I've always thought Blind Faith stole a lot of that for this song:

Do What You Like

Dave Brubeck (while awesome) undeservedly gets the credit for Take Five. The main sax line was written by Paul Desmond. But the real distinctive part of the piece, its deep drums and 5/4 time, was conceived by Joe Morello, one of the greatest jazz drummers of all time, in my opinion.

Bagelox-99: Excuse please subby: T5 USED to be Brubeck's most famous piece. Now it's his only famous piece.

Are you calling Brubeck a 1 hit wonder?

Swinging! All you groovy cats know where it's at.

/already had this vid bookmarked, nice to see others enjoying it too

Saw Dave Brubeck at the Monterey Jazz Festival a few years ago, whata a great show. A real hep cat.

3rdBass approves.

PizzaJedi81: I'd also like to say that this song, as well as Blue Rondo, gave me a taste for non-traditional time signatures in songs, so whenever I hear one now, I HAVE to listen to it.

"Four Sticks" by Led Zeppelin is in partial 5/4 time, as is Rush's "Kid Gloves" and "Touch and Go" by the Cars.

Pastor of Muppets: But the real distinctive part of the piece, its deep drums and 5/4 time, was conceived by Joe Morello, one of the greatest jazz drummers of all time, in my opinion.

No question about Morello, the guy is a drumming legend. But the liner notes on the CD I have mentions that Desmond had the original idea and that Morello's solo in the song starts like he doesn't quite have his footing yet and progressively finds his groove as he goes along.

PizzaJedi81: All good ones. In fact, about the only one I can't listen to, because of over playing, is Money. And that's only every now and then that I can't stand it.

Any others you might wanna share? I know that Rush deliberately composed "Superconductor" in 7/8 and released it as a single so they could hear a odd time signature on the radio.

FrancoFile: Anybody who gets namechecked by Steely Dan is ok by me.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold the phone. Where did SD namecheck DB? I can't believe I missed this.

Herbie555: Yes, but also it has become an iconic tune of the era. Whenever you want to play a jazz song from the era like for a movie or whatever (and have the audience KNOW it's a jazz song from that era), you use Take 5.

It was the song playing in the jukebox when Lloyd Dobbler comes over for dinner and gives the "I don't want to sell anything bought or processed" speech in "Say Anything".

CSB, yeah!

12 years ago I played a pickup gig with a bass player that could NOT figure out the meter for Take Five. The drummer counted it off and started playing and the moron bass player played dotted quarter, dotted quarter, quarter, half. So I started pounding the line out with my left hand and counting it out loud for him, and he repeated back to me, as he was playing, "That's what I'm doing! One two three four fiiiiiive!" essentially reciting six beats back to me. God, what a trainwreck, I don't know how we ever finished the song.

I have to give credit to the sax player - she embellished the melody on the chorus enough to make it fit - you have to imagine the last quarter note of each phrase being made into a half note, and that's comical because it entirely kills the flow. Try singing it that way without laughing, I dare you.

But the bluehairs at the bar loved it because they could dance a waltz to it.

Next time the band called me I politely refused.

hachijuhachi: Brubeck and Jamal are my most favorite jazz painists. Brubeck's got Take 5, Unsquare Dance, Pick-up Sticks, and a lot of great takes on some standards. Jamal's got Poinciana, and that jam just sits SO well in its groove that you're afraid you'll never make it out after listening.

I love the Poinciana beat so much. Works well with a lot of other charts, too: My Foolish Heart, Autumn Leaves, There is No Greater Love, etc. Gotta have a killing bass player, though.

LewDux: Charlie Freak: CSB, yeah!

12 years ago I played a pickup gig with a bass player that could NOT figure out the meter for Take Five. The drummer counted it off and started playing and the moron bass player played dotted quarter, dotted quarter, quarter, half. So I started pounding the line out with my left hand and counting it out loud for him, and he repeated back to me, as he was playing, "That's what I'm doing! One two three four fiiiiiive!" essentially reciting six beats back to me. God, what a trainwreck, I don't know how we ever finished the song.

I have to give credit to the sax player - she embellished the melody on the chorus enough to make it fit - you have to imagine the last quarter note of each phrase being made into a half note, and that's comical because it entirely kills the flow. Try singing it that way without laughing, I dare you.

But the bluehairs at the bar loved it because they could dance a waltz to it.

Next time the band called me I politely refused.

Modal story, bro

I think "cool" is apropos, although we could go with "West Coast."