Take Five

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about Dave Brubeck Quartet jazz piece. For other uses, see Take Five (disambiguation).

"Take Five"
Single by The Dave Brubeck Quartet
from the album Time Out
Released	1959
Format	7 in. record
Recorded	1959
Genre	Jazz
Length	5:28
Label	Columbia/Legacy
Writer(s)	Paul Desmond
Producer	Teo Macero

"Take Five" is a jazz piece written by Paul Desmond and performed by The Dave Brubeck Quartet on their 1959 album Time Out. Recorded at Columbia's 30th Street Studios in New York City on June 25, July 1, and August 18, 1959,^[1] this piece became one of the group's best-known records, famous for its distinctive, catchy saxophone melody and use of the unusual quintuple (5/4) time, from which its name is derived.^[2] While "Take Five" was not the first jazz composition to use this meter, it was one of the first in the United States to achieve mainstream significance, reaching #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on Billboard's Easy Listening survey, the precursor to today's Adult Contemporary charts, in 1961, two years after its initial release.
"Take Five" was re-recorded and performed live multiple times by The Dave Brubeck Quartet throughout the group's career. In addition, there have been various covers of the piece, including one by Swedish singer Monica Zetterlund in 1962 and a dub version by King Tubby, released posthumously in 2002. Some versions also feature lyrics, including a 1961 recording with lyrics written by Dave Brubeck and his wife Iola, sung by Carmen McRae. Al Jarreau performed an unusual and outstanding Scat version of the song in Germany in 1976. "Take Five" has also been included in countless movies and television soundtracks, and still receives significant radio play.
Upon his death in 1977, Desmond left the rights to royalties for performances and compositions, including "Take Five", to the American Red Cross, which has since received combined royalties of approximately $100,000 per year.^[3]

[edit] Cover versions

1963 – Antonio Diaz "Chocolate" Mena (Eso Es Latin Jazz...Man!)
1967 – Trudy Pitts (Introducing The Fabulous Trudy Pitts)
1973 – Chet Atkins
1974 – Augustus Pablo ("Ital Dub") ("The Big Rip Off")
1977 – Al Jarreau (Look To The Rainbow)
1979 – George Benson (Take Five)
1983 – Quincy Jones (Take Five)
1986 – George Benson (Live from Montreux)
1991 – Acoustic Alchemy (Reference Point)^[4]
1992 – Grover Washington, Jr. (Take Five (Take Another Five))
1996 – The Specials ("Take Five")
1996 – Moe Koffman ("Take Five")
1998 – Eric Singleton/'XL'
1999 – Electronica\New age music group Dancing Fantasy (Dancing Fantasy)^[5]
2002 – Rodrigo y Gabriela ("Take 5 (Foc-ing version 9)")
2008 – New York Ska Jazz Ensemble (Step Forward)