Friday, 30 December 2022

Spending some "Time" with Dave Brubeck, to end the year (1959, 1961, 1966)

And yep, it's SGTG breaktime once again. Thanks for all your comments, and for enjoying all the music.  As to where this blog goes from here, I think it'll definitely just be occasional posts, when there's an interesting radio concert to share, or the results of a quirky charity shop haul.  The whole 'sharing a massive CD collection and writing about it just because I wanted to' thing that sparked this off is pretty much done & dusted now, and has been hugely satisfying.  Thanks everyone for being part of it.

To leave things for now, here's a triple header by an artist I took far too long to give some serious time to, starting in the annus mirabilis of album jazz: 1959.  The Dave Brubeck Quartet had made a name for themselves in West Coast cool jazz over the course of the decade, and were becoming influenced by folk forms experienced on a tour of Eurasia, as evidenced by a 1958 album.

Their smash hit album a year later took the 'quirky time signatures' USP and just ran with it, creating indelible instant classics like Blue Rondo A La Turk and Paul Desmond's Take Five.  Beyond these standouts, the Time Out album contains absolute loveliness like Strange Meadow Lark and Kathy's Waltz, and my personal favourite, the effortlessly cool elegance of Three To Get Ready.

pw: sgtg
The success of Time Out led to a handful of sequels, so here's a couple of them.  First up, from 1961, is Time Further Out - subtitled Miro Reflections as a nod to the cover art.  The album's running order is structured so as to progressively add more beats to the bar, starting off with a pair of waltzes and featuring another couple of pieces in 5/4, as well as the 7/4 of its best-known track Unsquare Dance.  Brubeck's dexterous pianism and the rhythm section's ability to play absolutely in-the-pocket regardless of the meter continue to be absolute joys, as is the breezy melodic sensibility of this coolest of quartets.
 
pw: sgtg
The 'time' albums then concluded five years later with Time In, credited to Brubeck only on the cover but still featuring the classic quartet within.  This gorgeous record makes more sparing use of quirky time signatures, and after the full-tilt Lost Waltz that opens the album tends towards breezier mid-tempo tunes that hone in on the quartet's effortless interplay.  Not sure if it's because Time In was the least familiar to me of these three albums (that were found together in a box set), but I've been returning to it the most for sheer enjoyment.  And that feels like as good a place as any to leave SGTG for the moment.  Happy new year when it comes, everyone!
 
pw: sgtg
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10 comments:

  1. Anonymous30 December 2022 at 22:14

    Thanks for all your generous postings, and all the very best for 2023 — the years are getting harder by the year, but there is still opportunity to extract some personal happiness or satisfaction in the midst of the downward spirals … Music is a solace. Happy listening …

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  2. rev.b31 December 2022 at 06:50

    Great choice Alan. Thanks for this, all the great posts in 2022 and best wishes for '23!

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  3. Anonymous31 December 2022 at 08:11

    Thanks for all your posts and all the best for 23. Fully understand your reasoning - though you will still be missed.

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  4. docnelson31 December 2022 at 08:29

    Thanks for all the wonderful music you have shared over the years, Alan. I never thought I would come across anyone whose taste was as eclectic as mine. A very Happy New Year , have a good break. Les Nelson

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  5. Liana Helas31 December 2022 at 09:03

    Time is a very misleading thing. All there is ever, is the now. We can gain experience from the past, but we can't relive it; and we can hope for the future, but we don't know if there is one. [George Harrison] - - - Our very best wishes for a peaceful year 2023 to all of you ...: https://lianahelas.blogspot.com/2022/01/z-z-xxviii-daily-sirens-1971-2021.html

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  6. faust31 December 2022 at 16:58

    As always Alan, thanks for sharing your generosity, enthusiasm and knowledge with us over the years. So many great discoveries and surprises. I look forward to you future occasional posts and wish you the best for 2023. I will continue to do my small part with my radio show (Step Outside, WMNF 88.5 Tampa, Florida, Sunday nights at 10pm; https://www.facebook.com/Step-Outside-WMNF-885fm-in-Tampa-FL-180446755314435/?view_public_for=180446755314435)

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  7. Jim1 January 2023 at 21:51

    Many thanks Alan for all the effort and time you've put into this blog over the years!
    Very much enjoyed, and very much appreciated. All the best in 2023!

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  8. Anonymous2 January 2023 at 00:16

    Thanks so much for everything and best wishes going forward

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  9. Anonymous3 January 2023 at 07:41

    All the very best to you and yours, SGTG, from now on. Thank you for all the music reviewed over the years. ForestArchitecture75, London UK

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  10. Casper14 January 2023 at 13:32

    I have been lurking for years. Thank you, SGTG

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