New Dave Brubeck release

[Stonewall15]

Amazon has just listed a new Dave Brubeck CD and LP titled "Time Outtakes- Previously Unreleased Takes From The Original 1959 Session". It includes two tunes not on the original LP- "In A Dancing Mood" and "Watusi Jam", as well as alternate takes of "Take Five" and others. Release date is December 4, $17 for CD.

The label is "Brubeck Editions" This leads me to hope that the Brubeck archives are beginning to release more Brubeck sessions. Another hope is that "The Last Time We Saw Paris" and "Compadres" will finally be released on CD.

In any case this is a welcome happening!

[Rooster_Ties]

Seriously, how was this material *not* included when they did that expanded “Legacy” 2CD version??

https://www.discogs.com/The-Dave-Brubeck-Quartet-Time-Out-Featuring-Take-Five-Blue-Rondo-La-Turk-Legacy-Edition/release/14522419

[Rooster_Ties]

And the YouTube description:

Time OutTakes will be available on December 4, 2020 in time to celebrate Dave’s 100th Birthday on 12/6/2020. It will contain never before heard takes from the original 1959 session. (CD and LP pre-order links)

"Take Five" From the album Time OutTakes (Previously Unreleased Takes from the Original 1959 Sessions) The Dave Brubeck Quartet Dave Brubeck, piano Paul Desmond, alto sax Joe Morello, drums Eugene Wright, bass "Take Five" written in 5/4, was a time signature so new to jazz that The Dave Brubeck Quartet abandoned it on the first of three recording sessions.

It's fascinating to hear on this track that the iconic drum beat wasn't set yet and Joe Morello was playing a very syncopated Latin beat. Even alto saxophonist, Paul Desmond, had not yet settled on a consistent melody.  Brubeck was playing the famous piano vamp in order to hold the piece together along with the glue provided by Gene Wright on bass. It was supposed to simply be a tune that would feature the drums.

This version from "Time OutTakes" explodes with one hell of a drum solo, longer than the original hit single, proving why Joe was considered one of the very best drummers in jazz.

[duaneiac]

Did some one at "Brubeck Editions" do all -- and I mean all -- the necessary due diligence with regards to Sony/Columbia or are we about to see this project get Palo Altoed?

 

[jazzbo]

1 hour ago, Rooster_Ties said:

Seriously, how was this material *not* included when they did that expanded “Legacy” 2CD version??

https://www.discogs.com/The-Dave-Brubeck-Quartet-Time-Out-Featuring-Take-Five-Blue-Rondo-La-Turk-Legacy-Edition/release/14522419

Perhaps Sony does not own these tapes.

[Dan Gould]

4 minutes ago, jazzbo said:

Perhaps Sony does not own these tapes.

Sony owns the original issued recordings but not the unissued takes from the same session?

[jazzbo]

I don't know, just suggesting that Brubeck may have had a deal to own the tapes, or a deal to retain the rights to any unissued material and the final say on their release. Brubeck had some serious sales and could have been in a position to have some control. Stranger things happen in record company contracts.

Edited September 28, 2020 by jazzbo

[Dan Gould]

1 minute ago, jazzbo said:

I don't know, just suggesting that Brubeck may have had a deal to own the tapes, or a deal to retain the rights to any unissued material and the final say on their release. Brubeck had some serious sales and could have been in a position to have some control. Stranger things happen in record company contracts.

I guess its possible but I always thought this was the record that set him on the path to fame and fortune? Then I would think any future pull he had was limited to future recordings ...

[jazzbo]

Brubeck had a number of albums on the label before this. . . he was a jazz star on the label. I don't know. Hence I said "perhaps." Just my musing of a possible reason why these alternates were not released at a previous opportunity or two.

Edited September 28, 2020 by jazzbo

[Rooster_Ties]

Listening to this new semi-primordial version of “Take Five” - I’m pretty shocked this has never seen the light of day after all these decades.

I’m not uber-enamored with this new take (though it is very interesting, historically). But I am shocked that one of the 5 best-known tunes in all of ‘modern’ jazz has an early take like this, and it’s never been issued or even leaked?

I’ve never even owned a copy of Time Out in all these years (though I do have 4-5 other Brubeck CD’s) - none of which are comps (so I’ve never owned a copy of “Take Five” either).

I’m not suggesting Time Out is quite like Kind of Blue - but from a popular/cultural perspective, the tune “Take Five” is probably better known by the general public than “Blue Train”, or maybe even “So What” and “All Blues”.

My wife knew “Take Five” when we met almost 25 years ago, and I’m pretty sure she hadn’t ever heard Kind of Blue.

“Take Five” is probably right up there with “Linus and Lucy” (what most people would call the Charlie Brown theme) — in terms of cultural penetration.  And how an early alternative of that kind of tune stayed in the can all these years, is what I would call a mystery.

[mikeweil]

I may go for this as I am interested in the genesis of Take Five. The released take to me sounds like there is an obvious edit before the drum solo.

[CJ Shearn]

Very interested

 

[Ken Dryden]

7 hours ago, Stonewall15 said:

Amazon has just listed a new Dave Brubeck CD and LP titled "Time Outtakes- Previously Unreleased Takes From The Original 1959 Session". It includes two tunes not on the original LP- "In A Dancing Mood" and "Watusi Jam", as well as alternate takes of "Take Five" and others. Release date is December 4, $17 for CD.

The label is "Brubeck Editions" This leads me to hope that the Brubeck archives are beginning to release more Brubeck sessions. Another hope is that "The Last Time We Saw Paris" and "Compadres" will finally be released on CD.

In any case this is a welcome happening!

Don't get your hopes up for The Last Time We Saw Paris seeing a legitimate reissue, though one of the gray labels may well reissue it without having to pay royalites. Brubeck hated that album and blocked reissuing of it during his lifetime. I don't know how much pull his surviving children have, but I would imagine that they would honor his wishes.

I kept hoping for a Brubeck live Columbia box or a collection of all of the recordings that Brubeck and Mulligan did together for Columbia, but so far, nothing...

 

[JSngry]

Any mention of alternate takes for "Everybody's Jumpin''" ?

[medjuck]

6 hours ago, jazzbo said:

Brubeck had a number of albums on the label before this. . . he was a jazz star on the label. I don't know. Hence I said "perhaps." Just my musing of a possible reason why these alternates were not released at a previous opportunity or two.

IIRC he was popular enough to be on the cover of Time Magazine a couple of years before Time Out was released.