Jazz Song #2 - Take Five

Kujo20

This week’s jazz classic for dissection... Take Five!

Composed by Paul Desmond and often credited to Dave Brubeck (I just learned that...I thought Dave wrote it)

In a world that is seemingly DOMINATED with 4/4 music, I have always found Take Five refreshing and original.

Also just learned today, Take Five has lyrics. Written by Don Partridge (to Desmond’s original melody)
They are:

Won't you stop and take
A little time out with me
Just take five

Stop your busy day
And take the time out
To see if I'm alive

Though I'm going out of my way
Just so I can pass by each day
Not a single word do we say
It's a pantomime and not a play
Still, I know our eyes often meet
I feel tingles down to my feet
When you smile, that's much too discreet
Sends me on my way

Wouldn't it be better not to be so polite
You could offer a light
Start a little conversation now
It's alright, just take five
Just take five

Kujo20

Another fun fact* from my research.

Before Paul Desmond died in the 70’s, he left all of his music royalties to the American Red Cross.

The ARC generally gets around $100,000 each year from those royalties.

“Fact”.... Assuming that what I read on the internet is indeed true.

administrator

I never knew this song had lyrics. Interesting.

Kehaulani

We used to do it in four at jam sessions. Very interesting.

Kujo20

@administrator said in Jazz Song #2 - Take Five:

I never knew this song had lyrics. Interesting.

From what I read, the lyrics came years later and not by the original composer.

Dr GO

@administrator said in Jazz Song #2 - Take Five:

I never knew this song had lyrics. Interesting.

Check out Al Jarreau's vocal version on YouTube. It's the best!

A Former User

Hi Kujo20,
Brubeck asked Desmond to try an write a piece in 5 (quintuple time). This idea came from a tour that Brubeck went via a State Dept. tour of Eurasia. If memory serves me right, it was on the video series Jazz by Ken Burns (absolutely a must see if you're a jazzer) where Brubeck discussed where he heard all of these wild rhythms. That place was Turkey. Brubeck was on tour with the greatest jazz orchestra of all times The Duke Ellington Orchestra when the album Time Out (Take Five was a cut from that album) went big. As the story goes, Brubeck heard a knock on his hotel door and it was Duke handing Brubeck a copy of Time (or possibly Life) magazine and it had Brubeck on the cover. Brubeck said that is was an uncomfortable meeting since Duke should have been on the cover first.
The 5/4 time can be thought of in at least two ways. As 5/4 or as 3/4 and 2/4 combined. I've always found Brubeck to be challenging because of the unusual key signatures and odd meters but as for expanding one's knowledge, its a gem and fun to play. Jamey Aebersold has a Brubeck play along (Vol. 105) that's very good if a person wishes to learn the style of Desmond and Brubeck. If you wish to save money, buy it used on Ebay (Its what I do). A lot of times people will buy play alongs only to find they've bitten off more than they can chew. I say this because I could never imagine selling any of my play alongs.

A Former User

@Kehaulani said in Jazz Song #2 - Take Five:

We used to do it in four at jam sessions. Very interesting.

Hi Kahaulani,
That sort of thing drives me crazy. I had to play My Favorite Things in 4/4 recently with a big band and it was not one of my favorite things to do.

A Former User

Paging Dr-GO, Dr. Larry, Dr. Curly
Paging Dr-GO, Dr. Larry, Dr. Curly
There's an odd meter song that requires your assistance.

Kehaulani

Also, the bridge and A section were originally reversed. Brubeck thought it was more effective to put the, now A section which was originally the bridge, first.

Kujo20

Seems silly to have this thread without some audio/video!

Kujo20

A version I found a while back upon discovering a new instrument!

Kehaulani

@Kujo20 said in Jazz Song #2 - Take Five:

Seems silly to have this thread without some audio/video!

Does anyone NOT know Take Five?

N1684T

Ashamed to say thats my first listen. Won't be the last though;)

administrator

Here's a story for you. In 2004, I was a teenager living in Boise, Idaho. That year, my father took me to see a concert at the Gene Harris jazz festival. Later on in the concert, they introduced a pianist I had never heard of. His name was Dave Brubeck and he was in his 90s. It wasn't until much later I realized the significance of that concert. I can honestly say that I actually saw Brubeck perform live.

Kehaulani

Saw him, too, a couple of times. The guy that blew me away was Joe Morello.

N1684T

Well thats nothing;) I saw Joe Montana's last winning game;)

N1684T

I'm in the cheap seats, wearing a Montana #19 jersey. Barely got out of Houston unscathed. Nasty crowd come the 4th quarter. Not all, but enough.

J. Jericho

Big deal. I watched Tony Montana.

mentalfloss.com

But seriously, I did see Dave Brubeck and Sons on tour in the early-to-mid 1980s. I hadn't expected them to be as good as they were without Paul Desmond. A very pleasant surprise.

Dr GO

@Dr-GO said in Jazz Song #2 - Take Five:

@administrator said in Jazz Song #2 - Take Five:

I never knew this song had lyrics. Interesting.

Check out Al Jarreau's vocal version on YouTube. It's the best!

Sorry. Here is Al's vocal version: