A Place In Time, Dave Brubeck Quartet

The Dave Brubeck Quartet – A Place In Time

Artist: The Dave Brubeck Quartet

Title: A Place In Time (Also released as Brubeck Time or Instant Brubeck)

Album Type: Studio Album (Original Vinyl Release)

Original Release Date: 1955 (First released as Brubeck Time)

Label: Columbia Records (Catalog: CL 622) / CBS (Catalog: S 52611 for A Place In Time)

Genre: Cool Jazz

Background & Production A Place In Time is a retitled reissue of the 1955 landmark album Brubeck Time. It represents the first studio album the Quartet recorded for Columbia Records after being signed by George Avakian. The sessions took place in late 1954 at Columbia’s 30th Street Studio in New York. This record captures the "early" iteration of the Quartet—featuring Paul Desmond (alto sax), Bob Bates (bass), and Joe Dodge (drums)—just before the "classic" lineup with Joe Morello and Eugene Wright was formed. The album was famously intended to capitalize on Brubeck's appearance on the cover of Time magazine in November 1954.

Musical Composition & Style The album is a definitive example of "West Coast Cool," characterized by intellectual arrangements, light-toned saxophone, and Brubeck’s signature "block chord" piano style.

• The Standout Track: "Audrey" was written specifically for Audrey Hepburn after the band saw her in the film Roman Holiday; it remains one of the most haunting and beautiful examples of the Brubeck-Desmond creative partnership.

• Jazz Standards: Includes sophisticated reworkings of "Jeepers Creepers," "Pennies From Heaven," and "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?"

• Technical Precision: "Stompin' For Mili" was recorded for the legendary photographer Gjon Mili and showcases the tight rhythmic interplay of the Bates-Dodge rhythm section.

• Desmond’s Lyricism: Paul Desmond’s playing here is at its most "dry martini" smooth, providing the perfect melodic counterpoint to Brubeck’s more percussive piano approach.

Original Pressing & Collector Notes Because this album has been released under three different titles (Brubeck Time, Instant Brubeck, and A Place In Time), collectors must look closely at the label and catalog info.

• The "True" Original: The first 1955 US pressing is titled Brubeck Time (CL 622) on the Columbia Red/Black "6-Eye" label.

• Retitled Reissues: The title A Place In Time was primarily used for the 1968 budget-line reissues on the CBS Odyssey series in the US and the CBS label in Europe (Catalog: S 52611).

• The "Time" Cover: Original 1955 covers feature a striking painting of Brubeck by Boris Artzybasheff, which was the actual artwork used for his Time magazine cover. Reissue covers for A Place In Time often use different, more abstract 1960s photography.

• Mono vs. Stereo: The 1955 original is Mono only. If you find a copy of A Place In Time listed as "Stereo," be aware that it is a "re-channeled" or "electronically enhanced" stereo mix, as true stereo tapes did not exist for these sessions.

  • Keywords: Dave Brubeck Quartet, A Place In Time, Brubeck Time, Original Pressing, 1955 Vinyl, Columbia Records, Paul Desmond, Audrey, Cool Jazz, 6-Eye Label.

  • Collection Ideas: West Coast Jazz Essentials, Early Brubeck Quartet, The Time Magazine Sessions, Jazz Classics Re-titled.

  • Related Artists: Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz, Modern Jazz Quartet, Miles Davis (Cool Era).

MINT - sealed

NM - likely never played - almost perfect

VG+ - light scuffs, light scratches wont effect play

VG -  signs of wear, light scratches you can feel

GOOD -  surface noise, visible groove wear

POOR / FAIR- some damage, causing issues like skipping & distorted audio

OIS - original inner sleeve