Time Further Out

Side A
1. It’s a Raggy Waltz
2. Bluette
3. Charles Matthew Hallelujah
4. Way More Blues

Side B
1. Far More Drums
2. Maori Blues
3. Unsquare Dance
4. Bru’s Boogie Woogie
5. Blue Shadows In the Street

DANNY KAEY – HI FI STATEMENT, FALL 2010

Every artist has their one hit which defines their career, sometimes deservedly so, sometimes by happenstance. Mention the name Dave Brubeck and you will without so much as a thought think of his classic, career defining Time Out. Released in 1959 (CS8192), the Dave Brubeck Quartet (ie. Dave Brubeck on piano, Paul Desmond on alto-sax, Eugene Wright on double bass and Joe Morello on drums) released a concept jazz album based on some rather unusual time signatures. In fact, such a hit became the record, that it was the first mainstream jazz record to have ever produced a hit single, “Take Five”, that made it all the way up to number five in the adult contemporary chart. Needless to say, “Time Out” spawned and impressed upon who knows how many others; it is in effect one of the most widely known jazz albums of all time.

Though in professional circles it was met with critical eyes at first, Dave Brubeck in 1961 came back with what amounts to a sequel, aptly titled Time Further Out (CS 8490), which further developed upon the unusual time signatures. In fact, each of the tracks are arranged successively by the number of beats per bar starting with “Itʼs A Raggy Waltz” in 3/4 and concluding with “Blue Shadows In The Street” in 9/4. Much like Time Out did two years prior, Time Further Out also produced a most notable hit, the aptly named “Unsquare Dance”. A light, West Coast style jazz record, Brubeck and company play lively beats in timeless fashion that can only be described as evergreens. Simply put, you will either like this style or be turned off by it forevermore.

Reissued here by the new IMPEX label (headed up by ex Cisco Musicʼs Abey Fonn) there is much to be grateful for. First, the simple, brave fact of picking the follow-up hit rather then the original which has been reissued who knows how many times, shows at least interest in producing and reissuing those records which undeservedly so have remained locked up in someoneʼs vaults. Personally, I could really care less about yet another Time Out reissue (or Kind Of Blue for that matter), alas, Time Further Out is in my opinion in fact the better record to begin with, if only perhaps because Time Out has literally been played to death. A mint original I own used to be the benchmark for me; happily I can report that this reissue (mastered by George Marino from the original 2-track tapes) trounces my copy handily. From the first note, there is simply an increased level of information being decoded; backgrounds are quiet, the dynamics of the recording come across fully preserved and quite simply, the record just makes you swing. “Unsquare Dance”, played at respectable levels sounds quite daring and dashing; no wonder it became the recordʼs hit.

A great follow-up then and an even greater first for IMPEX. Any self respecting Brubeck fan should own a copy; this reissue is a no brainer, even if you were never aware of the recordʼs existence in first place. Highly recommended!

JIM KAPLAN, RECORD COLLECTOR, DECEMBER 2011

Time Further Out was re-releases by Impex Records and they did a phenomenal job. The sound is FANTASTIC and the music is even better. This, the third-or-so in the time signature series captures the band at a really swinging groove. And Joe Morello’s drums. WOW.

MARC MICKELSON, THE AUDIO BEAT, AUGUST 26, 2012

Click here to read Marc Mickelson’s review.

ABSOLUTE SOUND, MARCH, 2013

Celebrating Time Further Out’s inclusion in Absolute Sound’s Best Classical and Jazz Reissue LPs.

Click here to read Wayne Garcia’s review