Time Out

Recording history and tape provenance

Time Out was recorded at Columbia's 30th Street Studio – a converted Presbyterian church in Manhattan whose 100-foot ceiling gave the recordings their distinctive acoustic space. The same studio hosted Kind of Blue (March and April 1959) and Mingus Ah Um (May 1959) in the same year, and Fred Plaut engineered all three. The sonic family resemblance between these albums is the signature of a specific room, engineer, and chain.

Session dates and tracks: - June 25, 1959: "Three to Get Ready" (B1), "Kathy's Waltz" (B2), "Everybody's Jumpin'" (B3) - July 1, 1959: "Strange Meadow Lark" (A2), "Take Five" (A3) - August 18, 1959: "Blue Rondo à la Turk" (A1), "Pick Up Sticks" (B4)

Columbia's label executives were deeply reluctant to release Time Out. In Brubeck's own account, label president Goddard Lieberson agreed only if Brubeck first recorded Gone with the Wind (released in 1959 as insurance against commercial failure). Columbia held the completed Time Out sessions until December 14, 1959. "Take Five" was released as a single ahead of the album but caused little immediate stir; it was only when Columbia re-issued it for radio in 1961 that the song and album began their commercial ascent, peaking at #2 on the Billboard pop albums chart.

Paul Desmond composed "Take Five" after Brubeck challenged him to write a melody over Joe Morello's 5/4 drum pattern. "I told Paul to put a melody over Joe Morello's beat," Brubeck explained. Brubeck wrote all other tracks, each built around a specific non-standard time signature.

The cover art: The abstract painting is by S. Neil Fujita – the same designer responsible for the covers of Kind of Blue and Mingus Ah Um, all released in 1959. Columbia's sales executives were opposed to an abstract painting; Brubeck insisted and prevailed.

The Columbia Six Eye label: identification

Like Kind of Blue and Mingus Ah Um, Time Out was issued on Columbia's six-eye label – named for the six CBS "eye" logos arranged around the spindle hole. The six-eye ran from approximately 1955 to 1962, replaced by the two-eye design when Columbia introduced CBS branding.

Original catalogue numbers: - Mono: CL 1397 – matrix: XLP 47853 (Side A) / XLP 47854 (Side B) - Stereo: CS 8192 – matrix: XSM 47855 (Side A) / XSM 47856 (Side B)

Both cut on Scully lathes by Fred Plaut.

Six-eye label characteristics: Red label with black ring and six "eye" logos arranged around the spindle hole. "COLUMBIA" in arc at top. "GUARANTEED HIGH FIDELITY" (mono) or "STEREO FIDELITY" within the arrow design at top (stereo).

First pressing identification: No CBS text at top of label. The cover has no "Featuring Take Five, Blue Rondo à la Turk" text. First pressings were issued without this promotional text; it was added to the cover once the album became a hit. Some early copies were adorned with a sticker announcing "Take Five," which can be peeled off, so its absence is not a guarantee of originality.

First stereo pressing matrix pattern: Look for early single-letter suffixes, e.g. XSM 47855-1A (Side A) / XSM 47856-1B (Side B). Later sterling double-letter matrices (1CH, 1BG, etc.) indicate later stamper generations cut during the run.

The CBS overprint problem: Around 1961, Columbia introduced the CBS corporate name on the label, printed at the 12 o'clock position. LJC's Fontana comparison is categorical: "The CBS Six Eye is a drudge – top end dull or missing, the piano is dead and stodgy, the bass an unmusical thump. Everything drags." A CBS-overprinted six-eye may look like a first press but sounds noticeably worse. A genuine first-press six-eye has no CBS text at all.

The mono situation: The mono CL 1397 is not a fold-down of the stereo master – it is a separate discrete mono mix of the original three-track session. This makes it a genuinely different listening experience rather than a collapsed stereo.

Market values (NM condition): - NM stereo CS 8192 six-eye, no CBS, early matrix commands the highest prices of any variant - NM stereo CS 8192 six-eye, later stampers, no CBS, sits a step below the early matrix - NM stereo CS 8192 CBS six-eye is the most affordable of the six-eye stereo variants - NM mono CL 1397 six-eye, no CBS, falls between the early and later stereo six-eye tiers

The Dutch Fontana pressing: LJC's head-to-head compared a Dutch Fontana 682 065 TL (Philips Holland pressing) against a CBS-overprinted six-eye. The Fontana won convincingly: "a delight, Morello's cymbals sparkle and sizzle, Brubeck's piano resonates, notes have attack and decay, transients, musically, everything flows, draws you in. The CBS Six Eye shrivels before the Fontana." Importantly, the Fontana 682 065 TL is a MONO pressing – the "TL" suffix in the Dutch Fontana/Philips catalogue denotes mono. LJC was comparing his mono Fontana against a CBS-overprinted six-eye stereo; the comparison speaks to the quality of the Fontana pressing and the mediocrity of the CBS six-eye, not to stereo vs. mono superiority. Collectors seeking a stereo Fontana should look for the YL or 885-series catalogue numbers. Matrix: AA 682 065 1L/2L. A genuinely undervalued mono alternative relative to its sound quality. Discogs r3518844

Mono vs. stereo

The mono CL 1397 is a discrete mono mix, not a fold-down, giving it genuine collector interest. The mono places the quartet more tightly together, with Brubeck's piano more centred and Desmond's alto less spread. The stereo's left-right separation – piano slightly left, Desmond slightly right – is notably wide for a quartet record and can feel spatially artificial on headphones or wide stereo setups.

