Featuring classic tracks "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo a la Turk," this is Brubeck's 1959 exploration of exotic time signatures (3/4, 5/4, 9/8), classical forms and counterpoint rhythms. While some over-heavy block chording too often structures the leader's earlier piano work, this album is immaculately executed, with alto-saxist Paul Desmond, bassist Eugene Wright and drummer Joe Morello contributing to the group dynamic. "Take Five" became a legendary juke-box smash hit, and the album overall excitingly extended the metric barriers of jazz and popularized access to the music. Recommended. (Andrew Clark, Editor, Riffs & Choruses: A New Jazz Anthology. Continuum Publishing.)

TIME OUT is one of the most rhythmically innovative albums in jazz history and is essential to every jazz collection. This year it turns FIFTY years old and to celebrate Legacy is releasing a beautiful Legacy Edition of this classic album.

The 50th Anniversary Legacy Edition of Time Out features the original album, re-mastered, plus a full second CD of previously unreleased recordings from the Newport Jazz Festival 1961-1964, and rare photos, correspondence and clippings including a typed, signed description by Paul Desmond of his composition Take Five.

"Jazz Red Hot & Cool", "Newport 1958", and "Jazz Goes To Junior College" plus an extra bonus track from the First Timex All Star Jazz Festival….the classic "St. Louis Blues!". We begin with "Jazz Red Hot & Cool" where the great man is accompanied as ever by Paul Desmond on alto alongside Joe Dodge on drums and Bob Bates on bass. Here we find the fully formed quartet with all the elements of the Brubeck style firmly in place. At "Newport 1958" we find Brubeck paying tribute to the legendary composer and bandleader Duke Ellington with a programme of tunes either written by or associated with the Duke. Here once again he is joined by Desmond but with Joe Morello on drums and Joe Benjamin on bass. Finally we hear Brubeck breaking new ground as he takes his jazz improvisations onto the college circuit for the first time accompanied again by Desmond and Morello but with Norman Bates taking over on bass. With "Jazz Goes To Junior College" Brubeck met the college audience on their own ground where previously they had only been allowed to hear classical concerts. Of course, as we now know, this innovation was a resounding success opening the door to all kinds of music being performed at colleges and universities. We conclude with our bonus track (slipped in on CD1 for timing considerations), "St. Louis Blues" from "The First Timex All-Star Jazz Festival" featuring the same line up as on "Jazz Red Hot And Cool"