Brubeck is known for his use of unusual time signatures, as well as superimposing contrasting rhythms, meters and tonalities.  His best known piece, “Take Five” was recorded in 5/4 time and is available on the top-selling jazz album, Time Out (1959).  Other songs with strange time signatures recorded by Brubek include “Pick Up Sticks”, which is in 6/4 time, “Unsquare Dance” in 7/4 and “Blue Rondo à la Turk” in 9/8 (Also found on Time Out).

Brubek was born in California, and never intended on becoming a musician.  He went to the College of the Pacific (now the University of the Pacific) intending to study veterinary science, but transferred to the conservatory after the head of zoology told him, “Brubeck, your mind’s not here.  It’s across the lawn in the conservatory.  Please go there.  Stop wasting my time and yours.”  Brubeck was nearly expelled from the conservatory when it was discovered he could not read music.  He had never learned as a result of having exceptionally poor eyesight as a child.  However, rising against the tyranny of the status quo, many of his professors came forward and argued on his behalf, claiming that his ability with counterpoint and harmony more than compensated for his inability to read music.  He was allowed to graduate only after he agree to never teach piano.

Brubeck was drafted after graduation in 1942 and while in the army formed one of the armed forces’ first racially integrated band, “The Wolfpack”.   After the war Brubeck returned to college, attending Mills College, in Oakland California.

In 1951, Brubeck nearly died in a swimming accident, incapacitating him for several months.  During this time Brubeck organized the The Dave Brubeck Quartet.  In 1954 he was featured on the cover of Time magazine.  Brubeck cancelled many concerts in the 1950′s and early 1960′s because club owners or hall managers were resistant to the idea of having an integrated band play on their stages.  It was with The Dave Brubeck Quartet that Brubeck recorded Time Out.  Time Out contains all original compositions, almost none of which are in common time.  9/8, 5/4, 3/4 and 6/4 are all featured times on the album.  Perhaps because of the strangeness of the time signature, the label was hesitant to release the album, despite being quite enthusiastic about the album.  Despite the reluctance of the label to release the album, it quickly went platinum.

Brubeck has toured and released albums almost constantly since the 1940′s.  Recently he has had to slow down due to his advancing age.  In 2008 he stopped touring internationally, and in 2010 he had a pacemaker installed.  In 2010 he played sold out shows at the Blue Note in New York City on Thanksgiving weekend, celebrating his 90th birthday.  As of December 2011, a new project choral is being recorded, setting works by American Poets, including Brubeck himself.

You can buy Time Out at Amazon.