Dave Brubeck composed this album after a tour of Europe and Asia in 1957, inspired by the traditional music of countries like Turkey, India, and Germany. It is an early example of jazz-world music fusion.
Recorded in 1957 with his quartet (Paul Desmond, Joe Morello, and Norman Bates), the album includes compositions incorporating non-Western scales and rhythms. 'Nomad' stands out, using a 9/8 time signature inspired by Turkish music.
The album was praised for its boldness and originality, and is considered a precursor to fusion jazz. Brubeck showed that jazz could engage with musical traditions from around the world.