Dave Brubeck - Countdown Time in Outer Space (12 tracks) +Album Reviews

Outstanding CD, Why is this out of print?

John S. Hilliard | Washington, D.C. United States | 04/14/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a fine outing by the Brubeck Quartet. Why it is not in print is the big question. Not sure what Columbia/Sony is up to on this, but this album should be considered classic Brubeck along with "Time Out" and "Time Further Out". The quality is maintained through all these experiments with differing time signatures. Desmond is in pure form (When is he NOT?) here.

A masterpiece."

Great Underrated Brubeck Classic!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christoher Covais | NY | 05/16/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's a shame that this album didn't get the recognition it deserves. It's really a great album; better than some overrated classics like Dave Digs Disney, Jazz Impressions of Japan, and Bravo Brubeck. Anyway, the album has some classic SONGS like Eleven Four, Castilian Blues, and Waltz Limp, and some hot swingin tunes like Countdown, and Fast Life, and unique songs like Castilian Drums, and Why Phillis? Every track is a winner, and so is this album. ITs a shame, people don't think this album lives up to the fame it deserves!"

Lost Treasure

Joel S. Schneider | San Francisco | 07/20/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The history of this recording is a mystery to me (and many others). It is one of the Brubeck Quartet's all time great collection of pieces. Yet, for some reason "Countdown" was, for years, impossible to get. I had an old record (complete with scratches and surface noise) that I hung onto since the 60's. I actually prefer this record to "Time Out" although they are in my estimation very close in quality (as they were chronologically). The group's use of time signatures is extremely creative and always natural sounding... always musical, not just technical. This collection has some of the greatest Desmond one will ever hear - and that is saying a lot. I would love to find out why this music was unavailable for so many years - and still is difficult to find in its original form and with its original cover and notes. Anyone who appreciates the Dave Brubeck Quartet will find this to be a lost treasure."

5 `ll Get You 7 ~11/4 & 13/8 To Boot!

Mountain Charley | Half Moon Bay, CA | 06/22/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I don't know if these are actual time signatures on this album, that's not really the point. What's significant to me is the vast variety Dave Brubeck brought into Jazz with his interest in non-standard (4/4) time.

The excellent liner notes, accompanied by several fine & rarely seen photos of Brubeck's Quartet will fill you in on all the details if you care. Personally I find all the minutia about these pieces quite interesting.

What sparks the interest though is the fine & unusual quality of the music. I was astonished when I learned in College that "Time Out" (NOT on this disc) was the first Jazz composition not in 4/4 time. I'd always thought Jazz was all about improv & stretching the limits, doing what wasn't expected, to literally "Jazz" the music. How then could it be in the vast catalogue of J Music no one had strayed outside the conventions of Standard Time??? It turns out 13/8 & 11/13 times are more then a little daunting to play.

But don't think for a minute that's what makes this music of interest. There's nothing lost if you don't know a Time Signature from a John Hancock. Every track Brubeck recorded on his Quintet of Time Change experiments is worth hearing, & all, including everything on "Time In Outer Space" is enjoyable as any Jazz ever to listen to repeatedly. In fact the music flows so effortlessly from Paul Desmond's Alto sax & Brubeck's piano, you may be excused for thinking this is merely background music rather then one of the pinnacles of 60's American Jazz. Certainly these guys play with a verve rarely equaled by players who wouldn't be regarded as the inventors of Modern Jazz (i.e.: Monk, Coltrane, Miles).

Paul Desmond on his own I've never found to be much of a player, I know lots of people would strongly disagree, & I certainly haven't heard much of his other recordings since they never captured my imagination. But in this Quartet setting he blows a solid line on every single track. I can only think there's something very special about the chemistry of the Brubeck Quartet.

If you like 50's & beyond Jazz at all you can't be disappointed by the "Time In Outer Space" recordings. Worth listening to time & again."

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	Dave Brubeck Countdown: Time in Outer Space Genre: Jazz Track Listings (12) - Disc #1 Countdown Eleven Four - Dave Brubeck, Desmond, P. Why Phillis Waltz - Dave Brubeck, Wright, E. Someday My Prince Will Come [From Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs] - Dave Brubeck, Churchill, F. E. Castilian Blues Castilian Drums Fast Life Waltz Limp Three's a Crowd Danse Duet Back to Earth Fatha [#]
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