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.)