Take Five (song)

"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, this piece became one of the group's best-known records. It is famous for its distinctive catchy saxophone melody; imaginative, jolting drum solo; and use of the unusual quintuple (5/4) time, from which its name is derived. The song was first played to a live audience by The Dave Brubeck Quartet at the Village Gate nightclub in New York City in 1959. Played in the key of E-flat minor, it is noted for its distinctive E-flat minor blues lick and the E-flat minor-B-flat minor jumping chord progression.

The inspiration for this style of music came during a US State Department sponsored tour of Eurasia and Brubeck observed in Turkey a group of street musicians performing a traditional Turkish folk song with supposedly Bulgarian influence that was played in 9/8 time, a rare meter for Western music (traditionally called "Bulgarian meter"). After learning about the form from native symphony musicians, Brubeck was inspired to create an album that deviated from the usual 4/4 time of jazz and experimented in the more exotic styles he experienced abroad.

While "Take Five" was not the first jazz composition to use the quintuple 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 chart 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 many covers of the piece. 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 scat version of the song in Germany in 1976.

"Take Five" has been included in countless movies and television soundtracks, and still receives significant radio play. It was for several years during the early 60s the theme music for the NBC "Today" program, the opening bars playing half a dozen times and more each day.

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.

Personnel

 * Dave Brubeck – piano
 * Paul Desmond – Alto saxophone
 * Eugene Wright – bass
 * Joe Morello – drums

Cover versions

 * 1962 – Swedish singer Monica Zetterlund
 * 1962 – French singer Richard Anthony ("Ne boude pas")
 * 1963 – Antonio Diaz "Chocolate" Mena (Eso Es Latin Jazz ... Man!)
 * 1963 – Davy Graham ("The Guitar Player")
 * 1965 – Marilyn Maye ("Meet Marvelous Marilyn Maye")
 * 1967 – Trudy Pitts (Introducing The Fabulous Trudy Pitts)
 * 1968 – Val Bennett (The Russians Are Coming)
 * sometime before 1969 – Romanian singer Gigi Marga (retitled "Ritmuri noi" – "New rhythms", accompaniment by Cornel Popescu band)
 * 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)
 * 1985 – Tito Puente & George Shearing LP Mambo Diablo (Take Five) Grammy Winner
 * 1986 – George Benson (Live from Montreux)
 * 1987 – Lawndale ("Take Five" – medley with Whole Lotta Love). (Sasquatch Rock, SST Records)
 * 1991 – Acoustic Alchemy (Reference Point)
 * 1992 – Grover Washington, Jr. (Take Five (Take Another Five))
 * 1996 – The Specials ("Take Five")
 * 1996 – Moe Koffman ("Take Five")
 * 1997 – Aziza Mustafazadeh ("Take Five") (Jazziza album)
 * 1997 – Antonio Forcione & Sabina Sciubba ("Take Five") (Meet Me in London album)
 * 1998 – Eric Singleton/'XL'
 * 1999 – The String Cheese Incident (Carnival '99)
 * 1999 – Electronica/New Age music group Dancing Fantasy (Dancing Fantasy)
 * 2002 – Rodrigo y Gabriela ("Take 5 (Foc-ing version 9)")
 * 2002 – King Tubby, a dub version released posthumously
 * 2002 – Plankton, Swedish Instrumental Rock band (Plankton album)
 * 2004 – Tahir Aydoğdu, Turkish Kanun Player (Hasret album)
 * 2008 – New York Ska Jazz Ensemble (Step Forward)
 * 2009 – Bugge Wesseltoft (Playing)
 * 2010 – Indigo (Stay Together)
 * 2010 – The Portland Cello Project (Take 5)
 * 2010 – Stevie Wonder (North Sea Jazz Festival)
 * 2011 – Paradox (MiX-5: Premiere Recordings for Bassoon and Cello)
 * 2011 – Eliane Elias, in the "Light My Fire" album
 * 2011 – Sachal Studios Orchestra
 * 2012 – Panzerballett (Tank Goodness)
 * 2012 – Johnny Martuccelli ("My Gift to You")
 * 2013 – Terry Disley "Brubeck vs. Guaraldi"
 * 2013 – Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog (Your Turn)
 * 2013 - Rick Janus did covered Take Five, which is an electronic adaptation to the song, and it also in his first album in his life, "Hills of Joy".