Vinylreviews.com on the original: "Like my original white-label stereo pressing, the left-right stereo separation feels a bit artificial." The reviewer finds the AP 45rpm improves on this. The community is divided; no modern audiophile reissue has issued a mono-specific edition.

The reissue hierarchy

Classic Records single-LP editions (1995) – the first great reissue

Classic Records issued Time Out in 1995 as single-LP editions:

180g version: Bernie Grundman mastering from the original tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl. The pioneering audiophile reissue – proof that the recording had more to offer than any standard LP had delivered.

200g Quiex SV-P version: Same Grundman mastering, on Classic Records' 200g Quiex SV-P compound. Generally considered the superior vinyl formulation.

Both were standard double-sided single LPs at 33⅓rpm.

Classic Records 4×45rpm single-sided box (2000 and 2008)

2000 edition (200g Quiex SV-P): Same Bernie Grundman mastering, now on 4×single-sided LPs at 45rpm. One track per side, in the Classic Records single-sided format. Widely considered the best-sounding Classic edition.

2008 edition (Clarity SV-P II clear vinyl): Same Bernie Grundman mastering and same metal stampers as the 2000 Quiex SV-P. The only difference is the vinyl compound – Clarity SV-P II omits carbon black, producing a clear disc. Some collectors find this more analytically neutral; others prefer the Quiex warmth. The mastering is identical.

Note: Both 4LP boxes reused the 1995 single-LP jacket artwork with "Copyright 1995" – this caused widespread dating confusion; the 4LP 45rpm format was first released in 2000, not 1995.

Analogue Productions APJ 8192-45 45rpm 2LP (2012) – the current benchmark

Cat. APJ 8192-45 | UPC 753088819278 | Format: 2×180–200g 45rpm (200g on earlier pressings; 180g since approximately 2021–2022), Stoughton tip-on gatefold with session photos, QRP pressing. Mastered by Bernie Grundman, AAA, from the original analog master tapes.

Matrix etching: "CS 8192-A1-45 APJ-8192-45 A Bernie Grundman" (and B, C, D for each side).

Worth knowing: this is not an independent remaster. Elusive Disc's own product description confirms it "comes from the same remastering done for the earlier Classic Records single-sided 45rpm release, which Bernie Grundman cut from the three-channel master tapes" – a detail independently corroborated by a collector's deadwax comparison, who found Grundman's signature and lettering identical between the two, with only minor additional etching identifying the AP pressing specifically. Despite sharing the same underlying cut, the same reviewer found the AP edition meaningfully quieter than the original Classic Records 45rpm set – attributable to QRP's pressing quality rather than any difference in mastering, since RTI (Classic Records' pressing plant) and QRP are different plants working from the same lacquers/stampers.

Wayne Garcia (The Absolute Sound, January 2013 print issue, Music = 5/5, Sound = 5/5): "The results speak for themselves: the platters from QRP are in my experience the most consistently flat and quiet being pressed today... at least for the foreseeable here and now, Analogue Productions' newly mastered 45 RPM (Brubeck) is the edition to own. You'll hear it right from the familiar piano intro to 'Blue Rondo à la Turk,' where Brubeck's playing seems richer, more lyrical, more rhythmically alive."

Vinylreviews.com on direct comparison with originals: "Of all the choices, this reissue most authoritatively nails the piano and bass sound. At times with an original, you have to remind yourself the bassist is there. The piano's left-hand part is also much better fleshed out on the AP reissue than elsewhere."

Discogs: "The recording of the drum set is amazing – captures all the grungy sounds you get if you were next to a real set – reverb on toms, vibration of snare wires, overtones of cymbals."

Note on distortion: some owners report piano distortion specifically on "Kathy's Waltz" at high-output passages. This is most often a cartridge alignment or loading issue rather than a universal pressing defect, though a minority of copies may have a cutting-level issue on that track.

Still in print from Acoustic Sounds. Discogs r3791080

Analogue Productions AAPJ 8192 33rpm 180g (2015) – the single-disc option

Cat. AAPJ 8192 | UPC 753088819216 | Format: single 180g LP at 33⅓, Stoughton tip-on gatefold. Same Bernie Grundman AAA mastering from the original tapes; same QRP pressing.

Important note: The cover of this edition erroneously states "RECORDING IS DESIGNED FOR USE ON 45 RPM STEREOPHONIC REPRODUCERS" – this was copy-pasted from the 45rpm cover art. The vinyl is 33⅓rpm. Check the label, not the cover.

