Take Five

[Durium]

Take Five is one of those all-times classics related to Dave Brubeck.

His recording of Take Five in 1959 for Columbia on the Time Out album became a million seller. It inspired numerous other musicians to play this strange piece of music in 5/4 measure.

I found nine Take Five's for you on MyTube to illustrate what has happened with Brubeck's tune.

Keep swinging

Durium

[JSngry]

So, what happened to Paul Desmond's tune?

[Man with the Golden Arm]

So, what happened to Paul Desmond's tune?

that Morello solo sequence is worth a look! (who decided that skinny ties were out of fashion?) and Zorn's solo at the end is a keeper!

Edited October 12, 2006 by Man with the Golden Arm

[Daniel A]

So, what happened to Paul Desmond's tune?

BTW, doesn't Brubeck claim to have co-written 'Take Five'?

[Hot Ptah]

Brubeck claims that Desmond had a fragment and didn't know what to do with it, and that he, Brubeck, had a huge hand in writing the song.

[Daniel A]

He also claims that - after Desmond asked him why they didn't have more original tunes in the band - he wrote "In Your Own Sweet Way" and another tune in 30 minutes.

This is from Len Lyons' "The Great Jazz Pianists" (Da Capo Press, 1983):

Brubeck: 'In Your Own Sweet Way' was the first original that I'd written in years. It was about '52 or '53. We had just done a concert in upstate New York, and back at the hotel Paul said, "We really need some original material", because we'd been doing practically all standards. "We better find somebody to write some", Paul said. I looked at him and said, "You got to be kidding. I'm a composer. I can write two originals in a half hour." So I sat down and wrote 'In Your Own Sweet Way' and a piece called 'The Waltz' in thirty minutes just to show him. Paul titled 'In Your Own Sweet Way.' He really liked it. I don't think either of us liked 'The Waltz'.

On 'Take five' (he didn't claim so much credit for that as I thought):

That was written in '59, when we were getting ready for the Time Out album. I told the guys the album should include unusual time signatures. Joe Morello had been messing around with a 5/4 beat when he was warming up, and Paul was always intrigued by it. So I said, "You guys write the one in five/four because I know you've been fooling around with it." Paul came to rehearsal with two themes, but he said he hadn't gotten anything on paper. I had him play the two themes, and right away I said, "You've got a tune right there. Use the second theme for the bridge." That's how it happened. My wife and I wrote lyrics for it later. Suddenly it's being sung a lot, like by Al Jarreau. Carmen McRae was the first singer to record it. It's hard to believe that 'Take Five' was something the avearge musician could not play. Now any studio guys could probably play it without any problem. High school kids don't even think twice about it now. At the time the public was more ready for that than the musicians.

[Dave James]

Brubeck claims that Desmond had a fragment and didn't know what to do with it, and that he, Brubeck, had a huge hand in writing the song.

Perhaps he should be called Duke Brubeck. It would have been interesting to get Desmond's perspective on this. It does seem odd to me that if Brubeck did have "a huge hand in writing the song", why he would not have claimed at least co-authorship for publishing/royalty purposes. Can you imagine what kind of bucks that tune must've generated over the years?

Up over and out.

[Soulstation1]

i might be the only one who hasn't listened to the entire take 5 cd

[mikeweil]

Has anybody else here the impression that the piano solo was edited out on the Columbia LP pictured above?

[Jazz Kat]

Desmond was intrigued by Morello's 5/4 experimentations? First of all, he hated Morello's drumming, and Brubeck said Desmond didn't even want to write a song in 5/4.

[Chuck Nessa]

Desmond was intrigued by Morello's 5/4 experimentations? First of all, he hated Morello's drumming, and Brubeck said Desmond didn't even want to write a song in 5/4.

So, did you talk to Brubeck, Desmond, Morello or even Gene Wright about this? Some of us been there, done that.

[Bright Moments]

So, what happened to Paul Desmond's tune?

[Jazz Kat]

Desmond was intrigued by Morello's 5/4 experimentations? First of all, he hated Morello's drumming, and Brubeck said Desmond didn't even want to write a song in 5/4.

So, did you talk to Brubeck, Desmond, Morello or even Gene Wright about this? Some of us been there, done that.

Actually, yeah, kinda. Morello told me the whole story when I used to study with him.

[BruceH]

He also claims that - after Desmond asked him why they didn't have more original tunes in the band - he wrote "In Your Own Sweet Way" and another tune in 30 minutes.

This is from Len Lyons' "The Great Jazz Pianists" (Da Capo Press, 1983):

Brubeck: 'In Your Own Sweet Way' was the first original that I'd written in years. It was about '52 or '53. We had just done a concert in upstate New York, and back at the hotel Paul said, "We really need some original material", because we'd been doing practically all standards. "We better find somebody to write some", Paul said. I looked at him and said, "You got to be kidding. I'm a composer. I can write two originals in a half hour." So I sat down and wrote 'In Your Own Sweet Way' and a piece called 'The Waltz' in thirty minutes just to show him. Paul titled 'In Your Own Sweet Way.' He really liked it. I don't think either of us liked 'The Waltz'.

On 'Take five' (he didn't claim so much credit for that as I thought):

That was written in '59, when we were getting ready for the Time Out album. I told the guys the album should include unusual time signatures. Joe Morello had been messing around with a 5/4 beat when he was warming up, and Paul was always intrigued by it. So I said, "You guys write the one in five/four because I know you've been fooling around with it." Paul came to rehearsal with two themes, but he said he hadn't gotten anything on paper. I had him play the two themes, and right away I said, "You've got a tune right there. Use the second theme for the bridge." That's how it happened. My wife and I wrote lyrics for it later. Suddenly it's being sung a lot, like by Al Jarreau. Carmen McRae was the first singer to record it. It's hard to believe that 'Take Five' was something the avearge musician could not play. Now any studio guys could probably play it without any problem. High school kids don't even think twice about it now. At the time the public was more ready for that than the musicians.

Interesting. Thanks for that.