A Tribute to Dave Brubeck: Timpani
Take Five and Blue Rondo à la Turk
Arr. Patrick Roszell
Grade: 3.5 (Medium Easy to Medium)
Item: 00-PC-0017616_TMP
$3.00
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Description
A Tribute to Dave Brubeck arranged by Patrick Roszell is a rhythmic tour de force for your concert band that will leave your audience breathless. Featuring two of the Dave Brubeck Quartet's best-known charts; the grooving "Take Five" and the furious "Blue Rondo à la Turk," the flexible assignment of the brief solo sections presents a great opportunity to feature two graduating seniors. (5:45)
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Additional Details
Series:
Pop Concert Band
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
316
SKU:
00-PC-0017616_TMP
More about this title
About the Composer: Dave Brubeck
Dave Brubeck was a pianist and composer whose improvisational mastery shaped modern jazz. Beyond his work with the Dave Brubeck Quartet, he wrote extensively across genres: choral works, orchestral pieces, chamber music, ballets, and large-scale compositions for chorus and orchestra. His studies with Darius Milhaud at Mills College after World War II encouraged him to synthesize jazz language with classical forms, a fusion that defined his compositional voice. "Take Five" and the album "Time Out" (the first jazz album to sell over a million copies) remain cultural landmarks.
Breakthrough recordings of his sacred works, including the mass "To Hope!" and oratorios recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra, demonstrate the depth of his classical training. Brubeck received recognition across decades and continents: a Presidential Medal of the Arts from President Clinton, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, election to the American Classical Music Hall of Fame in 2003, and a lifetime achievement honor from the London Symphony Orchestra in 2007. His career spanned performing, composing, and cultural leadership, breaking racial barriers in mid-20th-century music.
Why we love this
Patrick Roszell's arrangement captures the infectious energy of two Brubeck classics without losing the sophistication that makes them endure. The flexible solo assignments give you a genuine vehicle for celebrating your top players at graduation concerts, and the Grade 3.5 setting ensures your band can deliver the precise rhythmic control these pieces demand without oversimplifying their character.
What to expect
Sophisticated groove meets celebration. "Take Five" unfolds with the casual coolness of a late-night jazz club, while "Blue Rondo à la Turk" builds momentum through intricate layered rhythms that feel almost hypnotic. Together, they deliver five and a half minutes of rhythmic precision and crowd-pleasing energy.
Who it's for
Concert bands at Grade 3.5 level who want to program engaging, recognizable repertoire with contemporary appeal. This arrangement works for bands with strong soloists in the woodwind section and an audience ready for jazz in a concert setting.
How to get the most out of it
- Lock the rhythm section into the additive meter of "Blue Rondo à la Turk" before sectional rehearsals. The soloists need a rock-solid foundation to navigate the shifting accents.
- Reserve your best alto and tenor saxophones for the solo features; these parts demand clear articulation and the ability to phrase with jazz inflection.
- Balance the importance of precision with swing. Eighth notes that sit slightly behind the beat in "Take Five" feel more authentic than metronomic placement.
- Use the ensemble passages between solos to reset the band's attention and energy. These transitions matter as much as the solos themselves.
How to use it
Program this toward the end of a spring concert or graduation ceremony, where the recognizable melodies and showcase solos create a natural audience connection and a memorable cap to the season. The length and style also work well as a standalone feature concert or pops program centerpiece.
Skills your students will build
- Jazz articulation and phrasing in a concert band context
- Reading and executing additive meters and metric modulation
- Rhythmic precision and ensemble synchronization in syncopated sections
- Solo confidence and improvisation readiness for featured players
- Balance and blend when supporting jazz-style soloists