Time Out - The Dave Brubeck Quartet (1959) (1LP Vinyl) - Very Good Plus (VG+)

Condition: Used

Media Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+)

Sleeve Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+)

Condition Notes:

Time Out by The Dave Brubeck Quartet.

Few records in the history of jazz have altered the conversation quite the way this Dave Brubeck Quartet landmark did. Built around unusual time signatures that most players of the era treated as novelties rather than foundations, "Time Out" turned rhythmic experiment into something graceful, swinging, and endlessly listenable. What could have been a dry academic exercise became instead one of the most beloved albums the genre has ever produced.

Side A opens with "Blue Rondo A La Turk," a Brubeck composition that darts between meters before settling into a bluesy stride, a piece that announces the record's ambitions in its very first bars. "Strange Meadow Lark" follows with a more contemplative touch, Brubeck's piano leading the way before Paul Desmond's alto saxophone floats in. Then comes "Take Five," the Desmond original that became the group's signature and one of the most recognizable pieces in all of jazz, its 5/4 pulse carried by Joe Morello's unmistakable drum work.

The flip side keeps the invention flowing. "Three To Get Ready" plays with shifting counts, while "Kathy's Waltz" and "Everybody's Jumpin'" showcase the quartet's easy chemistry and buoyant swing. "Pick Up Sticks" closes the set with a driving, insistent figure that lets Eugene Wright's bass anchor the group as the others build tension above it. Across all seven tracks, the interplay between Brubeck, Desmond, Wright, and Morello feels effortless, the sound of four musicians thinking as one.

Steve Race provides the liner notes, framing the album's rhythmic adventures for listeners who might otherwise have been startled by what they were hearing. The writing credits tell their own story: Brubeck penned all but one of the compositions, with Desmond contributing "Take Five," the very track that would carry the record into households far beyond the usual jazz audience.

This is the first US stereo pressing, presented on the classic 6-eye red Columbia label with the distinctive black ring encircling the design. The top of the label reads STEREO and FIDELITY, arranged without the "CBS" text that would not appear until 1961, marking this as an early example of the pressing. The font and kerning are correct throughout, the small details that collectors look to when separating an original from the many editions that followed.

For anyone assembling a serious jazz collection, this is a cornerstone title in one of its earliest and most desirable forms. It is a record that rewards repeated listening, revealing new textures in Desmond's phrasing and Morello's rhythmic invention each time the needle drops. A genuine piece of jazz history, ready for the turntable.

Pressing Details:
Track Listing:
A1. Blue Rondo A La Turk
A2. Strange Meadow Lark
A3. Take Five
B1. Three To Get Ready
B2. Kathy's Waltz
B3. Everybody's Jumpin'
B4. Pick Up Sticks

Credits:
Paul Desmond - Alto Saxophone
Eugene Wright - Bass
Joe Morello - Drums
Steve Race - Liner Notes
Dave Brubeck - Piano
Dave Brubeck - Written-By (A1, A2, B1 to B4)
Paul Desmond - Written-By (A3)

Notes:
First US stereo pressing, 6-eye red Columbia with black ring around label.
Label has STEREO <--> FIDELITY on the top of the label WITHOUT the "CBS" in the middle (which first appeared in 1961).
Labels have correct font and kerning.

Artist: The Dave Brubeck Quartet

Format: 1LP

Genre: Jazz

Label: Columbia

Catalog Number: CS 8192

Release Year: 1960

Country: United States