Saturday, June 6, 2009

The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take Five (1961)

Timeless...

11 comments:

Scott D. Parker said...

As an alto sax player, this is my single favorite sax solo in the history of jazz. That the rest of the original album is so, so good is just gravy. There's a thing over at Amazon that's celebrating three great jazz albums from 1959: this one, Miles Davis's Sketches of Spain, and Charles Mingus's Mingus Ah Um. I've only recently discovered Mingus but I love the others already. I have all three but I may have to get Brubeck's new CD/DVD set.

This video you found is really neat as you can tell how they changed up the solos from the recorded version. Thanks for finding it.

James Reasoner said...

Great song. I can listen to Brubeck all day.

Word verification: hiphit. How appropriate.

Paul D Brazill said...

'I heard you're mad about Brubeck...' top man.

Cormac Brown said...

Yes, the greatest non-Coltrane/Davis/Ellington song, ever!

David Cranmer said...

Scott, This is arguably the finest solo in Jazz but, without a doubt, one of the most famous. And coolest. When I’ve played this CD around young people or non-Jazz fans, ears perk up and fingers start a-tapping.

If you’re digging Mingus then you might want to try his autobiography, Beneath the Underdog, which he wrote over many years in the sixties and was published in the early seventies. Though, the many passages devoted to his sexual stamina may be either entertaining or off-putting.

James, What an appropriate verification. I’ve had some that raised an eyebrow, wondering whether someone with a devlish humor was messing with me.

Btw, I found that dvd you mentioned, the one with twenty westerns including Boot Hill and other offbeat oaters like Powder Keg and My Outlaw Brother, all for five bucks in Wal-Mart. Five bucks!

Paul, Like James said, I also can listen to Brubeck all day. Great music to be playing when you’re writing.

Cormac, Yeah, Trane and Miles eat up a lot of the space. I’m listening to Birth of the Cool these days and am transfixed with the beginning work with Gil Evans on tracks like "Moon Dreams" and "Boplicity.”

pattinase (abbott) said...

They are the best for. I think my bp drops listening to them.

Cloudia said...

Yeah!!
Aloha

Scott D. Parker said...

David - I have that DVD set as well. Haven't seen any of the films yet. I kinda bought it on principal: 20 westerns for $5. How can you not?

David Cranmer said...

Scott, The quality is not the greatest but, once again, you can't go wrong with the price. And where else can you find westerns featuring Mickey Rooney, William Shatner, and John Wayne together in one collection!

Barrie said...

Excellent!

Barbara Martin said...

Just the thing to set me up for jazz at my favourite coffee shop tomorrow afternoon "Birds & Beans".
Perfect video.