• Artist: The Dave Brubeck Quartet
• Album: Time Out (1959)
• Purchased at: Red Racks Thrift Store (St. Joseph, MO) for $1

The used record shelf at Red Racks Thrift Store has never been too nice to me. I got a little gem here though with “Time Out” by The Dave Brubeck Quartet. It’s a quintessential jazz record and regraded across the board as a classic in its genre. It’s all because of my cool music guru/ride or die Sam Blumer that I even know of Brubeck’s existence, hence the purchase. The jacket was in good condition and the record had only minor surface scratches so dropping a folded up Washington to own this one was a given.

The music here is some pretty complex jazz yet is considered to be one of the most accessible records of its genre which is quite the accomplishment. The needle drop immediately takes to to a song with a 9/8 time signature (yes, 9/8) in “Blue Rondo a la Turk” and that isn’t terribly unusual for this group of songs. “Take Five” has a hypnotic rhythm that makes it hard to deny how good it is. Some more bee-bop tunes like “Three To Get Ready” prove that Brubeck and company are no joke.

Verdict: This album is far outside of my normal comfort zone but is never a boring listen. It’s also great atmosphere music for the background of a conversation or activities like writing, drawing or putting together a new nightstand from IKEA.