#176: Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out (1959)

Emily: Yesterday at work, I has a jazz compilation playing over the gift shop sound system. It was just a jazz kind of day, especially knowing that next on the list was a classic jazz album that we actually have as part of our gift shop CD rotation. A high school kid that was part of the tour came in the shop, noticed the music, and proclaimed that the shop must be awesome because "any store that plays jazz is going to be awesome." Okay, maybe the kid was a bit pretentious, but I see his point now that I've listed more closely to Time Out. As easily as this album became pleasant background music for my afternoon activities, it frequently grabbed my attention with its tempo changes, varied instrumentation, and bouts of improvisation. That's why jazz works so well in a store (or restaurant, or any place of business). For the most part it subtly enhances your experience in the background, but when it draws your attention it becomes a signature aspect of your visit. Of course, this theory only holds for certain jazz music - Kenny G need not apply - and the Dave Brubeck Quartet seems to fit the bill perfectly.
Favorite Tracks: Everybody's Jumpin'; Three to Get Ready; Blue Rondo à la Turk

Zack: Funny story. I ended up riding throughout Siouxsie and the Banshees and had enough time left over that I figured it was worth starting a new album. I’m so glad I did. I really didn’t know what to expect from this album, knowing only beforehand that it was jazz and that it was old. Now that I have time to look it up on Wikipedia, I’ve discovered that it’s practically experimental jazz for its use of unusual time signatures. Yeah…I didn’t notice that at all. But what I did notice was that this was a true quartet. All the instruments are featured roughly equally. If pressed, I’d say that the bass was a bit weaker than the rest, but the performances from the drums, keys, and sax were all indistinguishably good. The quartet really seemed to feed off each other and build a tune collectively. Solos rolled up and then receded slowly, only to be replaced by another. And never did they miss a beat. Time Out, overall, is just a great example of what happens when a group plays together is complete harmony.

Favorite Tracks: Blue Rondo à la Turk; Take Five; Everybody’s Jumpin’