Album artwork courtesy of the label
On the turntable
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The Grand TourNo. 15 of the Continental 100
Time Out
The Dave Brubeck Quartet · 1959
Odd time signatures that somehow feel exactly like changing gear.
Why it matters
The most approachable experiment in jazz history: an album in five, nine and six-eight that a whole generation bought without noticing. Paul Desmond's alto is the sound of a dry martini. It happens to be the finest driving record of the period, for reasons no one has satisfactorily explained.
The Continental setting
A coast road, third gear, mid-morning, no particular arrival time.
Start here
- 01Take Five
- 02Blue Rondo à la Turk
- 03Three to Get Ready
The best-selling jazz album ever made, and still the best co-driver.
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