Great early Brubeck!
J. C. M. Bannerman | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA | 08/13/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This is a compilation of two of Dave Brubeck's records (1955's "Brubeck Time" and 1954's "Jazz: Red Hot and Cool"). The only drawback of this album is that it has four songs from "Jazz: Red Hot and Cool": Sometimes I'm Happy, The Duke, Indiana, and Love Walked In. "Jazz Red Hot and Cool" is a wonderful live album which should be reissued ("Brubeck Time" is available on CD). You can get one side of the album "Jazz: Red Hot and Cool" by buying CD this while all except one of the second side of "Jazz: Red Hot and Cool's" tracks are available on a Japanese compilation. I love the combination of Paul Desmond's sax and Dave Brubeck's piano and the 1954 lineup of the quartet was the best Brubeck in my opinion. There is something warm and accessible about this album which I really like although I would be more satisfied (and more logical) if this disk were a reissue of "Jazz: Red Hot and Cool" with a few of the songs from "Brubeck Time." All in all the "Jazz: Red Hot and Cool" tracks make this worth the cost of admission even if you already own "Brubeck Time.""