Monday, July 08, 2019

A Middle of the Night Music Post: Blue Rondo a la Turk - The Dave Brubeck Quartet

"Take Five" will always be my favorite Dave Brubeck song--and one of my all-time favorites, period--but this one is mighty good, too. And this performance really takes me back to that era.

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7 comments:

Scott D. Parker said...

As an alto sax player, I have always loved the way Paul Desmond plays the sax on this album and elsewhere. Speaking of the album, like you, it is one of my all-time favorites, period. I'm not sure how many different versions of this album I own. And I share Brubeck's birthday! Great way to start the day!

5:15 AM, July 08, 2019
Todd Mason said...

Congratulations on your coincidental birthdays, Scott!

James, did you ever gather up the other time-signature albums? The next album is probably my favorite of the five, though TIME IN is kind of ribbing the concept as the TIME OUT-era quartet's last major studio album (the finished out their CBS contract with a few composer/standards albums)...TIME FURTHER OUT: MIRO REFLECTIONS is a brilliant assembly...I still tend to whistle "Blue Shadows on the Street" at odd times, while "Unsquare Dance" is probably the hit from the album.

COUNTDOWN: TIME IN OUTER SPACE has a certain seasonal relevance...

5:48 PM, July 28, 2019
Todd Mason said...

As one might expect, Paul Desmond is careful not to repeat himself in his solo, and Brubeck comes, as he often would and more so as the years went on, toward something suggesting the free jazz playing that would take some cues from his work...Cecil Taylor and the band Oregon being among the more obvious and justly famous examples, and Anthony Braxton cut an album with Brubeck.

5:55 PM, July 28, 2019
James Reasoner said...

I don't recall what else I had by Brubeck back in my college days. Now I don't think I own any of his albums, just listen to the stuff on-line. But you've given me some things to look for, Todd. Thanks!

6:06 PM, July 28, 2019
Todd Mason said...

The time signature series includes also TIME CHANGES, the fourth in the series, with Brubeck's first orchestral composition, unless one counts the Octet album, from early on (recorded 1946-50), and also highly recommended.

4:56 AM, July 29, 2019
Todd Mason said...

And you're quite welcome...you might've guessed by now, Brubeck is one of the artists closest to my heart...I'm a lifelong fan of third stream music...and thank you...

5:03 AM, July 29, 2019
Todd Mason said...

And the Wright/Morello/Desmond/Brubeck quartet did reunite for one more studio album, the 25th anniversary album, also highly recommended, and recorded, along with RUBECK &DESMOND 1975: THE DUETS, not long before Desmond's death. I was able to speak briefly with Brubeck and Morello at separate events years ago, a real joy.

5:08 AM, July 29, 2019

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