What Jazz Style Is This?

[ThunderBeats]

Dave Brubeck - Take Five from the Time Out LP.

I really like this sound... can anyone help me out to which style it is, and any similar artists?

[JFitzGenius]

Technically, I suppose Brubeck is considered "Cool" jazz. Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz, Charlie Byrd, et al, were some familiar names in that school. It was a light, mostly white, school based on the West Coast.

For me, I consider Brubeck beyond classification. Though he has some elements of Cool, I think he transcends it.

[solarjazzband]

Why don't you make up a name by yourself? If you know and recognize the style, it's good for you. Many music falls out of a style, and that's good.

[Fran]

Yes, we need more labels.

[Saundra Hummer]

Originally posted by ThunderBeats
Dave Brubeck - Take Five from the Time Out LP.

I really like this sound... can anyone help me out to which style it is, and any similar artists?

Back during the time it first came out in, everyone was calling it "Progressive Jazz."

I think that the other classifications came along later, like West Coast Cool and so forth, back then all of the innovations were looked upon as being "Progressive."


I don't now if you would like Ahmad Jamal, Bud Shank, Laurindo Almeida, or even Lional Hampton, as there are any number of artists from the same time frame, like say George Shearing, Gerry Mulligan, Cal Tjader, and a couple of others who allude me at this time, Red Norvo is a good one as is, Bill Perkins, etc.

Just a lot out there to explore and find your nitch, the ones you truly enjoy. I to this day really do like some of the older music, like Woody Hermans, Tex Beneky or however he spells it, singing "Chantanooga Choo Choo, Duke Ellingtons "Take The A Train," and his "Satin Doll." Grew up listening to lots of live music, but did buy Bruebeck, Kenton, Hampton, Ellington, Sarah, Ella, Peggy Lee, Dinah Washington, June Christie, Nina Simone, Anita O'Day, the Lighthouse Allstars, along with the others that have been mentioned, so many different styles, so many great talents, lots out there to enjoy.

Have a nice journey!

[Muskrat Ramble]

I think the key things about the classic Brubeck material to note are:

unusual time signatures for the day (esp. on Time Out and Time Further Out)
Paul Desmond's breathy, "dry Martini" tone and laid-back style
Brubeck's classical influences (to my ears, it sounds like he was into Bartok)

So, in addition to simply looking for stuff that's been labeled "Cool" or "West Coast" (you can add Chico Hamilton to the guys mentioned above, btw) you can look for artists/albums with those sorts of stylistic traits, like John Coltrane's classic My Favorite Things, with an awesome extended version of that tune (in triple meter instead of the more common 4/4 time).

Here are some wonderful albums that arguably capture a bit of the same feel as Time Out, though in different ways:

Cannonball Adderley--Sophisticated Swing: The EmArcy Small Group Sessions, Somethin' Else

Miles Davis--Kind of Blue, Birth of the Cool, Miles Ahead (includes a great Brubeck tune, "Duke")

Bill Evans--Waltz for Debby, Sunday at the Village Vanguard

Gerry Mulligan--The Original Quartet with Chet Baker

Sonny Rollins--Saxophone Colossus

Sonny Criss--The Complete Imperial Sessions

Lee Konitz--Lee Konitz with Warne Marsh, Konitz Meets Mulligan

Perhaps stuff by the Modern Jazz Quartet, too.

And of course, more from Brubeck! At Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Oberlin, Jazz at the College of the Pacific (both volumes), etc.

Enjoy!

[gregk]

Legacy will be issuing a box of all of Brubeck's "Time..." releases, called For all Time, in March

[Muskrat Ramble]

Gregk, do you have any details on that set?

[gregk]

Originally posted by Muskrat Ramble
Gregk, do you have any details on that set?

From what I've read, it's to include in their entirety Time Out, Time Further Out, and the 3 other titles with Time in their titles (exact titles escape me right now), and I think all but Time Out will have bonus tunes. That's about all I know. It was supposed to be out in October of this year!!!!

[Bill Barton]

Nobody has mentioned Chico Hamilton yet (except Muskrat Ramble in passing,) and his early material with Eric Dolphy and Jim Hall had a somewhat similar vibe to what you're talking about. I don't think you can peg it as a "style."

Maybe some Lennie Tristano with Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh?

[Muskrat Ramble]

Yeah, when I mentioned Hamilton, I was thinking specifically of his Mosaic set, but that's out of print now. (There's always eBay, though.) Very interesting "chamber jazz."

[syberen]

Originally posted by Fran
Yes, we need more labels. I don't really think that that's what solarjazzband is trying to say...