Whether solo or with his quartet, Dave Brubeck has become an American jazz icon. His name has become synonymous with unusual time signatures and pure piano excellence. He was also a composer, who delighted in combining different styles and genres, like classic, jazz, and blues … often superimposing contrasting rhythms, meters, and tonalities into his work. In 1951, Brubeck organized the Dave Brubeck Quartet, which featured Paul Desmond on alto saxophone. Eventually, Joe Morello (d) and Gene Wright (b) joined Dave and Paul to form the quartet with which we are most familiar, that sustained through the years, and any number of hit recordings. Above, they perform Brubeck’s own Three to Get Ready … the forgotten little brother of “Take Five.”

Top left is another Brubeck original from a 1962 performance in Sydney Australia, Blue Rondo a la Turk, written in a tricky 9/8 time. Finally, lower left, is the stylistic ‘mother of them all,’ Take Five. This 1972 recording offers a little different cast of characters from the the ones we’re used to –– like Gerry Mulligan (bs), Alan Dawson (d), and Jack Six (b), in addition to Dave Brubeck ℗ and Paul Desmond (as).