"Three to Get Ready" from Dave Brubeck's 1959 Time Out album playfully alternates between 3/4 and 4/4 time, its title describing the rhythmic conceit at the heart of the composition. Paul Desmond's three-chorus alto saxophone solo at 177 BPM over the 16-bar form in C navigates the shifting meters with the casual grace that defined his playing, making the transitions between waltz and swing feel effortless. Brubeck follows with seven expansive piano choruses at 179 BPM, his longer solo reflecting his tendency toward more developmental, structurally ambitious improvisations. The composition embodies the album's central thesis that jazz can incorporate diverse time signatures while remaining accessible and swinging. The 16-bar form keeps the harmonic framework compact, allowing the metric play to take center stage. Desmond's ability to make complex rhythmic situations sound simple was one of his greatest gifts, and this performance exemplifies that quality. The track showcases the telepathic interplay between Brubeck and Desmond, who by 1959 had been playing together for nearly a decade and had developed an almost supernatural ability to anticipate each other's musical moves.
