Saturday, June 14, 2008
Take Five: A Major Treasure of the 20th Century
I was at a gathering among friends when Dave Brubeck's Take Five came on the ITunes mix. We had a discussion about how the impact this performance had on the world. I see it as one of the finer moments of the 20th Century.
I can't speak first hand to this Brubeck-Desmond-Wright-Morello masterpiece when it came out, but I certainly can speculate on what it must have been to have a simple, understated performance hit the public sphere in a world of rock 'n roll still manic and Mitch Miller styled pop music that hadn't caught up. Somehow, sometimes, things that are great come to the surface and stick around.
The rhythm prior to Desmond's melody line reminds me of a wild stream moving forward and maybe downhill. Is the the time signature really that odd? 5/4 has always felt like a waltz with a jolt to me.
The sound of Desmond's alto is indeed the essence of west coast cool brought out for the world to treasure. His became as recognizable a voice as any pop singers, a very rare thing for a jazz artist.
Nearly twenty years after it was released, I noticed how often you could find Take Five on Juke boxes of taverns and pizza joints. And when it comes on still, you have an invitation to still take five and cherish a little bit of cool in a world of hot, of some quiet rhythm and melody in a chaotic noisy world. As Al Jarreau used to conclude on his hyper vocal version of the tune, "Just take five."
posted by well-executed buffet at 8:19 PM
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