Three to Get Ready

“Three to Get Ready” is one of those pieces that invites you to explore. What makes it special, and perhaps a little challenging at first, is the way it plays with time signatures. It doesn’t settle for the easy route; it dares to use rhythmic structures that break away from the usual in jazz, such as 9/8, 6/4, and 5/4. This boldness is part of what defines the album *Time Out*, from which it comes. It’s a subtle fusion of cool jazz influences and the West Coast scene, all captured in a studio recording made at the 30th Street Studio of Columbia Records in New York City.

This record, released in 1959 by the Dave Brubeck Quartet, was not only a musical milestone but also a commercial one. The album reached number two on the Billboard charts and became the first jazz record to sell a million copies. One of its tracks, “Take Five,” also became an unprecedented hit single for the genre. By 1963, it had already surpassed 500,000 units sold, and by 2011, the Recording Industry Association of America certified it double platinum, recognizing over two million copies sold. The quartet, featuring Dave Brubeck on piano, Paul Desmond on saxophone, Joe Morello on drums, and Eugene Wright on bass, had already built visibility through a period of college tours, with albums like *Jazz at Oberlin* and *Jazz Goes to College*. *Time Out* solidified their sound and impact.