbers? If this had been the Luvin' Spoonful, say, I would give it a 1 just on principle, but being Brubeck, it would not be proper.

The worst part is Dave has done so many versions of various themes such as Koto Song, Forty Days or Blue Rondo, someone may be tempted to buy this offering thinking these are examples of that tendency.

I wish I could do this! just take an already published album, and make a mint by selling 2/3 of the titles on a low bugdet disc, 'nough said.

It is my 3rd purchase. First was an LP in mid 80s. Then purchased the CD in late 90s, and decided to buy it again because I lost it.

Frankly, it is not a pop album. You need a little bit more of average musical background, or more than enough listenings of variety music to appreciate and recognize this album.

Players' technique and its digestion in relation to 9 different pieces are just amazing. Truely a masterpiece of combining both Jazz and Classical! Personally, this has been the best album of the kind I ever heard. Claud Bolling & Jean-Pierre Rampal combination requires far more elements to meet this high standard of this album. (sorry their music is also beautiful)

You will not regret this album although it was recorded in early 80s. That is what "Classical" is all about!

Este disco es exelente para la gente que gusta de la musica clasica en formas poco tradicionales, se puede escuchar todo tocado en un gran nivel sin variar demaciado las versiones originales. Este disco es un deleite para el oido.

Dave Brubeck / These Foolish Things
Track Title
1. Take The 'a' Train
2. These Foolish Things
3. Brandenburg Gate
4. Danny's London Blues
5. Dialogue For Jazz Combo - 2nd Movement
6. The Wright Groove
7. Take Five
8. Ready, Go!
9. Three To Get Ready
10. Castillian Blues
11. Waltz Limp

Sony Music put out a "This is Jazz" series a few years back of some of the best jazz recordings ever made....repackaged, reprocessed, and moderately priced for the budget impaired listener like me; it is for those who love good sound and who actually spend time listening to their CD collection. Volume # 3 has Dave Brubeck and his session men, circa 1954-63, or in other words, in his "Take Five" era, and in his college campus concert years. Dave, Paul Desmond, alto sax and Joe Morello, drums, were the majors in the quartet during these years and their cool sound had came about with experimenting with classical music themes and unusual time settings--indeed,"Take Five" sounds as if the guys variated on Ravel's "Bolero", but that's just my opinion. Anyway, the music was called "third stream" and many other artists of his day began incorporating the sound and technique to their work--most notably Brubeck's contemporary Vince Giraldi and present day keyboardists Bob James and (one of my favorites), Alex Bugnon....Purists may get in a bunch about any collection. They'd say "Wall, get this CD which was recorded in such-in-such with so-in-so who was a much better drummer than whosamacallit". I've always said to try different sounds and styles of music. There ain't no telling where your tastes will run...enjoyment is the "final answer", as it were. Now, everyone knows that the "Take Five" recording is generally considered essential Dave Brubeck...it probably made every jazz critics top 20 best recordings of the millenium. This "This is Jazz" CD, however, ain't exactly no slouch. It has "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo A La Turk", it has jams from the popular "Dave Digs Disney" and it has an excellent live performance of "For All We Know"...and it is as good as it gets with enough to satisfy novice and purist alike. Thanks to the Sony Legacy folks....and Amazon.com has it for you!

Classically trained Dave Brubeck (he studied piano with Milhaud and Schoenberg) and his quartet perform two of their famous originals, as well as several standards on THIS IS JAZZ 3. These 1954 to '63 COLUMBIA recordings have never sounded better. Brubeck's penchant for unusual time signatures and extended improvs is apparent on all of these tracks. Liner notes include recording dates and personnel. Highly recommended for fans of the "cool," Third Stream and experimental jazz idioms.

TOTAL RUNNING TIME -- 52:27

Probably the single best Jazz CD I've ever gotten. The style of Jazz that you would expect to hear in a small Jazz club with four or five guys sitting on stage just grooving. Also a lighter style of Jazz, if you are a budding Jazz fan or just haven't understood the thrill behind it get this CD it will change your mind.

This is the first jazz CD that I have ever worn out (I know you cannot actually wear out a CD). A great CD for someone who wants to experience jazz for the first time. A must have.

Not that the music isn't fine, but one wonders why so much Carmen and others that are already on CD. There are five cuts from "Summit Sessions" which has never yet been released on CD, Tracks:

01,
02, minus Louis' Lonesome narrative,
07,
11, which was also cut on Take Five Live with Carmen McRae and The Essential Dave Brubeck
17, which was also cut on Brubeck & Rushing

Track 4 which is listed as previously unreleased was also released on LP and CD via Take Five Live with Carmen McRae in a longer version.

Track 15 "Autumn in our Town" was previoulsy unreleased in any format.

In short, I am disappointed that the producers felt it necessary to rehash a great number of done deals and neglect several vocals from Summit Sessions and three of four important early Carmen McRae vocals from Brubeck's 1961 released LP "Tonight Only":

Weep No More, which is already included in The Essential Dave Brubeck
Briar Bush, Paradiddl Joe and Strange Meadowlark.

Thus a 3 star rating.

This compilation is a nice collection of Brubeck and a number of vocalists- some of the cuts are off of the Summit Sessions LP, which has not been released on CD. Louis Armstrong on Summer Song is as good, IMHO, as he is singing What a Wonderful World. I miss some of the cuts from Summit Sessions that aren't here, but for the rarity of hearing Brubeck jam with vocalists, this is a great collection and a must for Brubeck fans and collectors.