Second only to Kind of Blue by Miles Davis and Jazz Samba by Stan Getz in commercial success, this remains one of the biggest jazz records ever made. It even crossed into the pop charts with Paul Desmond's magnificent Take Five, helping Dave Brubeck bring jazz to a huge audience and offer a smart, stylish alternative to Bobby Vee.
It sold by the truckload and turned Dave Brubeck into a genuine popular star. Any critics who dismissed him for being too commercial are answered here by the music itself. This is a monumental modern jazz album, full of elegance, invention and ease.
Blue Rondo a la Turk and Kathy's Waltz are standout moments, both showing Brubeck's graceful, nonchalant class at its very best.