The 33rpm version delivers the same Grundman mastering at slightly reduced groove-width advantage. Multiple owners who own both prefer the 45rpm's bass definition and transient detail, but rate the 33rpm as excellent value and significantly more convenient. Still in print. Discogs r7632519

What makes this recording demanding on pressings

Eugene Wright's bass is the defining challenge. The 30th Street Studio gave Wright's bass large natural resonance – it can sound grounded and physical on the best pressings, or thin and inaudible on lesser ones. The AP 45rpm specifically addresses this; first-press six-eye collectors note the bass is dramatically better-defined on clean early stampers.

Joe Morello's drums are a showpiece and a reference track for audiophile systems. The ring of the ride cymbal on "Take Five," the crack of the snare on "Blue Rondo," the tom resonance during Morello's drum feature – all require wide dynamic range and excellent high-frequency resolution. On lesser pressings these smear into undifferentiated hash; on the best they have spatial presence.

Brubeck's piano occupies a distinctive register in the 30th Street acoustic. The left-hand voicings can sound muddy and indistinct on compressed or poor pressings; on the best they have definition and harmonic complexity.

Pressings to avoid

CBS six-eye copies: The "CBS" text at 12 o'clock indicates a 1961+ pressing from later stampers. LJC's verdict: "stodgy bass, blurred piano lacking transients, and Morello's ringing cymbals all but disappeared." Buy these only knowingly at a significant discount.

EU grey-market editions (DOL, Waxtime, Vinyl Passion, etc.): Digitally sourced from CD, no licensed tape access, substandard vinyl, no mastering credits. Time Out is among the most bootlegged jazz albums in the EU budget market. Avoid entirely.

Japanese digitally remastered CBS/Sony pressings (1980s–90s): Some Japanese pressings of this title are excellent (verify the mastering credit and matrix before purchasing) but the digital remaster era produced mediocre results on many Japanese copies.

Music On Vinyl import pressing: A genuine MOV pressing of this title does exist (not a phantom release, despite sometimes being reported as absent). Reception is consistently poor: multiple Discogs owners report significant surface noise, with several noting an older 1970s repress or a Holland repress "blows the MOV out of the water." Not recommended when the AP editions are available.

Buyer's guide by budget

$$ (Affordable): The AP AAPJ 8192 33rpm – Bernie Grundman AAA, QRP, gatefold. The best accessible option.

$$$ (Mid-range): The AP APJ 8192-45 45rpm 2LP – the complete audiophile treatment. Wayne Garcia's "edition to own" verdict holds.

$$$$ (Premium): A clean NM stereo six-eye CS 8192, no CBS – Fred Plaut's original lacquer from the 30th Street Studio. The original has a specific air around the instruments, particularly Morello's drums, that reissues approximate but don't quite replicate.

$$$$ (Premium): A Classic Records 200g Quiex SV-P 4LP 45rpm (2000 edition) – the best Classic edition. For mono listeners: the Dutch Fontana 682 065 TL is a mono pressing (TL = mono in the Fontana catalogue) praised by LJC for exceptional pressing quality.

Confirmed phantom releases

• No Impex Records pressing – Impex issued Time Further Out (the 1961 sequel) but not Time Out
• No Mobile Fidelity vinyl pressing – MoFi did not license this title for LP
• No ORG (Original Recordings Group) edition

Pressing tier summary

References

• Discogs (master): https://www.discogs.com/master/34081-The-Dave-Brubeck-Quartet-Time-Out
• LondonJazzCollector, "Dave Brubeck: Time Out (1959) Fontana": https://londonjazzcollector.wordpress.com/2013/03/15/dave-brubeck-time-out-1959-fontana/
• The Absolute Sound, Wayne Garcia's review of the AP 45rpm (January 2013 print issue, no web article found): https://www.theabsolutesound.com
• Vinyl Reviews, "The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out": https://vinylreviews.com/album/time-out/
• Acoustic Sounds, product page for the AP 45rpm 2LP: https://store.acousticsounds.com/d/83377/Dave_Brubeck_Quartet-Time_Out-45_RPM_Vinyl_Record
• Elusive Disc, product page confirming the AP 45rpm's shared mastering with Classic Records: https://elusivedisc.com/The-Dave-Brubeck-Quartet-Time-Out-200g-45rpm-2LP/productinfo/APLP8192-45
• Discogs release and community listings for all pressings referenced in the tier table above (original six-eye stereo/mono CS 8192/CL 1397, Dutch Fontana, Classic Records 1995/2000/2008 editions, AP 45rpm and 33rpm, CBS six-eye, Music On Vinyl)
• YouTube, The Pressing Matters, "TIME OUT: DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET Classic Records 33 and 45 vs the Analogue Productions 45": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tMgbWzZJc4

Related guides: Kind of Blue · Mingus Ah Um · Sketches of Spain